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Articles written by Mary Murphy


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  • A school bus in La Conner

    Zero-emission school buses on the horizon

    Mary Murphy, Washington State Journal|Mar 13, 2024

    School districts will be required to transition to zero emission school buses under a law recently approved by the state House and Senate. The bill received numerous amendments after districts voiced concerns over reliability, range and the time allowed to make the switch. Introduced by Rep. Tana Senn, D-Mercer Island, HB 1368 is an effort to not only reduce emissions, but to prioritize the health of children. Six other states have zero-emission school bus transitions already written into law....

  • 3 ballot initiatives will get legislative hearings

    Mary Murphy and Aspen Anderson, Washington State Journal|Feb 28, 2024

    Three citizen-led initiatives will receive hearings in this session of the Legislature, Senate Majority Leader Andy Billig, D-Spokane, and Speaker of the House Laurie Jinkins, D-Tacoma reported last week. The Legislature will debate I-2113 on reasonable police pursuit; I-2081 on restoring parent’s “right to know”; and I-2111, on prohibiting a state income tax. “Washington voters will hear a lot between now and November on any initiatives that end up on the ballot,” Billig and Jinkins said in a press release. “It will be up to them to decide w...

  • Ferguson files lawsuit to stop Kroger-Albertson merger

    Aspen Anderson and Mary Murphy, Washington State Journal|Jan 24, 2024

    Kroger and Albertsons claim a proposed merger worth 24.6 billion will result in better prices for grocery shoppers, but many fear food prices will go up and jobs could be lost as the stores eliminate competition. Attorney General Bob Ferguson filed a lawsuit to stop the merger, which was announced at a Seattle press conference Jan. 15. “Our job is to make sure there is a level playing field for Washington consumers and that means pushing back against the consolidation of power that destroys free enterprise and harms Washingtonians,” Ferguson sa...