Like millions of people across the country, Strom Peterson has a personal connection to the opioid epidemic. The Washington state representative lost a cousin to a heroin overdose. That tragedy, he says, led him “to really dig in and see what could be done.”

The Washington Senate Tuesday passed House Bill 1047, also known as the Secure Drug Take Back Act, on a unanimous vote of 49-0. The legislation, sponsored by Rep. Strom Peterson, D-Edmonds, would create a first-in-the-nation requirement for drug manufacturers to implement a secure, statewide system of collection and disposal for unused, expired and leftover medications. … READ MORE

The Washington State House of Representatives recently approved a bill that would ban the practice of school “lunch shaming” and ensure that every student is afforded a lunch on school days. Known as the Hunger-Free Students’ Bill of Rights, House Bill 2610 passed the House by a vote of 59-39. The bill was sponsored by … READ MORE