In the News
A coffee chat with State Sen. Jesse Salomon
My Edmonds News, September 20, 2025
Washington State Sen. Jesse Salomon sat down to talk about the 2025 legislative session over cup of coffee at the Drumlin espresso bar in Ridgecrest.
Salomon was first elected to the Senate in 2018 and was appointed by the Senate Democratic Caucus to chair the Local Government Committee. READ MORE
Religious freedom must be maintained during protests
The Seattle Times, April 9, 2025
It’s another one of those pieces of legislation that sailed through one chamber in Olympia only to die without a vote in the other.
In this instance, the issue revolved around creating a new offense for interfering with a place of worship or disrupting religious services. READ MORE
State lawmaker seeks ban in new shot at algorithmic pricing
Legal Dive Magazine, January 27, 2025
Lawmakers in Washington state are the latest to take a shot at algorithmic pricing as an anticompetitive business practice with a bill to ban landlords from using software that compiles data from their operations and other sources to get automated recommendations on what rental rates to charge. READ MORE
The Race for All-Powerful Pot
New York Times, January 25, 2025
Nearly 18 million Americans now report using marijuana daily or near daily. A growing number are enduring addiction, psychosis and other harms, a NYT investigation last year found.
States have taken some steps to protect consumers. In statehouses across the country, cannabis lobbyists have successfully resisted additional restrictions.
“They deny the science”, said State Senator Jesse Salomon of Washington, who for years has seen regulatory bills fail after industry pushback. “They undermine the science. If they can’t deny it, they go around it.” READ MORE
Edmonds man helps push through state bill requiring closed-captions in public spaces
My Edmonds News, June 3, 2021
It isn’t easy to get a Washington State Senate bill passed, but that’s just what Dean Olson of Edmonds did. Senate Bill 5027 — requiring closed-captions on televisions in all places of public accommodation in Washington state –was unanimously adopted...READ MORE
WA Senate passes bill barring masked law enforcement
The Seattle Times, January 28, 2026
A bill barring law enforcement officers from concealing their identities while performing public duties advanced out of the Washington Senate on Wednesday. Sen. Jesse Salomon, D-Shoreline, said the bill reflects Washington’s values and long-standing expectations around transparency in policing. “We don’t do secret police here,” Salomon said. “We do democracy. We do peaceful protesting.” READ MORE
States Being Creative to Reduce Housing Costs
New York Times, March 4, 2026
In Washington State, single staircases will be allowed in buildings up to six stories. “Single stairway is one significant avenue to promote infill — that’s the motivation,” said State Senator Jesse Salomon, who led the legislative effort to approve single-staircase apartments.
Colorado now allows a single staircase in buildings up to five stories in cities with more than 100,000 residents. The state’s Democratic governor, Jared Polis, said the new building code would “reactivate the urban core.”
“We wanted lower costs, smaller footprints, more natural light,” Polis said in an interview. “It just allows for much more flexibility”. READ MORE