Politics

OLYMPIA, Wash. –Every school in Washington would be equipped with panic alarms by the end of 2014 under a bill under consideration in Olympia. Monday, the Washington Senate will hear a bill focused on upping security at schools across the state.

The system would work exactly as it does in banks across the country. An alarm button would give school administrators a direct line to local police. Installation of these alarms in all schools would cost an estimated $5.5 million.

LACEY, Wash. – Thousands of gun owners plan to rally in Olympia and Salem Friday. They’re showing their support for the second amendment and opposition to gun control proposals. The rallies come as gun sales in the Northwest are brisk -- and so are the required background checks.

At the Aging and Disability Services office in Lacey, the fax machine drones on and on.

OLYMPIA, Wash. – The debate over abortion once again filled a hearing room in Olympia Wednesday. Washington senators heard testimony for and against a bill that would require 48-hour notice to a parent or guardian before a girl under 18 receives an abortion.

Republican Sen. Don Benton argued in favor of the requirement.

“This bill is not trying to stop abortions," he said. "What this bill is about, and let’s be very clear about it, is notifying parents of their children’s activities before they engage in them.”

SPOKANE, Wash. - As Congress prepares for a debate over immigration reform, one group of immigrants in the Northwest quietly completed their paths to citizenship Tuesday. Fourteen people became U.S. citizens at a ceremony in Spokane, Wash.

One of them was Mukti Ryan. She wanted to be able to travel more easily with her American husband and daughter, even though she had to give up her Indian citizenship.

“India doesn't allow dual citizenship, so I can't call myself an Indian citizen anymore," Ryan says. "It's a bittersweet feeling.”

OLYMPIA, Wash. – The new Republican-dominated majority in the Washington state Senate has approved a series of controversial measures that deal with injured workers. The votes Monday were a key test of the Majority Coalition’s one vote advantage.

The most controversial of the proposed laws would lower the age when permanently injured workers are eligible to choose a lump sum insurance payout. Jason Speicher hurt his back on the job and is getting retrained. At a labor-backed press conference, he said taking a one-time payment is risky.