Rep. Jamila Taylor: People with disabilities are part of the WA housing crisis, too
Supported Living is a long-term service model that provides care to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and supports them in their communities. I am hopeful that we can adopt a new tax of 1% on the value of the selling price of properties over $3.025 million to support a dedicated funding source for more Supported Living housing. This proposal was already heard by my colleagues in the House and Senate (HB 2276, SB 6191) and it should be a part of our final budget. As a community, it makes sense to adopt a modest tax on the sale of high-value properties to make housing available for those currently without. Continue reading at Seattle Times. (Getty Images)
Washington state House lawmakers vote to regulate rent increases
House lawmakers on Tuesday approved statewide legislation that would limit annual rent increases for Washington tenants. The vote came before a key deadline to keep legislation alive this session. Bills had to be passed from their house of origin Tuesday to continue to be considered. House Bill 2114 would limit rent increases to 7% for tenants in a 12-month period. Additionally, landlords would not be able to raise the rent within the first year of tenancy. The bill passed by a vote of 54-43 and was the last bill to be considered in the House before the cutoff. Continue reading at The Bellingham Herald. (Shauna Sowersby)
WA adults serving extra prison time for juvenile offenses may see sentences reduced
At 18, Brandin Thomas was charged in the 2004 killing of Hassan Farah, a teacher and father of three who was driving a cab in south Seattle at the time he was shot. Thomas was 20 when he was sentenced to 35 years in prison after pleading guilty to first-degree murder and attempted robbery. He’s 38 now. A bill in the state Legislature, House Bill 2065, is aimed at sending people like Brandin Thomas home. It will apply the 2023 ban on juvenile points retroactively. This means people who are in prison serving sentences lengthened by juvenile points will be able to get resentenced without the points factored in. Continue reading at WA State Standard. (Bryin Thomas)
Aberdeen Daily World
Hoquiam city council approves $879,000 amendment regarding North Shore Levee
Axios
Jeff Bezos sells over $4 billion in Amazon shares in past week
Bellingham Herald
Washington state House lawmakers vote to regulate rent increases (Alvarado, Stonier, Peterson, Cleveland)
City of Bellingham moves against owner of land that is site of homeless encampment
Columbian
What $15 tolls could mean for Washington drivers, state’s budget
Washington state drinking water, hydropower at risk as Pacific Northwest snowpack shrinks
Vancouver City Council wants to expand Affordable Housing Fund into county but details need ironing out
‘These are predatory fees. There’s no question about that’: ‘Junk fees’ burden renters in Clark County
Everett Herald
2024 February special election results for Snohomish County
Youth sports tournaments rake in Snohomish County tourism grants
Puget Sound Business Journal
Alaska Airlines flight attendants take step toward strike
Seattle Times
WA House votes to limit rent hikes; tough Senate road awaits (Macri)
Editorial: Add fentanyl to child endangerment law (Saldana, Goodman)
Rep. Jamila Taylor: People with disabilities are part of the WA housing crisis, too
Tri-City Herald
WA judicial commission sets hearing for Tri-Cities judge on harassment, abuse claims
Victims advocacy group says Washington AG is investigating clergy abuse by Catholic bishops
WA State Standard
WA adults serving extra prison time for juvenile offenses may see sentences reduced (Stearns)
Plan to cap how much landlords can raise rent moves ahead in Washington Legislature (Alvarado, Street, Nobles)
Wenatchee World
More than 1,,000 sign petition to save Columbia Elementary
Chelan County contracts help to track short-term rental complaints
Eastmont settles discrimination lawsuit with family of disabled student
Broadcast
KING 5 TV (NBC)
Traffic camera expansion bill passes out of House
Washington’s snowpack on track to decrease by nearly half by 2080s
Public safety goals outlined by new Seattle City Council Public Safety Committee
Washington veterinarians push for more state funding to address workforce shortage
After years of pleas, clean air agency orders King County to test landfill air for arsenic
KIRO 7 TV (CBS)
Alaska Airlines flight attendant says she has colleagues ‘going without food right now’
KNKX
Another WA agency sues private prison company running ICE facility (Ortiz-Self)
KOMO 4 TV (ABC)
Should high-potency cannabis products be regulated differently in Washington state?
Flight attendants protest outside Sea-Tac airport for fair pay, better working conditions
Seattle’s newest affordable housing development to open Wednesday along Aurora Avenue
Advocacy group claims Catholic Bishops were subpoenaed to produce abuse-related evidence
KUOW Public Radio
How a Northwest tribe is escaping a rising ocean
Tacoma approaches affordable housing from a new angle: anti-displacement
KXLY (ABC)
Bill protecting referees in Washington passes House, moves onto Senate
Wildlife agencies investigating thousands of dead fish found in Spokane River at Long Lake Dam
FOX13 TV
Cap and trade debate in Olympia
Pot shop smash-and-grabs: Legislators float solutions, but others say they don’t go far enough
Web
Cascadia Daily News
Kulshan Community Land Trust nabs $2.25M grant for affordable home project
Crosscut
PFAS in Washington’s well water could make you sick
WA bill would add explicit ‘deepfakes’ to child pornography laws (Mullet, Orwall)