WASHINGTON STATE

Washington State House Democrats

HOUSE DEMOCRATS

Wednesday, April 24

Washington Gov. Jay Inslee announces a new state rebate program that will make electric vehicles more affordable for lower-income residents at a media event at a Seattle City Light public charging station in Tukwila on... (Ellen M. Banner / The Seattle Times)

WA to launch EV rebate program. Here’s what you could save
Washington state will launch an electric vehicle rebate program this summer in an effort to make EVs affordable for between 6,500 and 8,000 low-income residents, state officials announced Tuesday. People earning 300% or below of the federal poverty level are eligible for the program’s incentives. That works out to earnings of less than $45,180 annually for a single person or less than $93,600 for a family of four. The program will run through June 2025 or until funds run out. Continue reading at Seattle Times. (Ellen M. Banner)


Guaranteed college financial aid coming to WA students on food assistance
Students from families on Washington’s food assistance programs will soon automatically qualify for financial aid to attend college. That’s due to a new state law, House Bill 2214, that guarantees state financial aid for students enrolled in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, known as SNAP for short and sometimes called food stamps. The law calls for the automatic tuition aid to be available by the 2025-26 school year. Continue reading at Washington State Standard. (Getty Images)


New state deepfake image protection law goes into effect June 6
A new state law that is aimed at protecting children and adults from the devastating consequences of deepfake images goes into effect on June 6. Senator Mark Mullet is one of the legislators who worked on passing the bill after he heard about an incident from his daughter who attends Issaquah High School. The new law states that first time offenders would face misdemeanor charges but repeat offenders could be looking at a felony. Continue reading at KIRO 7.


Print

Associated Press
Boeing posts a $355 million loss as the plane maker tries to dig out

Axios
Seattle is the nation’s second-biggest new AI job hotspot

Bellingham Herald
Two early-season wildfires pop up on same day in Northwest Washington; wind tests crews

Columbian
‘Pollutants’ from BNSF locomotives in rail yard called ‘outrageous’ by Lincoln neighborhood residents

Everett Herald
Providence to pay $200M for illegal timekeeping and break practices
Judge halves $784M for women exposed to Monsanto chemicals at Monroe school
Comment: Jobs should be safe regardless of who’s providing labor

Kitsap Sun
Emerging treatment models helping address opioid epidemic in Kitsap, statewide

News Tribune
Have an opinion on county’s controversial homeless village? Here’s a chance to air it
Opinion: Chambers Creek Dam is on the ropes. It’s time to finish the job — and take it down

New York Times
Business Groups Sue to Stop F.T.C. From Banning Noncompete Clauses
Live Updates: On Emergency Abortion Access, Justices Sound Sharply Divided

Port Townsend Leader
Breakwater Celebration (Tharinger)

Puget Sound Business Journal
FTC finalizes noncompete ban and sets up legal battle
Businesses face ‘seismic shift’ after FTC bans noncompetes

Seattle Times
Kroger to pay WA $47.5 million over role in opioid crisis
In Seattle, even the rich can’t escape the high cost of poverty
WA to launch EV rebate program. Here’s what you could save

Skagit Valley Herald
Coastal razor clam digs allowed through Monday

South Whidbey Record
School district honored with ‘Purple Star Award’

Spokesman Review
Count shows wolves increasing in Washington
Washington hospitals collectively reported $1.7 billion in operating losses in 2023. What does that mean for Spokane?

Walla Walla Union Bulletin
New Touchet library under construction delivers on a 30-year promise

Washington Post
Biden administration to require greater transparency on airline fees
Groups sue to block FTC’s new rule barring noncompete agreements
Nearly 2 in 5 Americans breathe unhealthy air. Why it’s getting worse
Supreme Court hears arguments in case over emergency abortion care
FTC bans contracts that keep workers from jumping to rival employers
What you need to know about new overtime rule that will benefit millions

WA State Standard
Guaranteed college financial aid coming to WA students on food assistance
Washington electric vehicle rebates up to $9,000 available beginning in August
Loss of federal protection in Idaho spurs pregnant patients to plan for emergency air transport

Broadcast

KING 5 TV (NBC)
Asbestos concerns worry neighbors of proposed gravel mine in Whatcom County

KIRO 7 TV (CBS)
New state deepfake image protection law goes into effect June 6 (Mullet)

KUOW Public Radio
Seattle’s troubled past and present suggest a new approach to mental health
Washington state hospitals are still losing money, leading to ‘heartbreaking decisions’

KXLY (ABC)
Stickers with racist slogans found in downtown Spokane
Spokane teens perform play to raise awareness about gun violence in schools

NW Public Radio
Rural Alzheimer’s, dementia patients face disparities in access to care

Web

Cascadia Daily News
Two human-caused fires kick off wildfire season in Whatcom, Skagit counties

Crosscut
Seattle rallies as Supreme Court weighs criminalizing homelessness

MyNorthwest
More freedom for Washington workers as noncompete contracts are challenged