New year, new laws! A bunch of new stuff is kicking in this year, and at least some of it is going to affect you and your Paychecks. Will it be a good thing or a bad thing…or maybe some of both? Will you agree with all of them? Some are pretty spicy! Let’s grab our magnifying glass, pour a fresh cup of coffee, and dig into some of the highlights!
Here are Five Fast Facts on new Washington State laws for 2025:
- 📝 The Playlist - The Washington State legislature passed around 340 bills in the last session. Most took effect in July, but some kicked in this January.
- 🪪 ID Me - People released from prisons, psych hospitals, and other rehab centers will be able to get official state IDs, paid for by the Department of Corrections or Social and Health Services (i.e. YOU). Well, isn’t that generous of us?
- 👙 Strippers’ Bill Of Rights - Bet you didn’t know this was a thing, huh? This law allows alcohol sales in strip clubs, but also requires training for things like the prevention of sexual harassment, discrimination, and human trafficking. It also requires clubs to have certain security measures and written policies in place for unruly customers. Can’t imagine why there might be sexual harassment at a strip club… 🤔
- 💰 Cash For Fams - The Diversion Cash Assistance program gives poor families money for housing, food, or medical expenses, and there’s a monthly income limit to make sure it goes to truly needy families. The change is that the max amount a person can get in a year goes from $1250 up to $2000. That’s a pretty nice raise!
- 🚗 Bad Drivers Beware - If you suck at driving, you’d better get it together fast! Or at least make sure you don’t hit “vulnerable road users” – meaning pedestrians or cyclists, for example – while you’re out and about! You could get slapped with a sentence of up to 364 days in prison, a $5k fine, and a 90-day suspension of your license. More severe penalties still exist for more severe crimes, of course, but these are just a new addition to the list of things a lawyer can throw at you.
🔥Bottom line: Nothing comes free, so all of these things will cost money (your tax dollars, of course). Some of them seem pretty good, some…not so much. But, these are the new laws of the land.
What do you think of them?
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