Here are some of the noteworthy bills that got hearings before the Legislature last week
Friday marked the end of the second week of the 2024 legislative session for lawmakers in Olympia, who spent the week in committee hearings and at floor sessions. The Washington Secretary of State also notified the Legislature Tuesday that Initiative 2117 was certified after completing signature verification. Lawmakers will have to decide whether they will address the initiatives during the legislative session. Alternatives to the initiatives can be proposed by lawmakers, but if legislators decide to do nothing, the initiatives will appear as is on the November ballot. Continue reading at The Olympian. (Ted. S Warren)
Hilary Franz asks WA Legislature to restore wildfire prevention funding
Public Lands Commissioner Hilary Franz is urging state lawmakers this legislative session to restore cuts made to the agency’s wildfire preparedness and response programs. Last year, lawmakers approved a $36 million reduction in the funding through 2025. Franz and other Department of Natural Resources officials say that if the state doesn’t restore the funding, they may have to shrink or cut community assistance programs, reduce the amount of land treated with prescribed burns or thinning, and potentially ax staff. Continue reading at The Seattle Times. (Daniel Kim)
‘We’re doing our best’: High worker turnover, housing shortage plague supported living communities in Washington
Fifteen years ago, professional caregivers in Washington were paid 10% more than what was considered a self-sufficient wage at the time. Today, those same professionals are paid 21% below a self-sufficient wage, according to data from the Community Residential Services Association. On Wednesday afternoon, dozens of protesters stood out in the rain on the steps of the state Legislative Building in Olympia, holding signs that read “DSPs DESERVE LIVING WAGES” and “QUALITY CARE COSTS MORE THAN MINIMUM WAGE.” Many of those in attendance were lobbying last week in favor of a bill that would raise a tax on expensive properties for programs aimed at affordable housing and helping people who have disabilities. Continue reading at The Spokesman Review. (Ellen Dennis)
Aberdeen Daily World
Emissions concerns raised over Hoquiam pellet plant proposal
Axios
FAA advises door plug checks for Boeing 737-900ER jets
GOP initiatives target Washington’s capital gains tax, cap-and-trade (Fitzgibbon)
Capital Press
Washington senator: ‘Listen carefully’ to my wolf bill
Newest WSU apple variety has cider makers interested
Washington lawmaker proposes disbanding Fish and Wildlife Commission
Columbian
Amtrak service disrupted by landslide north of Vancouver
How the Boldt decision 50 years ago remade Pacific Northwest fishing
Shoppers love WA’s move to block Kroger-Albertsons merger, but legal experts are puzzled
Everett Herald
Highway 529 to close for months between Everett, Marysville
Gun buybacks in Everett, Mukilteo offer gift cards for firearms
Edmonds-Kingston ferry route had largest rider increase in 2023
Higher pay, higher taxes and a constitutional quarrel in Olympia (Shavers, Riccelli)
After pandemic’s peak, more kids missed school; bill aims to solve that
Comment: Will ‘door plugs’ cost Boeing more than they save?
Comment: Eco-Nomics: Along with changing climate, fossil fuels harm health
Editorial: What King brings to discussion of gun safety bills
The Facts Newspaper
REPORT: Washington’s Office of Firearm Safety & Violence Prevention emerging as national leader in evidence-based, community-supported strategies
Journal of the San Juan Islands
Record numbers sign-up for 2024 health insurance through Washington Healthplanfinder as deadline nears
News Tribune
Hate speech is hijacking public meetings. One Pierce County city has a plan to stop it
Olympian
Here are some of the noteworthy bills that got hearings before the Legislature last week (Berg, Thai, Taylor, Hunt, Liias, Kuderer, Keiser)
Peninsula Daily News
OMC CEO updates on staffing, legislation
State Legislature to debate high-speed police pursuits
Puget Sound Business Journal
Seattle ranks high among US cities for finding job, study finds
Microsoft says Russian intelligence group hacked executives’ emails
Billions in overlooked Covid-era funds are flowing to small businesses
Experts are watching these six economic indicators for Seattle in 2024
Seattle Times
WA lawmakers seek to make fashion friendlier to the environment (Nguyen, Mena)
WA could require diaper changing stations for both moms and dads (Callan)
Hilary Franz asks WA Legislature to restore wildfire prevention funding (Springer)
Expect Highway 529 closures this year as WSDOT works on bridge repairs
Editorial: Congress must force Boeing to be better
Editorial: Time for a full account of WA ferries’ value
Opinion: Succumbing to AI with a whimper, not a bang
Opinion: The complicated ethics of violence-prevention programs
Opinion: Finally, WA no longer has the nation’s most unfair tax system
Opinion: A patent waiver is a bad deal for WA
Spokesman Review
Personalized driver safety ‘SmartSigns’ coming soon to Spokane Public Schools
Spin Control: Proposal to let Washington prison inmates vote sparks heated panel discussion (Simmons, Ormsby)
‘Water is the new gold, and our gold is rotten’: West Plains Water Coalition produces short film on unfolding PFAS contamination
‘We’re doing our best’: High worker turnover, housing shortage plague supported living communities in Washington (Berg)
Walla Walla Union Bulletin
State awards $5M loan, tax credit benefits to Walla Walla Housing Authority project
Washington Post
Economic vibes are finally improving, consumer sentiment surges
Biden expands abortion, contraception protections on Roe anniversary
Is there such a thing as a climate-conscious omnivore? A heated debate erupts.
Most states could see earthquake damage in the next century. See those at most risk.
WA State Standard
State lawmakers writing rules to govern collective bargaining with their staff (Fitzgibbon, Stanford)
WA lawmakers consider free prison phone calls to help keep families connected (Hansen)
Wenatchee World
Columbia Elementary school to close next year
Yakima Herald-Republic
Veterinarian shortage in Yakima Valley can make it harder to find animal care
MultiCare Yakima Memorial focused on the future a year after hospital acquisition
Broadcast
KING 5 TV (NBC)
In Session: Washington state could expand speed camera use amid rise in deadly crashes
KIRO 7 TV (CBS)
Debate over criminals’ right to vote intensifies in Olympia (Simmons)
New bill would improve human trafficking laws as Washington gets C grade (Dhingra)
Planned Parenthood in Washington, Idaho forced to fly in nurses amid threats
U.S. Attorney uncovers ‘disturbing spike in threats’ regarding Western WA hate crimes
KOMO 4 TV (ABC)
‘Catastrophic flooding’ shuts down vital Seattle-based Evergreen Treatment Services
Tacoma mayor addresses trust issues in police department following Manny Ellis case
KUOW Public Radio
Taming speed on the Speedway (and other Washington roads)
Will Lunar New Year become a state-recognized holiday in Washington? (Thai)
Week in Review: cold weather, encampments, and the Tacoma Police Department
Washington leaders try to find solutions for wolf depredations and killing of wolves
AI, guns, and initiatives: highlights from Week 2 of Washington’s 2024 legislative session (Jinkins, Leavitt)
Q13 TV (FOX)
Washington state lawmaker pushes to ban hog-tying by police following Manuel Ellis’ death (Trudeau, Lovick)
Web
Cascadia Daily News
Lights out for mercury bulbs in Washington? (Hackney)
Lummi educators, students elevate Native culture in Ferndale schools
Crosscut
Should cops be involved in all Washington human trafficking cases? (Shavers)