In a bold move to end child marriage in Washington, Rep. Monica Stonier, D-Vancouver, introduced House Bill 1455, which has now been delivered to Gov. Inslee’s desk for signature. Current Washington law allows 17-year-olds to marry with parental consent, with judicial approval needed for those younger than 17. The bill would remove these loopholes, voiding all marriages in which either party is under 18. Proponents argue this bill will protect children, who are often too young to access supportive and legal resources, from the violence, abuse and crime associated with child marriage.
The Legislature passed a “Strippers Bill of Rights” this session after failing to do so last year. Senate Bill 6105 establishes a number of new safety protocols for adult entertainment, including panic buttons, customer behavior rules and worker safety training. It also includes a warning that an establishment could lose its liquor license if it violates certain laws related to adult entertainers. The bill, awaiting the governor’s signature, also gives entertainers more rights concerning their pay and employment status.
A measure lowering minimal residential parking requirements for multifamily housing, Senate Bill 6015, could make it easier to build more housing in urban areas. This bill applies to housing near regular public transit, and relates to market-rate housing as well as to low-income, workforce housing and units for people with disabilities.
A bill to allow rising high school juniors to participate in Running Start has passed both houses with bipartisan support. The Running Start program offers high school students the opportunity to earn both high school and college credits by enrolling in courses at local colleges. However, it is currently limited to juniors and seniors. Under Senate Bill 5670, students who have completed 10th grade but have not yet begun 11th can enroll in the program during the summer before junior year. Proponents say expanding the program to these students will help them save money in college by allowing them to graduate early.
A bill to restrict the amount of lead in cookware has passed out of both houses. Lead is a heavy metal toxic to human health, with documented effects on the brain and nervous system. But even as officials warn the public of the dangers of lead exposure, many large retailers still sell contaminated cookware. House Bill 1551 will restrict the manufacturing, sale or distribution of cookware containing more than five parts per million of lead, with monetary penalties for violations. Pending Inslee’s signature, Washington could become the first state in the nation to ban lead in cookware.
A bill that would have made computer science competency a graduation requirement, Senate Bill 5849, has died. In a landscape where 92% of jobs require digital skills, prime sponsor Sen. Lisa Wellman, D-Mercer Island, said this requirement is necessary to ensure that students can compete in a digital economy. However, some had concerns about the technology and teacher training needed to make this requirement possible. Although the bill passed out of the Senate 46-3, it did not make it out of the House Appropriations committee by the fiscal cutoff date.
In an effort to “ditch the switch” in Washington, Sen Mike Padden, R-Spokane Valley, introduced Senate Bill 5795 to establish year-round observance of Pacific Standard Time. Although congressional approval is required to establish year-round Daylight Saving Time – something the Washington Legislature has already approved – year-round Pacific Standard Time can be established without federal input. According to a YouGov survey, 62% of Americans would prefer not to switch clocks twice a year, with mental health and sleep impact associated with the practice. However, the bill never made it to the floor calendar.
Donna Gordon Blankinship
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