WASHINGTON STATE

Washington State House Democrats

HOUSE DEMOCRATS

Friday, April 9

Karen Osborne, right, a mother whose children have been taken away from her over the years because of social workers' concerns about her

WA lawmakers look to keep families together in foster care reform
With tears in her eyes, Karen Osborne recalled the day in 2014 when police showed up to take away her 6-week-old daughter. Osborne hadn’t been accused of abuse or neglect. Instead, social workers were concerned about Osborne’s “mental capacity.” They had already removed seven of Osborne’s previous children and made plans to remove her new baby before the child was even born. Continue reading at Crosscut. (Matt M. McKnight)


Rep. Tarra Simmons poses with blank voter registration forms, with trees and plants in the background.

Some states work to expand voting rights for people with felony convictions
For Tarra Simmons, a representative in the Washington legislature, Wednesday was a “full-circle moment.” After initially failing in 2020, Gov. Jay Inslee restored voting rights to more than 20,000 people with felony convictions who are out of prison, but still under community supervision. Continue reading at ABC News. (Ted S. Warren)


A worker in a blue uniform and white helmet stands in a pile of plastic bottles.

Law to reduce plastic waste, ban Styrofoam statewide passes House floor vote
It looks increasingly likely that Washington will ban Styrofoam, reduce plastic waste and strengthen recycling markets. A bill to that effect is nearly through the Legislature. E2SSB 5022 passed a house floor vote Wednesday night, 73-24. Rep. Liz Berry, the prime sponsor in the House, spoke before the vote. Continue reading at KNKX. (Koji Sasahara)


Print

Associated Press
Amazon appears to have enough votes to block union effort
Washington state Senate OKs carbon-cap legislation (Carlyle)
Biden’s ambitious expansion of long-term care sparks debate
Senate approves bill requiring “just cause” eviction
One year since Skagit Valley COVID-19 superspreader event
Washington Legislature revises 3-strikes sentencing law  (Darneille)
Inslee to announce possible new COVID restrictions Monday
Biden halts sale of National Archives center in Seattle
Boeing: Possible electrical issue in some 737 MAX aircraft

Auburn Reporter
State Senate OKs restrictions on police tactics and gear (Pedersen, Johnson, Van De Wege)
Formerly incarcerated people regain right to vote in Washington (Simmons, Nguyen)

Bellingham Herald (subscription required)
Public employees’ pensions to remain whole despite pandemic furloughs
Here are the latest COVID-19 case numbers confirmed Thursday in Washington state
Watch: Washington state Gov. Jay Inslee’s COVID-19 update Thursday
Whatcom sees 29 new COVID cases Thursday and is No. 2 county for U.K. variant
134 COVID-19 outbreaks linked to these Washington schools, according to state report
Homeless families with kids overwhelmed agencies. Here’s what Whatcom County is doing to help
Whatcom County sees 29 new COVID cases Wednesday; 1 in 5 residents fully vaccinated
This is how broadband internet gets to your house
What to know as data shows COVID-19 vaccine effective in adolescents
How are Americans using their $1,400 stimulus checks? Here’s what a survey found
Can you donate blood after getting a COVID vaccine? What to know about eligibility
Coronavirus weekly need-to-know: Vaccine passports, cleaning guidelines, alcohol & more
Army scientists hope their COVID-19 vaccine will be a universal booster shot
Is it OK to drink alcohol before or after COVID vaccination? What to know
Inslee: COVID-19 distancing can now be 3 feet in schools
Worried about new coronavirus variant? Listen to Dr. Anthony Fauci explain
Here’s the CDC’s new guidance on COVID-19 cleaning and disinfecting

Capital Press
Washington snowpack deepest in nearly a decade
WDFW head sees need for quicker call on wolf removal
Good water year predicted for Yakima Basin farmers

El Sol De Yakima (available in English via Google Translate)
Yakima braces for a surge in homelessness

Everett Herald (subscription required)
Renovated Port of Everett terminal gets first cargo customer
What we know: Washington coronavirus outbreak at a glance
1,000 jobs: Amazon to open distribution center in Arlington
Inslee to announce possible new COVID restrictions Monday
Cornfield Report: Climate change debate hogs spotlight; Inslee demurs on Blake (Ortiz-Self)
Editorial: Capital budget a bipartisan boost for communities

The Facts Newspaper
DSHS 24/7 facilities to allow indoor visitation
FEMA will reimburse up to $9,000 for COVID-19 related funeral expenses.
Seattle Municipal Court Partners with King County Municipal Courts to Resolve Outstanding Warrants
Court of Appeals Upholds Employment Termination of Former Officer Adley Shepherd

High Country News
What the narwhal can tell us about the climate crisis

Kitsap Sun (subscription required)
Navy builds new magazines to store missiles from destroyer fleet in Puget Sound

News Tribune (subscription required)
Tacoma police disband violent crime task force as drive-by shootings, homicides skyrocket
Pierce County sees more than 100 new COVID-19 cases on Thursday
‘Technical glitch’ left Pierce County under-ordering COVID-19 vaccines, state says
Pierce County COVID-19 rate means Phase 3 is slipping away
Editorial: Washington needs real police reform, not ‘what if’ hysteria about high-speed chases 
Editorial: Washington smokers now get vaccine priority. Our gut doesn’t approve; our head does

New York Times
Live Updates: Biden’s Budget Proposes 16 Percent Increase in Federal Spending on His Domestic Priorities
Biden Creating Commission to Study Expanding the Supreme Court
Amazon Workers Defeat Union Drive at Alabama Warehouse
Vaccine Passports Could Unlock World Travel and Cries of Discrimination
Beyond Pandemic’s Upheaval, a Racial Wealth Gap Endures

Olympian (subscription required)
Public employees’ pensions to remain whole despite pandemic furloughs (Hunt)
Thurston County adds 15 more COVID-19 cases
Here are the latest COVID-19 case numbers confirmed Thursday in Washington state

Peninsula Daily News
Police agencies, prosecutor decline abuse allegations against Sequim couple
WHAT WE KNOW: Coronavirus outbreak at a glance
Inslee to announce county rollbacks on Monday
Several COVID-19 outbreaks reported in Clallam County

Puget Sound Business Journal
The vote to unionize an Amazon warehouse appears to be failing
Inslee worries some counties may backtrack on pandemic reopening

Seattle Times (subscription required)
Carbon-cap climate legislation sought by Inslee is OK’d by Washington state Senate (Carlyle, Nobles, Lovelett, Jinkins, Fitzgibbon)
Washingtonians seeking open appointments make long treks to COVID vaccine sites, but health officials discourage it
Inslee to announce possible new COVID restrictions Monday
What vaccinated people can do safely now, and what COVID precautions the rest of us should take
Seattle homeless shelters now have COVID vaccines, but few takers so far
Seattle, King County to receive $26 million in federal COVID relief funds to combat homelessness
Opinion: Reform access to Washington’s behavioral-health services (Simmons)
Opinion: How to handle the ‘Genocide Olympics’ in Beijing

Skagit Valley Herald
County Commissioner Lisa Janicki joins Gov. Inslee in call to fight homelessness
Vaccinations keep pace, but rate of new COVID-19 cases in Skagit County is increasing
Sedro-Woolley City Council fills vacancy

Spokesman Review
Amazon worker union effort in Alabama could spread to Spokane
Spokane parks department outlines plan, seeks volunteers to replace trees lost in January windstorm
City of Spokane outlines plans for 2021 construction season
Biden’s gun control proposals already largely in place in Washington, different story in Idaho
Tribal leaders, lawmakers hail Biden administration decision to halt sale of National Archives facility in Seattle

Vancouver Business Journal
Local businesses to benefit from business license surcharge fee refunds through March 2022

Yakima Herald Republic
A Valley-wide call to from schools to parents: Kindergarten registration is open
Sale of National Archives center in Seattle, housing Yakama Nation records, halted by Biden
Yakima airport to receive $1 million in federal COVID relief funds
Inslee to announce possible new COVID restrictions Monday

Broadcast

ABC News
Some states work to expand voting rights for people with felony convictions (Simmons)

KING5 TV (NBC)
Washington’s request to waive some standardized testing met with ‘resistance’
Amazon appears to have enough votes to block union effort
Inslee could announce stricter COVID-19 rules for some counties Monday
COVID-19 infections could drop by June – depending on the vaccine rollout, UW researcher says

KIRO7 TV (CBS)
Boeing alerts customers about possible issue with 737 MAX, some jets grounded
Pierce County likely to return to Phase 2
Inslee calls on lawmakers to allocate more money for homeless crisis
Washington Senate approves measure to protect renters
Approval to sell Seattle National Archives building withdrawn after months of backlash
Vote counting to start in Amazon union election
Steep decline in giant sea turtles seen off US West Coast

KOMO4 TV (ABC)
Momentum builds for police reform measures in Washington state legislature
How will Seattle respond to its homeless crisis once the COVID-19 pandemic subsides?
Suspect accused of targeting Asian American victims with racial slurs pleads not guilty

KNKX FM
Feds reverse decision to sell historic archives in Seattle
Law to reduce plastic waste, ban Styrofoam statewide passes House floor vote (Berry, Das)
Northwest Apple Exports Are Down As Eastern European Growers Crunch Into U.S. Shipments

KUOW FM
How a little Island drug store became one of the biggest vaccination sites in Washington State
Coronavirus blog: Updates for Seattle and Washington state
Biden Sets Up Commission To Study Supreme Court Reform
Biden Proposes $1.5 Trillion Federal Spending Plan
Seattle-based clinical trial tweaks mRNA vaccines to fight Covid variants
National Archives will stay put in Seattle after feds drop plan to move them
Covid spikes in some WA counties could mean return to Phase 2

KXLY (ABC)
Spokane Sheriff’s Office struggles with recruitment, looking out-of-state
Spokane launches $70 million construction season
WSU nursing students, faculty help administer more than 15,000 vaccine doses
‘The ability to vote is a powerful tool’: Voting rights restored to people with felony convictions (Simmons)
Gov. Inslee to visit Spokane Arena vaccination site Friday

Q13 TV (Fox)
Pierce County businesses prepare for possible rollback into Phase 2
Health officials again warn to not get too lax after getting COVID-19 vaccine

Web

Crosscut
WA lawmakers look to keep families together in foster care reform (Ortiz-Self)
Washington state poised to ban guns at protests, Capitol grounds (Kuderer, Senn)

Slog
Want a Nice Park on Top of I-5? Too Bad, Democrats From the Suburbs Could Block It

West Seattle Blog
WEATHER, ROAD WORK, TRAFFIC: Friday watch, with first low-bridge change ahead