Large scale rallies have been common this week, although the large crowd of Service Employees International Union (SEIU) took it a bit far Thursday, storming the Governor’s office and landing 17 protesters in jail.
On Thursday, April 7, the Washington State Patrol and the General Administration department took the unusual step of locking the large bronze doors and requiring an escort and identification to get insider the capitol building.
About 75 protesters had slept under the dome Wednesday night. Crowds for Friday, April 8, were expected to draw between 5,000 and 10,000 people, and are being organized by the Washington State Labor Council. The protests are about the proposed budget cuts, furloughs, and what some see as an unwillingness to end tax breaks.
While the rallies went on outside and inside the legislative building, both the House and Senate continued to discuss bills in their respective caucuses and to pass bills, although at a relatively slow pace.
Read the full update.
Updates on the Legislature and state government from the Washington State School Directors' Association.
