Politics

A handful of Republican state lawmakers and others are suing Democratic leaders and a House official over a plan that allows a limited number of lawmakers vaccinated for COVID-19 on the chamber floor during the upcoming legislative session. The new plan released by House officials last week also requires representatives who don’t verify their vaccination status to undergo COVID-19 testing three times a week in order to work in their on-campus offices. It also requires members of the public to show proof of vaccination or a negative coronavirus test taken with 72 hours in order to sit in the House gallery that overlooks the lawmakers as they work.

The Washington Supreme Court says Gov. Jay Inslee overstepped his veto authority when he cut a sentence that appeared seven times in the 2019 transportation budget. The sentence would have prevented the Department of Transportation from considering vehicle fuel type when it decided how to hand out grants for transit services. Lawmakers said the sentence would ensure transit agencies unable to make an immediate transition to zero-emission vehicles were not disqualified from getting grants. The Legislature sued over the veto, and in a 7-2 decision Wednesday, the court said that while the governor has the authority to veto whole appropriation items, he generally cannot excise parts of an appropriation item.