Governor signs package of bills on child care, noncompetes, health care and transit

At a bill-signing event in Washington state, the governor signed a package of new laws covering child care, labor protections, health-care authorizations, insurer timelines and transportation permitting. The event brought sponsors and supporters forward for photos after each signing.

The governor said, "Child care, of course, is essential for working families," while introducing House Bill 1128, which establishes the Washington State Childcare Workforce Standards Board to recommend changes to improve recruitment, retention and employment standards for childcare workers. The measure, she said, is meant to address turnover and staffing shortages in the childcare sector; Representative Mary Fosse was identified by the governor as the bill's prime sponsor and Senator Derek Stanford as companion sponsor.

On labor policy, the governor signed House Bill 1155, which bans noncompete agreements. "Noncompete agreements are bad for business, workers, and the free market economy," the…