Monday, April 12
Monday, April 12th, marked the 92nd out of 105 days of the legislative session. As the countdown continues, we started this week’s coverage with a review of both the House and Senate weekend floor debates.
Both chambers held full days of debate, working to beat a 5pm… Continue reading Legislative Highlights – April 12-16, 2021
April 15, 2021
This week host Austin Jenkins sits down with two guests who are directly involved in state prisons: Steve Sinclair, who is retiring as secretary of the Washington Department of Corrections after four years at the helm, and Joanna Carns, the director of the recently created state Office… Continue reading Inside Olympia – State Prisons
In previous episodes we’ve covered the challenges facing working parents seeking affordable child care, the struggles facing providers themselves, and how the pandemic has complicated things even more.
… Continue reading “The Impact”: Child Care Trends and the Law; Budgeting for Disaster“The big challenge I think we’re facing is that a lot of families have pieced together care with
Monday April 5
On Monday, April 5th, the Senate Ways and Means Committee convened for a public hearing on Senate Bill 5476–an act, that if passed, could potentially change how the state penalizes drug possession.
Under current state law, any individual who unknowingly carries a controlled substance but is found… Continue reading Legislative Highlights April 5-8, 2021
April 8, 2021
Host Austin Jenkins sits down for an in-depth interview with two first-term Republican representatives, Peter Abbarno of Centralia and Mark Klicker of Walla Walla.
Abbarno grew up in Buffalo, New York, and got involved in what he calls the “bare-knuckle” politics of the state. He attended law… Continue reading Inside Olympia – First-Term Legislators
Watch “The Impact” here:
In a late February ruling with major implications for the criminal justice system, the Washington Supreme Court struck down the state’s strict liability simple possession drug law as unconstitutional. The majority opinion author argued that under the current interpretation of the statute someone could be… Continue reading “The Impact”- Public Defender and Former Prosecutor Debate Drug Law Ruling
Letter from the President
By Renee Radcliff Sinclair
On March 13, 2020, I sent our team home to let the dust settle on the COVID-19 pandemic. The 2020 Legislative Session had ended the day before and I thought by mid-summer we would be back into our typical interim groove.… Continue reading TVW Update April 2021
Monday, March 29
On March 28th, Sunday afternoon, state representatives debated the passage of senate bill 5038, which aims to ban the open carry of weapons that can cause injury or death at public demonstrations and state capitol grounds.The bill exempts law enforcement working at the scene, and anyone who… Continue reading Legislative Highlights March 29-Arpil 2, 2021
April 1, 2021
Majority Democrats in the State Legislature say this is not time for an austerity budget. They’re proposing significant increases in spending to address the ongoing COVID crisis and shore up state services. They’re also embracing a new state capital gains tax.
Minority Republicans, for their part,… Continue reading Inside Olympia – Operating and Capital Budgets
Watch House Budget Leaders Debate 2-year Spending Plan on “The Impact”
On “The Impact” this week we’re focusing on the two-year operating budget proposals backed by the democratic majorities in the House and Senate.
The operating budget covers the state’s payroll for state workers and… Continue reading “The Impact”: House Budget Leaders Debate Spending Plan
