Tag Archives: Joe Fitzgibbon

Legislation Eliminates One Objection to Sound Transit Fare Enforcement Reform

by Erica C. Barnett


(This article was originally published by PubliCola and has been reprinted under an agreement.) 

Legislation that would make it easier for Sound Transit to adopt a fare enforcement system that does not involve the court or criminal justice system is coasting through the state Senate after passing the House on a near-unanimous bipartisan vote.

House Bill 1301, originally sponsored by Rep. Joe Fitzgibbon (D-34, Seattle), gives Sound Transit the authority to create an “alternative fare enforcement system” that could include resolutions other than fines for people who fail to pay their fare. The State Senate Transportation Committee voted unanimously on Tuesday to move the bill to the Rules Committee, the final step before a floor vote.

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South End Legislators Discuss Their Priorities During the 2021 Legislative Session

by Jack Russillo


Washington State’s 2021 legislative session kicked off on January 11 and it will go for 105 days, until April 25. 

Between now and then, State senators and representatives will introduce bills to the legislature, refer them to their applicable committees, and consider the bills multiple times and at various stages before a bill is potentially passed into law. This year’s session is entirely virtual due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which makes many legislators think that fewer bills will be passed, but important legislation is still in the works.

The Emerald contacted each senator and representative from the state’s 11th, 34th, and 37th legislative districts and asked them what their top priority is during this session and why it’s important to them. To find contact information for any elected official, you can visit the Washington Senate Democrats website and the state’s House of Representatives’ website

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