How gift card rules in WA could change
Advocates and some lawmakers want to change Washington state’s laws to make gift cards more consumer-friendly and to require that, after three years, unspent gift cards be transferred to the state as unclaimed property. The change could affect major companies based in Washington, like Starbucks and Nordstrom. Under the proposals, consumers could still seek back that money from the state, but, if it goes unclaimed, it could also be used by the state to pay for public services. (A customer could also still use a gift card after three years because the state would reimburse the company.) Continue reading at Seattle Times. (Elaine Thompson)
Food insecurity is rising in Washington, new report shows
The number of Americans who couldn’t reliably afford to eat is rising, both in Washington state and around the country, according to new government data. Across Washington, an average of 8.3% of households were living with food insecurity between 2020 and 2022, compared to 7.9% from 2019 to 2021. Among households with children, 17.3% are food-insecure, up nearly 5 percentage points from the previous year. The last time that number was higher was in 2014. Continue reading at Axios. (Axios Visuals)
Inslee wants to spend $50M more to combat opioid crisis
Gov. Jay Inslee is calling for another $50 million in state spending to fight the flow of illegal opioids into Washington and to provide services for people with substance use disorder. The governor included the funding in the budget proposal he will ask state lawmakers to consider in the upcoming legislative session, which begins in January next year. The money would go to public health campaigns in schools, recovery houses and expanded access to medically assisted treatment, including in tribal communities and prisons. Continue reading at WA State Standard. (Grace Deng)
Auburn Reporter
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Axios
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