WASHINGTON STATE

Washington State House Democrats

HOUSE DEMOCRATS

Wednesday, April 20

An empty classroom

More pandemic fallout: The chronically absent student
Isaac [Mosley] is one of millions of public school students across the United States who is considered chronically absent — often defined as missing 10 percent of the days in a school year, whether the absences are excused or not. “Chronic absence has skyrocketed” during the pandemic, said Hedy Chang, the director of Attendance Works, a national group that promotes solutions to chronic absenteeism, which been linked to weaker academic performance and can predict whether a student is more likely to drop out before finishing high school. Continue reading at The New York Times. (Ilana Panich-Linsman)


Fields of kelp and other marine life during low tide on Alki Beach

Washington just designated its first seagrass sanctuary. Here’s why.
Last month, the state of Washington announced a new kelp and eelgrass protection zone off the shores of Everett. Covering roughly 2,300 acres, this marine plant sanctuary is the first of its kind. Officials hope the designation will help preserve the vital ecosystem seagrass provides, while also opening an avenue to understand the threats seagrasses face. Seagrasses, which comprise local favorites like eelgrass and are adjacent to our famous kelp forests, support all kinds of life. Continue reading at KUOW. (Katie Campbell)


‘Seattleites should feel safe’: City attorney plans to eliminate criminal case backlog by 2023
Seattle City Attorney Ann Davison says her office will eliminate the criminal case backlog, which was up to nearly 5,000 cases when she took office in January, before 2023 under a new plan. Davison, who inherited the backlog after taking over the office from Pete Holmes, announced the new plan Tuesday, saying it has been informed by former U.S. Attorney Brian Moran. “Today’s plan will eliminate the backlog by the end of the year. We will also improve the processes of the Criminal Division to prevent another miscarriage of justice like this backlog,” Davison said Tuesday in a statement. Continue reading at KING 5.


Print

Associated Press
Seattle Seeks Volunteers to Help With Litter, Graffiti

Bainbridge Island Review
U.S. Supreme Court hears arguments on WA state law to help ill Hanford nuclear workers

Bellingham Herald
City selects Stanwood police chief to lead Bellingham Police Department
Good luck getting solar any time soon. Here’s how Bellingham, Whatcom colleges plan to help
Here’s what a federal official learned about pandemic funds in Bellingham classroom visit
Employees at this Bellingham Starbucks are petitioning for a union election
As judge ends transportation mask mandate, agencies around Whatcom County make it optional

Capital Press
Washington mulls rule for working in smoke

Columbian
Vancouver sees wins, losses from Legislature (Cleveland)
Opinion: In Our View: Salary transparency will benefit workers (Randall)

The Daily News
Housing authority received more than 1,300 applications for voucher waiting list

Everett Herald
Swift Orange line to link Edmonds, Mill Creek to Lynnwood rail (Fey, Liias)
Community Transit, Paine Field, ferries drop mask requirement
What we know: Washington coronavirus outbreak at a glance
Comment: Even amid climate change harms, reason for optimism
Bloomberg Comment: What to expect when expecting inflation to linger

High Country News
How marijuana, legal and not, is reshaping the West

The Inlander
Downtown Spokane COVID test site reopens near CHAS this week

News Tribune
Tacoma police chief debuts citywide crime reduction plan focused on violent crime
With new federal rules in place, what is Pierce Transit doing about its mask mandate?

New York Times
More Pandemic Fallout: The Chronically Absent Student
With Inflation, Workers Are Facing Return-to-Office Sticker Shock
How America’s Farmers Got Cut Out of the Supply Chain

Olympian
Examiner expects to approve permit for off-campus emergency department in Lacey
Masks no longer mandatory on Intercity Transit buses and other vehicles

Peninsula Daily News
Transit masking is now optional

Puget Sound Business Journal
Sea-Tac Airport, Alaska Airlines announce changes to mask policies
Delta pilots picket at Sea-Tac Airport amid industrywide scheduling challenges
Amazon hires former US attorney general to conduct racial equity audit
Restaurants push Senate for more Covid-19 relief funding

Seattle Times
Startups promise Seattle home shoppers a way to buy a new home before they sell their old one
What Seattle learned from one year of electric scooters
What to know about Sea-Tac Airport’s new arrivals facility
How do you move the needle on literacy? This Eastside city is retraining teachers
Community Transit breaks ground on voter-approved bus corridor in Snohomish County
King County Metro could be more proactive about safety, audit finds
Editorial: WA insurance commissioner Mike Kreidler’s apology for racist slurs is inadequate
Sens. Dhingra and Saldaña: Women of color are changing the dialogue in WA’s Legislature

Skagit Valley Herald
Deputy secretary of education visits Sedro-Woolley school
Skagit Transit no longer requiring masks

Sol De Yakima
Mascarillas son opcionales en autobuses de Yakima Transit, Terminal Aérea de Yakima
Aeropuertos de Washington se apresuran a informar sobre cambio en uso de mascarillas.
Condado de Yakima priorizará salud pública, seguridad, servicios públicos para fondos ARPA

South Seattle Emerald
What led to an impending Hutchinson Park overhaul: an advocacy story
New intertribal parenting group offers Indigenous families a way to reconnect with tradition
Davison’s plan to clear case backlog includes dismissing nearly 2,000 misdemeanors

Spokesman Review
Former Bureau of Reclamation employee in Ephrata receives $1.7M age discrimination judgment
City to restart process for proposals for east Spokane homeless shelter, citing potential conflicts of interest
Northwest Flight Service relocates to new hangar, training facility at Felts Field

Washington Post
Mariupol ‘holding on’ despite calls to surrender; West to send fighter jets
You don’t have to wear a mask on planes. Do it anyway, experts say.
For Ala. families with trans kids, a countdown to decide their futures
The rise of solo judges nixing nationwide policies

Yakima Herald-Republic
Increase in Yakima County housing sales flattens a bit in March
Yakima tweaks school choice process in attempt to balance student populations at Davis and Ike
Masks optional on Yakima Transit buses, at Yakima Air Terminal
Opinion: We can’t stop wind, but we can stop COVID
Letter: Quit whining — things could be much worse
Letter: Putin’s cruel war helps us focus on gratitude

Broadcast

KING 5 TV (NBC)
‘Seattleites should feel safe’: City attorney plans to eliminate criminal case backlog by 2023
Lt. Governor says state legislators should earn higher salary (Heck)

KIRO 7 TV (CBS)
Commuter airline to buy 75 Washington-built electric planes
Tacoma police chief outlines citywide crime reduction plan
Gig Harbor police officer fires at suspect who pointed gun at police
Delta pilots picket at SEA, citing fatigue from staffing shortfall
Groundbreaking held for new Snohomish County rapid bus line
Seattle city attorney details plan to reduce criminal case backlog
Puget Sound-area public transportation agencies drop mask mandate

KOMO 4 TV (ABC)
Tacoma Police Department working with Texas criminologists to take down violent crime
Bethel School District says they faces hundreds of job cuts if levy is not approved 
Seattle City Attorney Davison announces plan to eliminate staggering case backlog

NKX Public Radio
‘It’s a huge deal’: Federal dollars speed up Port Angeles project
WA insurance commissioner apologizes for using racial slurs

KUOW Public Radio
Dozens of Northwest places have a slur in their name. People are coming up with replacement names
Washington just designated its first seagrass sanctuary. Here’s why.
Voice of the farmworker: How Spanish-language radio cultivated community in Yakima Valley
Seattle Now: POTUS in the PNW
DOJ may appeal mandate ruling, if the CDC says masks are still needed

KXLY (ABC)
Masks no longer required on Spokane Transit Authority buses
City to restart selection process for provider of new homeless shelter

NW Public Radio
Employees Say State Insurance Chief Used Racist Slurs, Mistreated Staff

Q13 TV (FOX)
State leaders pushing for pot shop banking legislation
Seattle attorney shares plan to knock down city’s backlog cases

Web

Crosscut
WA Supreme Court to hear fraud case concerning Value Village
Podcast | The toll that ’normal’ school takes on students of color
WA prosecutors who withhold evidence rarely face discipline (Dhingra)
As the light rail expands, so do housing options for UW students

The Stranger
City Attorney’s Office Will Decline to Prosecute Nearly 2,000 Cases to Help Clear Pandemic-Related Backlog
King County Deems Paying Real Rent to Duwamish an “Inappropriate” Use of Public Funds