Washington Legislature Convenes Session

OLYMPIA (AP) — The Washington Legislature has convened its 105-day legislative session.

The House and Senate both gaveled into session at noon Monday. Few Capitol watchers expect they'll finish their work without the need of overtime sessions as they wrestle with the final piece of a court mandate on education funding.

Lawmakers are working to comply with a 2012 state Supreme Court ruling requiring them to fully fund the state's basic education system. Lawmakers have already put more than $2 billion toward the issue since the ruling, but the biggest piece remaining of the court order is figuring out how much the state must provide for teacher salaries.

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Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson is pushing legislation aimed at assault weapons.

On Monday, the first day of the 2017 Legislature, Ferguson announced two measures - a proposal to ban the sale of assault weapons and high-capacity magazines and a bill to enhance background checks and raise the minimum age required to buy assault weapons and magazines.

Ferguson's says his assault weapon ban bill is similar to legislation passed in New York and Connecticut.