The state legislature will be back in session Monday in Olympia, with lawmakers returning fully in person for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic. "With lawmakers all back in the capital for the most part probably unmasked, lobbyist in the rotunda and in the hallways and most significantly members of the public back in the committee hearing rooms testifying in person rather than on Zoom," said Austin Jenkins, a staff writer with Pluribus News and the host of "Inside Olympia," who is excited for what's to come. "This is a long 105-day budget writing session and frankly the one thing the legislature has to do is pass a balanced budget." Gov. Jay Inslee proposed a two-year budget back in December. Within that budget, Jenkins said the governor is proposing a $4 billion bond measure to build tens of thousands of affordable housing units. "We haven't seen anything like this in a number of years, decades in fact and what the governor is saying, the time has come for a solution out of Olympia that meets the scope of today's housing and homelessness crisis," said Jenkins. Within this legislative session there is a proposed constitutional amendment to protect abortion rights, which Jenkins believe is going to be a heavy lift. But at the same time, Democrats will still take action this year to further codify and protect reproductive rights in the state. "They're talking about making Washington a sanctuary state for patients coming from states like Idaho and Texas who come here for abortion services, they want to make sure that providers who might be leaving another state where abortion rights have been restricted have an opportunity to practice here," said Jenkins. READ THE FULL STORY: https://www.king5.com/article/news/politics/state-politics/washington-state-legislative-session/281-b0df93f2-ef7c-41c5-a2c0-91af9107fc1e