Tom set to tour China to observe language instruction

OLYMPIA – Sen. Rodney Tom, D-Bellevue, will be part of a delegation traveling to China later this month to learn more about the country’s booming economy and how teaching Chinese in more Washington public schools could benefit the state. more>>>

Washington Delegation to Attend the Paris Air Show

OLYMPIA. – With Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner scheduled for lift off soon, all eyes will be on Washington’s soaring aerospace industry at the 47th Paris Air Show, June 18 – 24, 2007. more>>>

Landmark family leave bill signed in time for Mother’s Day

OLYMPIA – After several months of intense negotiations, compromise and some nail biting, a bill setting up a family leave program was signed into law today. Washington will be the second state to offer this benefit. more>>>

Family leave compromise reached

OLYMPIA – Agreement on a landmark bill on family leave insurance was reached today as the state Senate voted 26-21 on a compromise the House approved by a 57-41 vote on April 20. more>>>

Kilmer bills on permitting, construction and infrastructure await signature

OLYMPIA — Permitting processes would be more open under a bill passed today by the state Senate and sent to the governor for her signature. Senate Bill 5508, sponsored by Sen. Derek Kilmer, D-Gig Harbor, would improve government services while furthering local economic growth. more>>>

Aerospace businesses would get excise tax relief

OLYMPIA – The state Senate today approved legislation to provide excise tax relief for aerospace product development businesses. In 2003, the Legislature passed a major tax incentive for aerospace businesses, and 25 companies, including 13 in Snohomish County, were inadvertently left out. more>>>

It's time for paid family leave benefit for workers

Family leave insurance will help employers retain productive workers without imposing undue burdens. A local mother reminded me all too vividly why I sponsored Senate Bill 5659. more>>>

Washington Senate leads family leave insurance push

OLYMPIA – Working families would not be forced to choose between their job and their family if the family leave insurance measure passed by the state Senate today is signed into law. more>>>

Senate votes to limit credit checks

OLYMPIA – Many Americans go through difficult financial times, such as a job layoff or divorce. Unfortunately, when those tough times result in a bad credit rating, the ramifications can last a lifetime. And when someone tries to improve their life and pull themselves out of debt, their prior problems can come back to haunt them. more>>>

Marr’s bill to boost economic development councils passes Senate

OLYMPIA — Local economic development offices will be required to do more — and will receive more funding with which to do it — under a bill passed Wednesday by the Senate. more>>>

Senate offers support of fishing fleet

OLYMPIA – A resolution introduced by Sen. Jeanne Kohl-Welles, D-Seattle, honors the Washington state commercial fishing fleet and offers condolences to those who have lost their lives at sea. more>>>

Hobbs: Remove barriers to prosperity

OLYMPIA – Should past credit problems prevent you from landing that dream job? Sen. Steve Hobbs, D-Lake Stevens, doesn’t think so, and he’s introduced legislation to protect consumers from the use of credit checks in the interview process. more>>>

Legislature moves to boost crane safety

OLYMPIA – The death of a Bellevue apartment dweller by a falling crane last year has prompted state lawmakers to look at ways of ensuring that such a tragedy does not occur again. Sen. Jeanne Kohl-Welles, D-Seattle, and Rep. Deb Eddy, D-Kirkland, have introduced companion measures to regulate crane safety and require that operators be certified. more>>>

Senate passes Kilmer’s bill to identify businesses owned by veterans

OLYMPIA – Shopping at a business owned by a veteran is one way people can show appreciation for the vet’s military service, but often customers have no way of knowing who owns the business. That would change under a bill passed Friday by the state Senate. more>>>

Sales tax credit to generate $40 million a year for economic development

OLYMPIA – In the past two years, Washington saw the creation of 155,000 jobs. In an effort to continue producing jobs, one state senator introduced legislation today that would generate approximately $40 million a year for county economic development projects. Each county would be able to decide which projects to fund. more>>>

Intellect Will Drive Washington’s Economy

If every politician, business leader and educator visited China, South Korea and India, we wouldn’t have to write an economic development plan for our state. It would write itself. more>>>

Students encouraged to “blast off” with the Washington aerospace scholars program

OLYMPIA – The Washington Aerospace Scholars program, sponsored by the Museum of Flight, is seeking high school juniors interested in math, science, computer science and engineering for a one-week internship opportunity to help plan a mission to the planet Mars. more>>>