From serious to silly, state gets big batch of new laws

OLYMPIA, Wash. — From serious matters of education and health care to silly diversions like the official state vegetable, nearly 440 new state laws will be in force across Washington on Monday.

The latest batch of new laws, which were technically set to take effect at midnight Sunday, are the biggest single group among more than 500 measures passed by the 2007 Legislature.

So will life change for Washingtonians this week? That depends.

Students preparing for their senior year of high school might breathe easier now that getting a diploma no longer means passing the math section of the Washington Assessment of Student Learning, or WASL.

Under a new WASL delay, the math and science graduation requirements have been pushed back until 2013. In the meantime, another new law directs education leaders to examine learning standards for math and science.

Mary Lindquist, the new president of the Washington Education Association, is generally happy with the pushed-back WASL deadline and the move to improve math and science standards.

But the statewide teachers union would still like to see more spending on education, along with greater scrutiny of high-stakes tests in all areas.

"Yes, they made some positive steps," Lindquist said of the Legislature. "And yes, we still have a long way to go."

Elsewhere in education, schools that teach sex education will be barred from using an abstinence-only curriculum. Abstinence will be a required part of sex ed lessons, but so will contraception and other aspects of sexuality.

Another set of new laws will help older foster kids, those who lose government support when they "age out" of the system at 18.

One such measure expands the general limit of Medicaid coverage for foster children from age 18 to 21. Officials said the plan will cost $2.9 million over two years, about evenly split between the state and federal governments.

Young students also will get access to the new "Passport to College" program, which expands state-sponsored scholarships for former foster kids. Legislators budgeted $2.3 million for the scholarships.

A broad health care reform plan inspired by Gov. Chris Gregoire's bipartisan study group is also in effect, a reflection of the Democratic-controlled Legislature's focus on health care issues.

The health plan makes several changes, including:

— Incentives for doctors who use proven, cost-effective procedures.

— Offers of extended insurance coverage for unmarried children up to age 25.

— Orders for state agencies to find better ways to care for patients with chronic conditions such as diabetes.

The health care overhaul didn't include a plan to reduce insurance costs for small business owners, something Republican lawmakers lobbied heavily for.

Some people are enjoying more rights under the new laws, including gay and lesbian couples and news reporters.

The state's new domestic partnership registry confers some of the rights of marriage to same-sex partners and older, unmarried straight couples.

Journalists, meanwhile, will enjoy a more robust shield against revealing their secret sources of information in court.

Farmers could pay less for fixing up that old truck under a new tax break, which extends a sales tax write-off to repairs for "farm vehicles." To qualify, you have to sell at least $10,000 a year in agricultural products.

On the quirky side, lawmakers padded the ever-growing list of official state things by honoring the Walla Walla sweet onion (state vegetable), Pacific chorus frog (state amphibian), and Lady Washington (state ship).

Sufferers of porphyria, an extreme sensitivity to light that can lead to blisters, burns and scars, have been added to the list of people who qualify for special parking privileges.

And since it wouldn't be a legislative session without a new crime, all you inconsiderate ferry riders take note: Cutting in line will henceforth attract a $101 fine from the traffic police.