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Monday, March 18

Rep. Bruce Chandler, R-Granger, prepares to make a vote on the first day of the legislative session at the Washington state Capitol, Monday, Jan. 8, 2024, in Olympia, Wash. In a busy, 60-day Washington state legislative session, lawmakers made bipartisan strides to address the opioid crisis and tweak policing practices but fell short in getting some of the most anticipated progressive bills across the finish line. The session ended Thursday, March 7 with over 300 bills heading to Democratic Gov. Jay Inslee’s desk.

Key health takeaways from WA’s 2024 legislative session
Health care affordability, workforce shortages and access to care remained top of mind for lawmakers during this year’s legislative session — and while several politicians and health care leaders say there’s still work to be done, they feel important gains were made in all three categories. Legislators spent the short 60-day session trying to figure out how to best help hospitals and providers out of financial holes, debating how staffing, reimbursement rates for public health insurance plans and long-term impacts of health care consolidations, among other factors, play a part. Continue reading at The Columbian. (Lindsey Wasson)


Asylum-seekers were staying in tents at the Riverton Park United Methodist Church in Tukwila on Feb. 13.

Legislature passes more than $32 million in asylum-seeker aid
After providers and advocates spent months pleading for help addressing the state’s growing asylum-seeker crisis, the Washington Legislature responded late last week by setting aside more than $32 million in the updated state budget to support new arrivals to the state. More than $25 million is poised to go to the state’s Office of Refugee and Immigrant Assistance, followed by $5 million to King County and $2.5 million to the city of Tukwila, which is home to Riverton Park United Methodist Church. Continue reading at Seattle Times. (Kevin Clark )


A facility in Sweden is dedicated to breeding zebrafish, a species used to study a variety of medical issues.

Smelt fishing may soon require license in Washington state
Gov. Jay Inslee will soon a bill into law that will require Washington smelt dippers to get a license before they wade out with their nets. Recreational fishing licenses have been required to harvest basically any fish, crustacean or seaweed from Washington waters. Up until now, the only animals that could be harvested without a license were crawfish, carp, bullfrogs and freshwater smelt. With the passing of this law, a recreational fishing or shellfishing license will be required when fishing for smelt, carp or crawfish, but an angler with existing fishing licenses would not need to purchase a specific smelt, crawfish or carp license. Continue reading at The Daily News.


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Aberdeen Daily World
Seismic studies: Are Harbor schools on safe soil?
Longtime port director retires after nearly quarter-century at the helm

Axios
Federal judge decides Washington’s new political map
How Washington’s police pursuit law is about to change
Takeaways from Seattle’s first Pacific Tech Policy Conference

Bellingham Herald
Single-bin recycling poised to spread beyond Bellingham after Whatcom County Council vote 

Columbian
Potential Amtrak routes link cities across West, Midwest
Key health takeaways from WA’s 2024 legislative session (Cleveland, Riccelli)
Removing Washington salmon barriers surges to $1M a day, but results are murky 

The Daily News
Smelt fishing may soon require license in Washington state
Environmental concerns over Drax air quality permit prompt hearing
Rainier Museum will break ground this spring after landing state funds

Everett Herald
Energy bills to rise 5.8% next month in Snohomish County
Traffic cams near Everett school go live in April; more in the way
State settles for $8.5M after impaired driver killed couple on Whidbey

News Tribune
Tacoma school to lose beloved vice principal as district budget cuts take their toll
Latest Tacoma apartment proposal seeking tax breaks include Lincoln District project

Peninsula Daily News
Clallam seeks additional funds for emergency operations center

Puget Sound Business Journal
Texio confirms layoffs as company restructures
Here’s the salary it takes to get beyond living ‘paycheck to paycheck’ in Seattle
A community-based approach to improving health outcomes across Washington state

Seattle Medium
Seattle Looks At Subsidized Housing For Cops
Seattle To Update Street Parking Rates For Spring Season
Washington State Achieves Bipartisan Support To Ban Hog-Tying By Police And Address Opioid Crisis (Mena)

Seattle Times
Legislature passes more than $32 million in asylum-seeker aid (Gregerson)
Blobby creatures washed up on West Coast beaches during marine warming, sucking up energy
Opinion: Don’t shy away from hard conversations with kids about opioids
Opinion: Financial lifeline works to keep vulnerable WA youth housed

Spokesman Review
Inslee and Governor of Kyiv Oblast sign Sister State Agreement
Supreme Court: Bar exam will no longer be required to become an attorney in Washington state
As Washington lawmakers pass on lowering limits for driving drunk, a borrowed breath tester changed at least one mind (Billig)

Walla Walla Union Bulletin
Blue Mountain Heart to Heart health hub to open by August
Lions Park renovation to begin this month, bringing inclusive amenities to College Place

Washington Post
11 charts that show how covid changed the U.S. economy
Four years in, covid flags no longer fly. Families’ grief remains.
Supreme Court weighs whether White House censored social media
The SAT is coming back at some colleges. It’s stressing everyone out
How politicians quietly influence what social media posts get removed

WA State Standard
Redistricting ruling stirs partisan uproar
The art and science of landslide preparedness a decade after Oso

Wenatchee World
BLM plans to strengthen sage-grouse conservation
Wenatchee School District details plan to cut $8 million to $9 million

Yakima Herald-Republic
WA Indian boarding schools committee seek public’s help with effort
New legislative map approved Friday brings big change for Yakima Valley

Broadcast

KING 5 TV (NBC)
Seattle pot shop closes for business after driver plowed through store, stole merchandise

KIRO 7 TV (CBS)
Guns for gift cards keeping weapons off Everett streets
New bill would reimburse military spouses for costs to transfer job licenses, certificates
Starbucks accused of violating Americans with Disabilities Act by charging extra for non-dairy
‘Too many people have too many guns’: Seattle mayor addresses concerns about city’s violence, safety

KOMO 4 TV (ABC)
Congress hears suggestions for US wildfire response changes as season approaches in WA

KUOW Public Radio
Prisoner-led cultural groups in Washington say they’ve been sidelined under state’s prison diversity initiative

NW Public Radio
Contaminated wells near Yakima Training Center getting filter fix from the Army
Samish Indian Nation cleans up over a million pounds of marine debris, more to go

Web

Cascadia Daily News
Fish farm company backs down from effort to restore canceled net pen leases
Whatcom educators: State money still short of what’s needed to fund public schools
Samish mobile park residents celebrate purchase as Lakeway Estates homeowners confront defeat

MyNorthwest
Seattle area average energy prices: Gasoline, utility gas prices dip, electricity rises

Friday, March 15

- Washington Gov. Jay Inslee speaks during a signing ceremony in Washington, Friday, Feb. 23, 2024. Inslee closed out the final day of his last legislative session, Thursday, March 7, 2024, as Washington state governor by describing it as a banner year in the state’s fight against climate change.

The 2024 legislative session wrapped last week; now, Inslee considers signing 300 bills into law
During the past two months, state legislators in Olympia passed a stack of 359 bills that Gov. Jay Inslee has been working through signing into law this week. Lawmakers showed up in Olympia for Washington’s 2024 legislative session with a lofty set of goals in the midst of a statewide housing shortage, opioid epidemic, warming climate and cost-of-living crisis. Here’s a look at a few bills Inslee signed into Washington law on Wednesday Continue reading at the Columbian. (Susan Walsh)


How child care fared in this year’s Washington state legislative session
Washington lawmakers this year funneled more money and support toward the state’s struggling child care system, looking to give providers a boost and expand access to day care and pre-K programs for families. Some of that money will go to expand mental health consultations for infants and toddlers, increase rates for providers caring for infants and add grants for early learning center construction and renovation. The investments were stronger than advocates had expected going into a 60-day session where lawmakers were adjusting the state budget, not writing a spending plan from scratch…Continue reading at the WA State Standard. (Getty Images)


Washington governor signs bill into law adding protections against artificially fabricated, fake intimate images
Washington residents now have more protections in the digital world after Gov. Jay Inslee signed a new bill into law on March 14 concerning artificially fabricated porn. House Bill 1999, sponsored by State Rep. Tina Orwall (D-Des Moines), provides more protections for people against the creation and circulation of fabricated intimate images, including deepfakes and digitally altered, sexually explicit images of minors, according to the bill. Continue reading at King 5. (TVW)


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Associated Press
Washington State Bar Association OKs far lower caseloads for public defenders
The Supreme Court upholds mandatory prison terms for some low-level drug dealers
Supreme Court rules public officials can sometimes be sued for blocking critics on social media

Aberdeen Daily World
Contract with Aberdeen could fill Cosi cop void

Bellingham Herald
Whatcom County Jail inmate dies in custody; second inmate hospitalized
Port of Bellingham sues waterfront developer after contract defaults, extension requests
A net loss for our city’: Bellingham residents push back against housing development to preserve trees

Capital Press
Hemp growers ask lawmaker for regulation hearing

Columbian
Firefighter memorial, public land housing bills signed into law Wednesday
Washington state has one of the biggest gender pay gaps in America. Here’s where it ranks
The 2024 legislative session wrapped last week; now, Inslee considers signing 300 bills into law (Riccelli, Wilson, Thai, Billig)
Editorial: In Our View: Culvert project must benefit salmon, taxpayers
Editorial: In Our View: Improvements to vital corridor promising

Everett Herald
Snohomish, Everett electrifying school bus fleets, ahead of new law (Senn)

Journal of the San Juan Islands
Steve Nevey to head Washington State Ferries

News Tribune
Frank Chopp is the latest of a dozen lawmakers who will not return to their posts (Chopp, Jinkins, Billig, Riccelli, Hunt, Bateman, Keiser, Mullet)
These are the fastest-growing parts of Washington state, according to most recent data
Opinion: Call them what you will: Tacoma’s homeless encampment sweeps are cruel and inhumane
Opinion: ‘Home in Tacoma’ promises density — but it won’t thwart gentrification. This would

Peninsula Daily News
Unemployment rises in state, Peninsula

Puget Sound Business Journal
Harrell proposes removing barriers to residential conversions citywide
New census data shows population growth in Puget Sound region

Seattle Times
Lunar New Year becomes a recognized holiday in WA (Thai)
Bill to hold WA cities accountable for affordable housing could return (Peterson, Lovelett)
What’s next for WA ‘Sunshine Committee’ with exits, legislative apathy (Hunt, Springer)
WA has no parole. Should prosecutors control who gets a second chance? (Simmons, Goodman)
WSP pays $1.4M to settle lawsuit alleging trooper targeted drivers of color
Editorial: Support Seattle Fire Department program to help stem overdose deaths
Opinion: Despite progress, Seattle’s downtown comeback faces many obstacles

Spokesman Review
Mayor Lisa Brown: Spokane’s structural budget deficit requires swift action
Multiple bills seeking to mandate school curriculum failed. Here’s what they proposed (Wellman)
Students take the new digital version of the SAT as debate over equity in the test wages
Inslee updates hate crime law, expands powers of physician assistants, boosts money paid to those leaving prison, recognizes Lunar New Year (Riccelli, Wilson, Thai, Billig)

Washington Post
Republicans want to stay away from the IVF issue. Abortion foes won’t let them.

WA State Standard
How child care fared in this year’s Washington state legislative session (Wilson, Billig)
Gender wage gap in Washington is among widest in nation, analysis shows

Wenatchee World
Budget crunch: Wenatchee School District weighs alternatives to closing Columbia Elementary

Broadcast

KING 5 TV (NBC)
Seattle 911 Center handles emergency calls in a new way
SEA Airport train malfunction impacts thousands of travelers
State to pay $8.5 million to families of Whidbey Island crash victims
Federal judge rules in favor of King County Sheriff’s Office in Burien camping ban
Washington governor signs bill into law adding protections against artificially fabricated, fake intimate images (Orwall)

KOMO 4 TV (ABC)
Parents concerned Seattle’s recovery-focused high school is on chopping block
Seattle area could see 70 degrees this weekend, ‘about a month ahead of schedule’
King County Sheriff’s Office challenges legality of Burien’s public camping ordinance

KUOW Public Radio
Climate-friendly building code kicks in on Friday
Longtime Washington powerhouse politician Frank Chopp is stepping down (Chopp, Billig, Keiser)
U.S. House approves TikTok ban with help from Washington state delegation
Why the billions spent fixing Washington culverts may not be saving many salmon

Web

Cascadia Daily News
Young adults with disabilities supported after high school by Ferndale program
More trees or more housing? Meridian development hearing highlights city’s challenge to find balance 
Opinion: I want my corner coffee shops, dammit!

Crosscut
Washington UTC chair who used racial slur asked to resign

Thursday, March 14

WA removes legal immigration status requirements for professional licenses
Washington residents without permanent legal immigration status will soon be able to get professional licenses for jobs once closed to them. Gov. Jay Inslee on Wednesday signed House Bill 1889, which allows the use of individual tax identification numbers — often used by immigrants without legal status to file taxes — instead of social security numbers on professional license applications. Some professions, like optometry, private investigators and notaries, require applicants to be United States citizens to qualify for licensure. The bill also removes those requirements. Continue reading at WA State Standard. (Getty Images)


Lunar New Year officially recognized as holiday in Washington state
Governor Jay Inslee signed legislation Wednesday to officially recognize Lunar New Year as a holiday in Washington. Under House Bill 2209, Lunar New Year will be a legislatively recognized holiday in Washington. My-Linh Thai (D-Bellevue), who sponsored the legislation, said the bill acknowledges the “vibrant tapestry of cultural contributions woven by the AANHPI communities.” Continue reading at King 5.


A state worker unfurls a rainbow flag in front of the Washington state Capitol to prepare it to be raised and then lowered to half-staff to observe the mass shooting at the nightclub Pulse in Orlando, Florida, in June 2016.

Legislature decides WA schools should include LGBTQ+ history
Education across the state is one step closer to becoming more inclusive under a measure approved by the Legislature this year. Senate Bill 5462 would require the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction, Washington’s education agency, to update learning standards to include the histories, perspectives and contributions of LGBTQ+ people. School boards would also be asked to comply with a model policy, and adopt a curriculum that includes the perspectives and experiences of historically marginalized groups, including diverse socioeconomic backgrounds, racial and ethnic groups, and those with disabilities. Continue reading at Crosscut. (Elaine Thompson)


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Aberdeen Daily World
Helping small business grow on the Harbor
By sea, by rail: port talks automobile cargo traffic
Federal spending bill sends money to police station, dam projects

Bainbridge Island Review
Nance hears a boatful of ferry complaints in BI (Nance)

Columbian
The worst pavement panels on I-5 north of Vancouver will be fixed this summer  (Liias)
Vancouver council decides to not expand camping bans because ‘it might make it worse for everyone’

Everett Herald
After years waiting, Darrington may finally get park with river access
Editorial: Forced sale of TikTok ignores network of problems

The Inlander
The crisis in overdoses is heard at City Hall
The Pacific Northwest is finalizing plans for $1 billion in investments in ‘green’ hydrogen to power aviation, shipping, long-haul trucking and more 

The Northern Light
42nd legislative district bills are sent to governor’s desk (Timmons, Rule, Shewmake)

Puget Sound Business Journal
Seattle council members push to speed up pace of police hiring

Seattle Times
Highway 520 tolls likely to rise again this summer
WA lawmakers back TikTok ‘ban.’ Seattle TikTokers aren’t happy about it
Editorial: WA must move swiftly to regulate AI (Nguyen)
Opinion: Full disclosure: Proud of WA’s strong open records act

Walla Walla Union Bulletin
New community center at Lions Park to link library, child care services and more

WA State Standard
Inslee seeks ouster of regulatory leader amid tumult at agency
Former Washington House Speaker Frank Chopp will not seek reelection
WA removes legal immigration status requirements for professional licenses

Yakima Herald-Republic
Federal study includes passenger rail service in Yakima, but those trains are far away

Broadcast

KING 5 TV (NBC)
Seattle students push to save school focused on recovery
Lunar New Year officially recognized as holiday in Washington state (Thai)
State Rep. Frank Chopp won’t seek re-election after 30 years in Washington politics
Judge rules against WA law that enhanced oversight of ICE detention center in Tacoma (Ortiz-Self)

KIRO 7 TV (CBS)
Renton woman claims she was fired for being pregnant
Mother calls for federal legislation to address rise in fake content created by AI
Woman fatally shot near Garfield High School, student hurt in earlier shooting outside school
Evergreen student’s carbon monoxide death investigation says alarms turned off by maintenance

KOMO 4 TV (ABC)
Seattle leaders to discuss public safety issues at public forum Thursday
Seattle officials cite progress in homelessness but fear fentanyl crisis may reverse trend
Drug trafficker had ‘fortified compound’ at Bellingham homeless encampment, feds say

KUOW Public Radio
Higher salaries? Subsidized housing? What will it take for Seattle to recruit and retain more police?
Washington state doctors who use their own semen to impregnate patients could now face prison time (Orwall)

KXLY (ABC)
Spokane Police Department struggles to curb open drug use in the city

Web

Cascadia Daily News
Bellingham considers density limits, stormwater restrictions in Silver Beach

Crosscut
Legislature decides WA schools should include LGBTQ+ history (Liias)

Wednesday, March 13

People watch House floor proceedings from the gallery on the first day of the legislative session in January at the Washington state Capitol in Olympia.

Key health takeaways from WA’s 2024 legislative session
Health care affordability, workforce shortages and access to care remained top of mind for lawmakers during this year’s legislative session — and while several politicians and health care leaders say there’s still work to be done, they feel important gains were made in all three categories. Legislators spent the short 60-day session trying to figure out how to best help hospitals and providers out of these financial holes, debating how staffing, reimbursement rates for public health insurance plans and long-term impacts of health care consolidations, among other factors, play a part. Continue reading at Seattle Times. (Lindsey Wasson)


A bill strengthening peer support counseling for first responders passed the state legislature last week and has advanced to the governor's desk. The bill particularly seeks to bolster confidentiality protections, following a Clark County Superior Court ruling that found officers who sought group counseling following Vancouver police Officer Donald Sahota's slaying could be deposed about the counseling session. This screenshot from video provided by the Lower Columbia Major Crimes Team shows members of law enforcement at the scene after the shooting.

Bill that protects peer support counseling for first responders heads to Gov. Inslee
A bill that aims to expand and strengthen peer support counseling services for first responders is on the governor’s desk after passing the Legislature on March 1. The bill’s introduction coincided with a recent Clark County court ruling that showed gaps in confidentiality protections for peer support counseling sessions. Lawmakers and law enforcement officials lauded House Bill 2311 as a needed boost for wellness services for those who frequently encounter the worst aspects of their communities. Continue reading at The Columbian. (Lower Columbia Major Crimes Team)


The coffin containing the remains of the person believed to be Parker Doe is lifted from the ground at West Hills Memorial Park Thursday, Oct. 14, 2021 in Yakima, Wash.

WA funds genetic testing for backlog of unidentified remains
The Legislature has approved $500,000 to fund genetic genealogy and DNA testing for the backlog of unidentified remains in Washington. Forensic genetic genealogy helps law enforcement solve cold cases by combining DNA testing with genealogical research, using publicly available ancestry data, authorities said. Cost is the main barrier for law enforcement agencies wanting to use DNA and forensic genetic genealogy testing to identify remains. Continue reading at The Yakima Herald-Republic. (Evan Abell)


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Axios
IVF births in Washington outpace U.S. rate
Tourism is booming in Seattle, but downtown recovery lags

Bellingham Herald
Washington State Patrol issues alert for Bellingham woman last seen in January
Homeless, service providers protest impending clearing of Bellingham Walmart encampment
Whatcom County’s unemployment increases for the fourth month in a row, along with WA state
‘An absolute nightmare’: Bellingham family experienced repeated safety, health violations in rentals

Columbian
Bill that protects peer support counseling for first responders heads to Gov. Inslee (Davis)

Everett Herald
Antifreeze, batteries, cooking oil: All are recyclable — for free
Four Corners opens first building in 430-unit complex in Everett
Letter: Columbia Basin pact carries on work of Billy Frank Jr.

Peninsula Daily News
Millions allocated to Peninsula
New ferries to bolster fleet still years away (Liias)
Port Townsend-Coupeville ferry run is among state’s most challenging

Puget Sound Business Journal
Small businesses want more help with federal tax credits, loans
New incentives aim to jumpstart conversions of office buildings
Machinists seek safety concessions as Boeing contract talks begin
Alaska Airlines CEO: ‘Business travel finally starting to come back’

Seattle Medium
Seattle’s New CARE Workers Respond To Hundreds Of Events
Strickland Secures Over $13 Million For South Sound Community Projects
State Legislature Approves $500K To Fund Genetic Genealogy Testing For All Unidentified Remains In Washington

Seattle Times
Key health takeaways from WA’s 2024 legislative session (Cleveland, Riccelli)
As Seattle police applicants lag, City Hall looks to bureaucracy
Illustration: See obstacles migrating salmon face in urban streams
Washington Bar approves much lower caseloads for public defenders
Opinion: In 1995, TVW went live. So did more governmental transparency

Tri-City Herald
Major canal breach north of Tri-Cities puts damper on start to $2.7B growing season
Washington state has one of the biggest gender pay gaps in America. Here’s where it ranks

Walla Walla Union Bulletin
Center for Children and Families to expand early learning services

Washington Post
Spring is coming earlier and earlier. See how your city has changed in our map.

WA State Standard
Longtime Washington state senator is leaving, but not right away (Keiser)
State will pay rebates to farmers hit with fuel surcharges under WA climate law (Nguyen)

Wenatchee World
Liquid assets: Malaga’s water district ramps up for Microsoft data center
Wenatchee Valley Islamic Center opens, provides new home for Muslim community
Chelan Douglas Regional Port Authority consider consultants for strategic plan development

Yakima Herald-Republic
WA funds genetic testing for backlog of unidentified remains
Authorities investigating death of Yakima County jail inmate
Work on I-90 Vantage Bridge begins, with lanes reduced until November

Broadcast

KING 5 TV (NBC)
Vandals cut cables of newly installed EV charging stations in Sumner
$500,000 in funding set to clear backlog of unidentified remains in Washington
‘Rest easy, Chris’: Washington State Patrol trooper killed on job honored in memorial
King County to meet with City of Burien as camping ban amendment faces legal challenge

KIRO 7 TV (CBS)
Addressing officer recruitment concerns with the Seattle Police Department
Community honors fallen Washington State Patrol Trooper at public memorial

KOMO 4 TV (ABC)
Redmond PD receives new $31K drug analyzer system to help address opiate crisis
Boeing promises changes after getting poor grades in audit of manufacturing quality
IRS launches Direct File in Washington state, a pilot program for free online tax filing

KUOW Public Radio
As the Northwest spring arrives, so do anxieties over water for farming, and summer wildfires

KXLY (ABC)
Over a million Washingtonians eligible for free tax filing program
John Stockton’s lawyer claims first amendment violation as basis for COVID-19 lawsuit

NW Public Radio
Study shows short pesticide exposure harms fish
Samish Indian Nation cleans up over a million pounds of marine debris, more to go

Web

Cascadia Daily News
Federal spending bill includes funding for Whatcom, Skagit projects
Farm to food bank: An innovative plan that feeds and funds the Skagit community

Crosscut
How will Seattle’s $230M deficit influence the 2025 city budget?

MyNorthwest
Member of family-run fentanyl ring in Wash. sentenced to 15 years

The Stranger
King County Prosecutor Leesa Manion Wants to Weaken Protections for Strippers

West Seattle Blog
City councilmembers briefed on what SPD is doing to try to hire more officers

Tuesday, March 12

The Washington State Capitol pops out of the thick fog on a freezing morning as seen from Overlook Park in Tumwater, Washington, on Friday, Nov. 24, 2023.

Opioid prevention, new gun laws, and co-living. Here are bills passed the last week of session
More than 1,200 bills were filed in the Washington state Legislature this year, buy only a small percentage of those made it over the final hurdles to pass before the adjournment of the 60-day session. The 2024 Washington state Legislature adjourned last Thursday after passing 384 bills as well as state supplemental operating, capital and transportation budgets for the 2023-25 biennium.
Continue reading at News Tribune. (Tony Overman)


The Washington state Capitol building is pictured, Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2024, in Olympia, Wash.

From controversial to life-saving, these WA school bills are headed to Inslee to sign
Washington lawmakers had a laundry list of K-12 public education priorities when they opened for the 2024 legislative session on Jan. 8. The state updated its match formula for new school construction, which is expected to add an additional $103 per square foot for school districts that pass local bond measures. It’s the first significant increase to the allocation in the history of the program. Continue reading at The Columbian. (Lindsey Wasson)


The MV Sally Fox passenger ferry, named after an island activist, serves travelers from north Vashon to downtown Seattle and back; she began operating the route in April 2015.

Legislature grants Vashon midday water taxi service, new ferry funding
With new money from the state now secured, King County plans to add four round trips each weekday to its water taxi service between Vashon and downtown Seattle. The water taxi money is included in a supplemental transportation budget the Legislature approved last week for the remainder of the 2023-2025 budget cycle. The legislation, which at press time still was awaiting Gov. Jay Inslee’s signature, also includes $169,000 for WSF to hire another “service planner,” a job category whose duties include route scheduling. Continue reading at Vashon-Maury Island Beachcomber. (KC Metro)


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Axios
Boeing 737 Max production plagued by numerous problems, FAA audit finds

Columbian
Camas mill employee killed in workplace accident
From controversial to life-saving, these WA school bills are headed to Inslee to sign  (Stonier, Senn, Ortiz-Self)

Everett Herald
Mill Creek rep’s bill to tax expensive real estate sales fails (Berg, Chopp)
Comment: Lack of primary care doctors is sickening, literally
Editorial: Legislature has its own production of ‘The Holdovers’
Letter: Universal health care bill again ignored by state lawmakers
Letter: Lawmakers missed chance with free tuition bill to help many

Kent Reporter
President Biden’s budget includes $500M for Hanson Dam fish passage

News Tribune
How long will drivers pay tolls on the Tacoma Narrows Bridge? The year has changed
Pierce County bridge blocked critical salmon routes for nearly 80 years. The fix is $53M
Convicted killer from Caribbean is person who died at Tacoma immigration center, ICE says
Opioid prevention, new gun laws, and co-living. Here are bills passed the last week of session

Puget Sound Business Journal
Business groups tally wins as WA legislative session ends
Downtown Seattle businesses spend millions on private security
Washington’s second-largest employer nears pre-pandemic benchmark

Seattle Times
Higher tolls could be en route as Highway 520 costs surge (Pedersen, Fey)
WA approves more funds for tenant attorneys as evictions remain high
Editorial: Burien’s anti-camping ordinance is not an answer to homelessness

Skagit Valley Herald
Skagit County projects to receive $4 million in federal funding

Spokesman Review
NBA legend John Stockton sues Washington AG’s office over COVID bans
More than a million Washingtonians can file taxes for free through new pilot program
Washington’s 2024 legislative session adjourns after lawmakers killed two of the year’s highest-profile bills (Billig, Jinkins)
Opinion: A bold blueprint for salmon restoration in the Columbia River Basin puts region on the right course

Vashon-Maury Island Beachcomber
Legislature grants Vashon midday water taxi service, new ferry funding (Alvarado)

Washington Post
In states with laws targeting LGBTQ issues, school hate crimes quadrupled

WA State Standard
Court blocks state inspections of federal immigration facility in Tacoma
‘Modest at best’: The WA Legislature’s not-so-banner year on housing policy (Jinkins, Billig, Alvarado, Van De Wege, Mullet, Chopp)

Wenatchee World
More than $11M headed to NCW for land conservation, airport and body cameras
Wenatchee School District’s bond refinancing set to give back $6.6 million to taxplayers

Yakima Herald-Republic
Return to Quincy: Ag land becomes fertile territory for data farms

Broadcast

KING 5 TV (NBC)
Memorial service for Washington State Trooper killed on job set for Tuesday
Facing a $26 million budget shortfall, Northshore district plans to cut fifth-grade music program

KIRO 7 TV (CBS)
Boeing whistleblower John Barnett found dead
Drivers say new $15 toll has them avoiding SR 167
Report: Car thefts down across Western Washington
Report highlights civil liberties concerns with facial recognition technology

KOMO 4 TV (ABC)
Low salary limits police officer recruitment in Seattle despite bonus offers, report says
King County sheriff seeks legal judgment on Burien’s controversial homeless camping ban

KUOW Public Radio
Bainbridge Island residents show new optimism and resolve to revive Washington’s ferries (Nance)

KXLY (ABC)
Some wildfire survivors frustrated with FEMA assistance
Spokane Councilmember Paul Dillon asks Governor Inslee to declare a state of emergency
John Stockton files lawsuit against Washington Attorney General, medical commission over COVID sanctions

FOX13 TV
The Spotlight: Washington pursuit laws change, criminals in for big surprise

Web

Cascadia Daily News
A day at Point Roberts Primary, one of Washington’s smallest public schools
Samish Indian Nation partnership has removed more than a million pounds of marine debris