Washington Legislature adjourns after final votes



OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) — The Washington Legislature adjourned Friday after a marathon triple overtime session where lawmakers raised the gas tax to pay for transportation projects across the state, cut college tuition and put more money toward the state’s education system.

Lawmakers went home Friday afternoon after the House passed its last remaining bills.

The House and Senate adjourned shortly after the House passed a transportation bonding measure, as well as a transportation spending bill for projects across the state, the final two components of a $16.1 billion transportation revenue bill passed by the Legislature last week.

The chamber also moved a separate bill that will delay a requirement for high school students to pass a high school biology exam for this year and 2016, which helps about 2,000 students at risk of not getting diplomas.

The votes came a day after the Senate took its final votes of the year, on both the graduation requirement delay, and a bonding bill tied to the state construction budget.