Committees:

• Health & Long-Term Care (chair)
• Labor, Commerce, Research & Development (vice chair)
• Ways & Means

Term ends January 2011

Olympia Office:
224 Cherberg Building
Olympia, WA 98504-0433
(360) 786-7664

Senator Karen Keiser
33rd District Kent

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►Registered counselors: public trust and public safety (4/20/07) ►A week of progress and promise (3/16/07) ►Health care issues (2/15/07)

Dec. 10, 2007

Sen. Keiser: Consumers must have access to legal prescriptions

OLYMPIA – Washington’s pharmacies have to allow women access to a legal form of birth control as a condition of doing business in the state, if a bill introduced by Sen. Karen Keiser, D-Kent, becomes law. more>>>

Keiser: “We must ensure the health and safety of Lora Lake residents”

OLYMPIA – The desire for low-cost housing shouldn’t put residents in harm’s way, according to Sen. Karen Keiser, D-Kent. She has sent a letter to the King County Housing Authority (KCHA) asking for detailed mitigation measures to be taken for future residents of the Lora Lake Apartments. more>>>

Nov. 8, 2007

Sen. Keiser: ‘Plan B’ will be before 2008 Legislature

OLYMPIA – Following today’s announcement that a federal judge has suspended Washington’s requirement that pharmacists sell "morning-after" birth control pills, Sen. Karen Keiser, D-Kent, guaranteed that legislation to codify the requirement will be heard during the 2008 legislative session. more>>>

Oct. 29, 2007

Sen. Keiser honored for progressive leadership by national organization

OLYMPIA – Sen. Karen Keiser, D-Kent, has been honored with the prestigious Arthur S. Flemming Leadership Award sponsored by the Center for Policy Alternatives, a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization working to help state legislators achieve progressive change. She will receive the award December 8 at the organization’s 2007 Summit on the States in Washington, DC. more>>>

Oct. 10, 2007
San Francisco Chronicle op-ed

On health care, states must lead

Like politics, it seems all health-care reform these days is local. While Congress and President Bush have failed to address our failing, costly and disjointed health-care system, states have stepped up to the need by enacting reforms to achieve quality and affordable health care for all. States are providing the leadership that is moving health-care reform across state lines and building momentum for national reform. more>>>

Now that the kids are back in school, and our “lazy summer days” are over, I wanted to send you an update of important developments from your state Legislature. I plan to send out a monthly e-news update until the session starts next January, when I’ll resume a weekly newsletter. As always, if you want to “unsubscribe” to these updates, just tell me. more>>>

June 18, 2007

Keiser honored for leadership in funding children’s health insurance

OLYMPIA – It was one of the capstone accomplishments of the Legislature in the session that adjourned in April. Thanks to the tenacity and leadership of Sen. Karen Keiser, D-Kent, 39,000 more children in Washington will have health insurance. For this success, she was awarded the “Public Policy Maker” award by the South King Council of Human Services. more>>>

Keiser’s accomplishments lauded at Washington, D.C. event

OLYMPIA – Washington will be prominently represented at a national forum for state policy successes. The Progressive States Network, in partnership with the Center for American Progress Action Fund, is hosting the June 14 event in Washington, D.C., where legislators from several states are discussing landmark gains made by their legislatures. Sen. Karen Keiser, D-Kent, was invited to talk about advances made in health care and family leave legislation in the session which adjourned in April. more>>>

Keiser lauded nationally for leadership on affordable health care and family leave issues

OLYMPIA – She championed affordable health care and family leave insurance for Washington’s working families. Both measures were signed into law by Gov. Chris Gregoire this legislative session. For her groundbreaking efforts, Sen. Karen Keiser, D-Kent, was named May Legislator of the Month by the Center for Policy Alternatives. more>>>

Landmark family leave bill signed in time for Mother’s Day

OLYMPIA – After several months of intense negotiations, compromise and some nail biting, a bill setting up a family leave program was signed into law today. Washington will be the second state to offer this benefit. more>>>

April 22, 2007

Family leave compromise reached

OLYMPIA – Agreement on a landmark bill on family leave insurance was reached today as the state Senate voted 26-21 on a compromise the House approved by a 57-41 vote on April 20. more>>>

Legislature agrees on health care reform bill

OLYMPIA – Of all the bills considered this legislative session, it ranks among the most far-reaching. But then again, overhauling the state’s health care delivery system is heavy lifting. more>>>

April 12, 2007

Senate passes bipartisan bill to aid in fight against hospital-acquired infections

OLYMPIA – We check into hospitals to deliver babies, have tests performed, and undergo and recover from surgery. But we don’t expect to get sick from staying in the hospital. more>>>

It's time for paid family leave benefit for workers

Family leave insurance will help employers retain productive workers without imposing undue burdens. A local mother reminded me all too vividly why I sponsored Senate Bill 5659. more>>>

Capitol Chat: Sen. Karen Keiser, chairwoman of the Senate Health and Long-Term Care Committee

Moderator: Welcome to The Olympian's Capitol Chat. I'm your moderator, political reporter Adam Wilson. Our guest today is Sen. Karen Keiser, chairwoman of the Senate Health and Long-Term Care Committee. Thank you for joining us. more>>>

March 31, 2007

Budgets great for Kent and Des Moines, Keiser says

OLYMPIA – The construction and operating budgets that cleared the Senate today make extensive investments in the area, said Sen. Karen Keiser, D- Kent. The capital budget was unanimously passed; the operating budget passed 30-17. Both budgets are expected to move to a conference committee to iron out differences between the Senate and House of Representatives versions. more>>>

March 26, 2007

Mental health parity bill passes Senate

OLYMPIA – Calling it an issue of fairness, Sen. Karen Keiser, D-Kent, shepherded a mental health parity measure, House Bill 1460, through the state Senate Friday. It is the companion to her own effort, Senate Bill 5446. more>>>

March14, 2007

Washington Senate leads family leave insurance push

OLYMPIA – Working families would not be forced to choose between their job and their family if the family leave insurance measure passed by the state Senate today is signed into law. more>>>

March 13, 2007

Sen. Keiser receives award for children’s health work

OLYMPIA – Just when you thought it couldn’t get any better …

On a landmark day when the governor signed a bill into law to give 38,000 of Washington’s children health-care coverage, Sen. Karen Keiser, D-Des Moines/Kent, was presented an award for her leadership efforts in steering the bill’s passage. more>>>

March 12, 2007

State health care revolution under way

OLYMPIA – Washington took giant strides to becoming a national leader in providing access to affordable, high-quality health care. The comprehensive reform measure, Senate Bill 5930, sponsored by Sen. Karen Keiser, D-Des Moines, passed the Senate on March 9 on a 48-0 vote, with one senator excused. more>>>

March 1, 2007

Senate honors civics educators

OLYMPIA – Two Highline-area educators have been honored by the Washington State Senate with Outstanding Civic Educator awards at the state Capitol. The awards were made as part of the inaugural Civic Education Day on Feb. 21 to recognize the need for civic education in the state and honor those who teach it. more>>>

Feb. 15, 2007

Senate passes bill to bring health care to children

OLYMPIA – Saying that she “couldn’t think of a better way to celebrate Valentine’s Day than with this gift to the children of Washington,” Sen. Karen Keiser, D-Kent, joined with colleagues yesterday to help pass Senate Bill 5093. The measure to bring health insurance to more than 32,000 low-income children passed the Senate on a 38-9 vote. more>>>

Feb. 12, 2007

Senate health committee takes up governor’s request bill

OLYMPIA – The Senate Health & Long-Term Care Committee continues progress toward bringing health-care reform to Washington, with a focus on bills growing out of the work of Blue Ribbon Commission on Health Care Costs and Access. more>>>

Jan. 30, 2007

Insurance reform tops joint hearing on health-care initiatives

OLYMPIA – Today, more than 600,000 Washington residents have no health insurance. Three-quarters of them work or have a working family member. Most work for small employers. more>>>

Jan. 24, 2007

Keiser blasts president’s health-care proposal

OLYMPIA – Calling President Bush’s proposal for health care a repudiation of the laws of physics, Sen. Karen Keiser, D-Kent, offered fresh insight into the access and funding dilemma that has vexed the Republican leadership for the past term and a half. more>>>

2006 archive