News

The Herald of Everett, Washington
21st District State Reps. Ortiz-Self and Peterson both get opponents

Published: Tuesday, May 10, 2016, 9:55 a.m.   Democratic 21st District State Reps. Lillian Ortiz-Self and Strom Peterson both have opponents for the 2016 election. Libertarian Alex Hels has registered with the state Public Disclosure Commission as a candidate against Peterson. No Republican has registered. Registering with the Public Disclosure Commission allows a candidate to … READ MORE

The Daily Herald
State grants Edmonds veterans memorial $77K, $25K still needed

The drive to build a 5,500-square-foot memorial park to honor veterans has gotten a big boost — a $77,000 grant from the state. Plans now call for construction to begin in June and for the memorial park to be dedicated Nov. 11, Veterans Day, said Ron Clyborne, who helped launch the drive for the park. … READ MORE

The Daily Herald
Treatment, not punishment, will limit opioid problems

President Obama did something remarkable this week. For the first time, a president talked about drug addiction in America without talking about prosecution, mandatory minimums or a war on drugs. For the first time, a president talked about a new approach to addiction — an approach rooted in being smart on treatment instead of just … READ MORE

The Daily Herald
Program helps track prescriptions to ensure they aren’t being abused

Calling addiction to opiates and similar drugs “a scourge,” Gov. Jay Inslee on Thursday approved legislation that seeks to make better use of a state-sponsored prescription monitoring program to fight “doctor-shopping” by addicts. The bill (HB 2730) makes it easier for physicians and others prescribing drugs to get information about whether a patient has previously … READ MORE

The News Tribune
House passes Tacoma lawmaker’s sick leave law

On a party-line 51-46 vote, the state House passed a bill Tuesday that would require most businesses in Washington to grant employees paid sick and safe leave. House Bill 1356 would mandate that all but the smallest businesses in the state give their employees paid leave. Employers with more than four but fewer than 50 … READ MORE

Capital Press
Washington looks at modest bee forage experiment

A proposal to test supplanting noxious weeds with bee forage nearly unanimously passed the Washington House, indicating stronger support for an idea that stalled last year.

Oregon Metro News
Washington delegation tours MetroPaint to see recycling in action

A group of Washington leaders toured Portland’s MetroPaint recycling center last week as they look at whether to launch a paint-recycling program in their state. Metro’s MetroPaint recycling program, on Swan Island in Portland, processes more than 255,000 gallons of paint each year. That drew the interest of a delegation from Olympia, which toured MetroPaint … READ MORE

MLT News
Speaking out against oil trains

About 300 people attended an open house and public comment session Monday at the Lynnwood Convention Center that addressed a proposed railroad project at the Shell Puget Sound Refinery in Anacortes. The planned project would accommodate up to six trains per week that would deliver crude oil to the refinery, replacing crude that is currently … READ MORE

My Edmonds News
State Senate passes Peterson bill to expand prescription monitoring

The Washington State Senate Thursday night passed one of Rep. Strom Peterson’s bills to combat the rising opioid and heroin abuse epidemic in Washington. Peterson’s bill (HB 2730), which passed the Senate 47-1, will expand access to the Prescription Monitoring Program (PMP), an online system managed by the Department of Health to keep track of … READ MORE