Shauna Sowersby

5 days ago | seattletimes.com | Shauna Sowersby

OLYMPIA — In the final days of the legislative session, lawmakers passed important changes to the Ethics in Public Service Act with little attention. At face value, Senate Bill 5143 was presented as a bill to “clean up” legislative ethics laws, but to the few lawmakers who voted against the bill, there was cause for concern. The main concern for Rep. Gerry Pollet, D-Seattle: What constitutes a financial conflict of interest for lawmakers?

1 week ago | spokesman.com | Shauna Sowersby

Washington’s Catholic leaders sued state leaders and county prosecutors Thursday, alleging that a controversial new law requiring priests to break the confessional seal to report suspected child abuse is “a brazen act of religious discrimination.”The new law adds clergy to a list of other professions, such as health care workers and school personnel, who are mandatory reporters of abuse.

1 week ago | seattletimes.com | Shauna Sowersby

Washington’s Catholic leaders sued state leaders and county prosecutors Thursday, alleging that a controversial new law requiring priests to break the confessional seal to report suspected child abuse is “a brazen act of religious discrimination.”The new law adds clergy to a list of other professions, such as health care workers and school personnel, who are mandatory reporters of abuse.

2 weeks ago | seattletimes.com | Shauna Sowersby |Jim Brunner

OLYMPIA – Gov. Bob Ferguson signed a state operating budget on Tuesday that substantially boosts state spending and raises taxes by roughly $9 billion over the next four years. Throughout his early months as governor, Ferguson had vowed to bring a more hawkish approach to state spending. He publicly rejected a wealth tax floated by fellow Democrats and said he’d go through the budget line by line to look for savings.

2 weeks ago | tri-cityherald.com | Shauna Sowersby

May 19-Washington became one of only three states in the country to provide unemployment benefits for striking workers after Gov. Bob Ferguson signed a bill into law Monday. The new law, which goes into effect Jan. 1, provides up to six weeks of benefits for striking workers, after a waiting period of up to 21 days after a strike or lockout period begins. The law sunsets in 2035.