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State Rep. Strom Peterson is a Democrat who is progressive on social issues like gun control, yet mindful of how increased traffic and property taxes can burden his constituents. Voters in the 21st Legislative District — which includes Lynnwood, Mukilteo, Edmonds and Everett — should send him back to the Legislature for another two years. … READ MORE

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

OLYMPIA – Local fire departments could be banned from using a group of fire-fighting chemicals that are contaminating some wells in Airway Heights and other water sources near military bases. Those chemicals last a long time, are almost indestructible under most natural situations and travel easily through the soil to get into underground water supplies, … READ MORE

The Washington State Legislature Thursday night passed a $4.18 billion capital budget that will provide funding for several major local projects, including the new Edmonds Waterfront Center and waterfront development and the Frances Anderson Center roof project. Also on the list of projects is a new science, engineering and technology building for Edmonds Community College. … READ MORE

TACOMA — The State’s Toxic Clean up fund is running low on revenue from the tax they charge industrial polluters. While Q13 News featured the problems in areas around Commencement Bay and Tacoma, there are toxic sites in queue to be cleaned up all over the state. Thousands of sites, both big and small, remain … READ MORE

EDMONDS, Wash. — Snohomish County is the latest to require pharmaceutical companies to pay for a drug takeback program. On Tuesday, the county unveiled its first prescription pill dropbox inside the Edmonds Police Department. In the coming weeks they plan to open more than 25 dropboxes across the county. Many of them will be at … READ MORE

We’ve all heard horror stories about opioid abuse. Here’s a new one. The Snohomish Health District reports that there were 37 opioid overdoses within one seven-day period, including one in Edmonds. The district reached out to first responders, …

This is the first time in state history that lawmakers failed to pass a capital budget. The capital budget, sometimes known as the construction budget, creates tens of thousands of jobs across the state by investing in community construction projects. These resources build schools, colleges, state parks, dental clinics, and make improvements to our mental … READ MORE