Lawmakers hear competing views on Keep Washington Working implementation and data-sharing risks

State lawmakers spent a work session hearing how Washington is implementing the Keep Washington Working Act and responding to federal pressure over immigration-related data and grant conditions.

Representatives of the Attorney General's office and the Governor's office described the state's approach as emphasizing limited data collection, agency coordination, and legal defense where federal funding conditions are challenged. "Keep Washington Working was passed bipartisan in 2019," said Shalia, a representative of the Office of the Attorney General, who gave an overview of the law's definitions and model policies and stressed that agencies should collect only data necessary for their functions or required by law.

Debbie Driver, Gov. Jay Inslee's legislative director, told the committee the governor expects agencies to follow the statute while also complying with federal requirements that can be tied to funding. Driver cited Medicaid as an example, saying federal Medicaid funding…