Washington school districts are poised to start swapping out their diesel buses for electric under new law
Bid farewell to the familiar rumble of a school bus engine and the subtle aroma of diesel in the air and say hello to a fleet of clean and quiet zero-emission buses. Making progress on his goal to significantly reduce carbon emissions across Washington, Gov. Jay Inslee signed a bill in late March that will update grants and require school districts to begin the transition from diesel to electric buses. Continue reading at The Spokesman Review. (Office of the Governor)
Wage theft victims are owed $5.4 million that WA hasn’t collected
More than 1,800 Washington workers across all industries are also waiting for wages. Since 2018, L&I has failed to collect $5.4 million from employers that the agency itself says is owed to workers, a Seattle Times analysis of the agency’s collections data found. State representatives are paying attention. In March, lawmakers unanimously directed L&I to explore how the agency can more effectively recover wages for workers. Continue reading at Seattle Times. (Jennifer Luxton)
Farm-to-school programs flourish in Washington
Washington’s [farm-to-school program] was established in 2008, and since then, farm-to-school has exploded in popularity. Last fall, the Washington State Department of Agriculture received over $8 million in farm-to-school funding requests from schools, more than twice the amount of funds available. The state expanded the program in 2021 using federal COVID-19 funds. Based on how the budget is written, the agriculture department expects that as federal funds run out, legislators will backfill the money with state dollars. Continue reading at WA State Standard. (Grace Deng)
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