The bill, SB 5289  making use of a mobile phone while driving a primary offense exempts a driver who is using a personal electronic device to contact emergency services and also someone operating an authorized emergency vehicle.

• May 19, 2017

Washington state Gov. Jay Inslee signed three bills into law on May 16 that aim to reduce distracted driving and impaired driving.

The bills make any use of a mobile phone while driving a primary offense, make an individual driver’s fourth DUI a felony, and implement recommendations from a task force on impaired driving. Inslee’s signature means the distracted driving law goes into effect in July 2017.

“We’re suffering a scourge of death of our loved ones on our roadways, due to two problems: distracted driving and impaired driving,” he said. “Today I’m signing three bills to confront these scourges head on.”

Inslee mentioned at the signing ceremony in Tacoma the case of Sam Thompson, a junior at Lewis and Clark College who was killed one week before his 21st birthday when he crashed while sending a text. Lavera Wade, his grandmother, attended the ceremony; she had worked with other victims’ families to see the law passed, according to Inslee’s news release.

The bill making use of a mobile phone while driving a primary offense is SB 5289. It exempts a driver who is using a personal electronic device to contact emergency services; the use of a system by a transit system employee for time-sensitive relay communication between the transit system employee and the transit system’s dispatch services; an individual employed as a commercial motor vehicle driver who uses a personal electronic device within the scope of his or her employment if such use is permitted under 49 U.S.C. Sec. 31136 as it existed on the effective date of the law; and a person operating an authorized emergency vehicle.

source: ohsonline.com

H.R.3295

One Hundred Seventh Congress

of the

United States of America

AT THE SECOND SESSION

Begun and held at the City of Washington on Wednesday,

the twenty-third day of January, two thousand and two

An Act

To establish a program to provide funds to States to replace punch card voting systems, to establish the Election Assistance Commission to assist in the administration of Federal elections and to otherwise provide assistance with the administration of certain Federal election laws and programs, to establish minimum election administration standards for States and units of local government with responsibility for the administration of Federal elections, and for other purposes.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

for the complete bill click on the link below 

https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/107/hr3295/text

Good news: late Friday evening, the Washington State Legislature passed paid family leave, and this afternoon the Governor signed it into law! That means workers in our state will finally have time to care, with up to 12 weeks of paid leave to care for a family member’s serious medical condition, and up to 12 weeks of paid leave to care for your own serious medical condition.

“With my first child, I had to start working from home 10 days after giving birth. When I returned to working onsite, I cried in the car every day. It was almost physically painful to be separated from my baby. Investing in our moms and babies now will benefit everyone in the long run.”

—Deja H., Seattle

Paid family leave is a major bright spot in a legislative session that didn’t have a lot of other positive developments — and it only happened because we all made it happen.

Working Washington members and many others testified before the State Legislature about the need for paid family leave. Dozens of you shared your personal stories online to help make the case. Baristas spoke out, took action, and generated a flood of local and even national news coverage about the issue. Thousands of people across the state sent messages to elected officials.

Workers speaking out is how we set the stage for legislators to reach agreement. It’s how we raised the minimum wage and passed secure scheduling. And it’s how we just won paid family leave too.

Click here to check out the details, and then consider making a contribution to power the next big breakthrough for workers in our state.

“I had to leave a new job that I only had a couple of months because I could not find adequate daycare for my newborn son. Paid family leave is essential. Life is full of unexpected moments. Everyone needs that backup plan to sort it out, regain balance, and get back to business.”

— Tina K., Lake Stevens

BossFeed Briefing for July 3, 2017. After multiple months and several special sessions, the Washington State Legislature on Friday finally agreed on a state budget just hours before a deadline which could have forced state government to shut down. Also on Friday, the Trump Administration argued that overtime protections should not be expanded to cover lower-wage managers. On Saturday, Seattle’s landmark secure scheduling law took effect. And last Wednesday, U.S. Senate leaders paused their efforts repeal affordable healthcare protections; it’s unclear what happens in the weeks ahead. 

How do you like them apples? 

Photo by David Bacon

Three things to know this week:

 The Washington State Legislature passed paid family leave late Friday evening (!) Workers will be able to access up to 12 weeks of paid family leave, and up to 12 weeks of paid medical leave.

 Confounding everyone with a grip on reality, a group of researchers managed to find a way to make Seattle’s booming economy look like it’s bad for workers despite more jobs at higher wages and record-low unemployment. It was an impressive accomplishment in a way, but doesn’t really stand up to scrutiny.

Minneapolis has become the first city in the Midwest to pass a $15 minimum wage. Meanwhile, St. Louis is being forced to lower its minimum wage from $10/hour to $7.70/hour.

Two things to ask:

 How do you spell solidarity? When New York Times corporate management announced major cuts to copy editors at the paper, hundreds of reporters walked out in protest. The paper responded… with an offer to repond to questions about the “restructuring” selected by editors from reader emails.

 How do they come up with this stuff?   Facebook trains thousands of content screeners on some curious distinctions between speech targeting an entire group, which they say can be barred, and speech targeted at a “subset” of a group, which they consider aok.    According to leaked corporate training materials, “female drivers” and “black children” are considered “subsets” of groups and therefore not protected; “white men,” however, are a protected category against which hate speech is not allowed per their training.

And one thing that’s worth a closer look:

 The apple pickers of Yakima Valley are featured in a beautiful and pointed photo series by David Bacon, who is perhaps the premier photographer of work in the country today. Bacon’s photo essay in The Atlantic combines striking black-and-white images with sharp and clear captions which tell the story of these workers with ferocious power and economy. Bacon’s work is always worth seeking out; when it’s this close to home it’s worth savoring.

Read this far?

 Consider yourself briefed, boss.