Housing, fighting fentanyl priorities in Inslee’s proposed budget
Gov. Jay Inslee proposed a budget Wednesday that could raise pay for paraeducators by $3 an hour, put more state troopers on Washington roads and provide a $200 credit to low- and moderate-income Washington families to compensate for high energy costs. Inslee is seeking about $2.5 billion more in overall state spending than what lawmakers allocated in April for the two-year period ending in mid-2025. He said Wednesday he wants much of that new spending to go toward behavioral health care, housing, education and fighting the fentanyl crisis. Continue reading at Seattle Times. (Karen Ducey)
Criminal penalties possible under proposed state tower crane regulations
State legislators on Wednesday said they plan to introduce “groundbreaking” bills focused on construction crane regulations that would prioritize public safety. The bills by Sen. Noel Frame and Rep. Julia Reed, both of Seattle, would designate a defined safety zone when cranes are put up or taken down. Other components include a “common-sense permitting process for crane operations,” states a press release. The need for the legislation was underscored in 2019, when a tower crane being disassembled in Seattle’s South Lake Union neighborhood fell into traffic and killed two motorists and two ironworkers. Continue reading at Puget Sound Business Journal. (Anthony Bolante)
Kitsap County, VMFH commit millions to Olympic College’s health care expansion
Olympic College on Tuesday announced a partnership with Kitsap County and Virginia Mason Franciscan Health to expand 10 new health care programs at the college’s Poulsbo campus. Using the American Rescue Plan Act funding, Kitsap County committed $6 million to phase one of OC’s expansion. Virginia Mason Franciscan Health will contribute $2.5 million to the project, and Olympic College will spend $2 million of its own reserves on the plan, leaders of the three parties announced. Continue reading at Kitsap Sun. (Peiyu Lin)
Associated Press
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Kitsap County, VMFH commit millions to Olympic College’s health care expansion
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Olympian
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Seattle Times
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Washington Post
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WA State Standard
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Wenatchee World
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KNKX Public Radio
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Too few mental health beds for youth patients impacting Seattle Children’s Hospital
Web
Cascadia Daily News
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Crosscut
$70.9B WA budget proposal boosts funding for behavioral health
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MyNorthwest
Seattle sidewalks in disrepair to be prioritized by City Council
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