Latest Washington Headlines
All the headlines from our Washington Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Weather Service: Deadliest Year for Tornadoes in Virginia
May 2 2011 // Days after a series of tornadoes blew through Virginia, officials still are trying to determine exactly how much damage was done and what to do for those who have lost everything. Initial reports say more than 400 private...
Wash. Processing Producer Licenses Online
May 2 2011 // The Washington Office of the Insurance Commissioner has adopted new online insurance licensing rules that affect licensed agents, brokers and insurance companies, and people who provide insurance continuing education and...
Washington Special Legislative Session to Address Workers’ Comp
Apr 26 2011 // Washington’s Legislature is being called into a special session that starts today at 9 a.m., with workers’ compensation insurance among the topics to be discussed, according to Gov. Chris Gregoire. “This...
2nd Wash. House Workers Comp Floor Motion Fails
Apr 25 2011 // Washington Republicans attempted again a procedural motion on the House floor that would have allowed a vote on a Senate bill establishing the option of settlements to workers compensation, but failed to get the votes...
Wash. Businesses Must Fix Hazards During Citation Appeal
Apr 19 2011 // Washington Gov. Chris Gregoire has signed a bill into law that will require businesses fighting a Department of Labor & Industries citation to fix hazards during an appeal appeal. Each year, hundreds of workplace...
Supreme Court Weighs Bid for Fast-Tracking Healthcare Law Challenges
Apr 15 2011 // The Supreme Court will likely reject a request to speed up a ruling on President Barack Obama’s healthcare overhaul law, legal and financial analysts said. The justices Friday are scheduled to consider...
Western Heritage Insurance Names Washington as Underwriting VP
Apr 13 2011 // Western Heritage Insurance Co., based in Scottsdale, Ariz., has appointed Anthony Washington as vice president of Underwriting. Washington will lead all underwriting operations, including the Contract and Programs teams,...
Report Tallies Economic Costs of Violence to States
Apr 6 2011 // States with the most violence are spending billions of dollars on medical care and prisons and recording lower productivity than more peaceful states, according to a new study on the effects of peace and violence on the...
Tesoro Denies Plant Blast in Washington Due to Poor Maintenance
Apr 5 2011 // The U.S. Chemical Safety Board said Tesoro Corp. had not adequately maintained a heat exchanger at its Anacortes, Washington, refinery, that exploded on April 2, 2010, causing the death of seven workers. Microscopic cracks...
Washington Governor Signs Bill to Improve Workers’ Comp System
Apr 4 2011 // Washington Gov. Chris Gregoire has signed a workers’ compensation bill that supporters say will save $218 million over the next four years. She signed Senate Bill 5801, which directs the Department of Labor and...
Washington Sees 44 Fewer Traffic Fatalities
Apr 1 2011 // The year 2010 marked the safest year on Washington’s roadways in history, with 44 fewer traffic-related deaths than the 492 in 2009, according to Washington’s Fatality Analysis Reporting System. However, the...
Arkansas House Passes Budget with Insurance Department Funding
Apr 1 2011 // The Arkansas House, on its fourth try, passed a $4.6 billion state budget that includes operating funds for the state insurance department. The Senate had already passed a similar budget bill. The Legislature is scheduled...
Study: Washington Law Increased Homeowners Insurance Costs by $190 Million
Mar 31 2011 // A new study released by the Insurance Research Council (IRC) has found a Washington law increased homeowners insurance costs by $190 million. The IRC study examined the impact of the Insurance Fair Conduct Act (IFCA),...
Obama Signs Wash. Storm Disaster Declaration
Mar 30 2011 // President Obama has signed a federal disaster declaration, ordering federal aid to supplement state and local recovery efforts in seven Washington counties hit by severe winter weather Jan. 11-21. The storms brought...
2 Worker’s Comp Fixes at Odds in Washington State
Mar 21 2011 // Rep. Mike Sells didn’t mince words. The Everett, Wash., Democrat doesn’t plan to allow a hearing in his committee on a state Senate bill that would allow settlements for injured workers under the state’s...
Washington Governor Signs Bill to Improve Workers’ Comp System
Mar 15 2011 // Washington Gov. Chris Gregoire has signed a workers’ compensation bill that supporters say will save $218 million over the next four years. She signed Senate Bill 5801, which directs the Department of Labor and...
Washington Senate Passes Workers Compensation Change Opposed by Labor
Mar 7 2011 // The Washington state Senate approved a measure Saturday that would drastically change the state’s workers compensation system by establishing an option for lump sum settlements. The 34-15 vote was a significant win...
Washington Refines Pay-As-You-Drive Legislation
Mar 7 2011 // A Washington Senate Committee has refined a proposal to allow drivers’ insurance rates to be based primarily on the number of miles driven per year. The PAYD bill, Senate Bill 5730, would allow insurers to offer...
Washington Fines Puyallup Firm $437,300 in Asbestos Cases
Feb 28 2011 // Washington’s Department of Labor & Industries has cited a Puyallup asbestos abatement company for several willful violations and fined the firm more than $400,000. The action deals with two abatement projects the...
Washington Refines Pay-As-You-Drive Legislation
Feb 18 2011 // Washington’s Senate Committee on Financial Institutions, Housing & Insurance has refined a proposal to allow drivers’ insurance rates to be based primarily on the number of miles driven per year. The PAYD...
