WA Paid Medical Leave could soon apply to small employers and 'Chosen Families' kvi.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from kvi.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
(The Center Square) – Three out of four people on Thursday morning testified against the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries proposal for an overall average rate increase of
Washington lawmakers consider ban on open carry at demonstrations, state Capitol
The ban on carrying guns openly would extend to any demonstration across the state. Opponents say that would be unconstitutional. Author: Associated Press, Drew Mikkelsen Published: 7:01 PM PST January 26, 2021 Updated: 7:43 PM PST January 26, 2021
OLYMPIA, Wash. A Washington state Senate Committee heard public testimony on a measure that would ban the open carry of guns and other weapons on the Capitol campus and at or near any public demonstration across the state.
Proponents called it a common-sense measure amid heightened political divisions, while opponents argued it would infringe on constitutional gun rights.
A guide to Washington s 2021 legislative session
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The capitol building in Olympia, Washington. @ Didier Marti/Getty Images
Amid a background of civil unrest that led Gov. Jay Inslee to activate the National Guard for safety, the Washington state legislature commenced last week for their 2021 session.
Despite the in-person first gathering in Olympia, lawmakers agreed to rules to hold a mostly remote 2021 session due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The 98-member House of Representatives will move to mostly virtual meetings, while the Senate will take a hybrid approach will some members appearing at the Capitol.
The state s response to the pandemic will likely dominate the early months of this session as lawmakers chart an economic recovery, but other high-profile issues also at hand.
Criticism and strategizing for Employment Security before Legislature
Washington state capitol in Olympia. (AP file photo)
The first week back at the Legislature virtually, that is saw plenty of conversation over what went wrong at the Employment Security Department this past year, and what steps might be taken to help out those who are unemployed.
With the pandemic came record unemployment, a backlog that has seen tens of thousands of people at a time waiting on benefits, a fraud attack that robbed government of hundreds of millions of dollars, and the looming figure of rising unemployment taxes on businesses to refill the Unemployment Trust Fund, which is funded entirely by these taxes.