WASHINGTON STATE

Washington State House Democrats

HOUSE DEMOCRATS

Monday, April 4

Gov. Jay Inslee sits at a desk and signs a bill

Washington birth doulas advocated for-a pathway to certification and won
With Gov. Jay Inslee’s signoff, birth doulas in Washington State have established their work as a profession based on voluntary competency-based state certification, paving the way for reimbursement under Medicaid. ESHB 1881 passed both chambers in Olympia earlier this month, where it drew broad support, passing with a wide margin of 85–8, backing from both parties in the House, and unanimous support in the Senate, according to a media release from Surge Reproductive Justice, an organization backing the legislation. Continue reading at The South Seattle Emerald. (Courtesy of Governor Jay & First Lady Trudi Inslee)


State approves 1st alert system for missing Indigenous people
Beginning soon, when Indigenous people go missing in Washington, social media, radio airwaves and highways will be blanketed with their information to hopefully lead to them being found — the first state in the U.S. where that will be guaranteed. That’s because Gov. Jay Inslee on March 31 signed House Bill 1725, creating the nation’s first statewide alert system for missing Indigenous people during a ceremony on the Tulalip Reservation in front of tribal leaders and community members, state officials and lawmakers. Continue reading at Indian Country Today.


After Unionizing, WA State Tulip Workers Reach Labor Settlement
Tulip workers came to an agreement with Washington Bulb management last week after five days of a temporary suspension in their strike as well as negotiations in Mount Vernon, WA. The workers’ committee discussed 16 demands that included better pay, sanitary conditions, and protective equipment for working in the fields. Ramon Torres, president of Familias Unidas por la Justicia, says the discussions were not easy but finally, the workers’ committee was recognized as a member of the union. Continue reading at Northwest Public Broadcasting.


Print

Associated Press
Judge: Navy can’t use Washington parks for training
Health care provider sues over Idaho’s strict abortion ban
Mixed results for Oregon’s pioneering drug decriminalization
WHO says 99% of world’s population breathes poor-quality air
Russia faces growing outrage amid new evidence of atrocities
With students in turmoil, US teachers train in mental health

Auburn Reporter
School zone cameras will protect Auburn students, superintendent says
Auburn police arrests, use of force, bookings decrease in 2021

Bellingham Herald
‘Long-sought-after’ trail will link Bellingham neighborhoods
How is distracted driving data compiled when it seems like everybody is on their phone?
Bellingham could soon see unarmed 911 response for mental health concerns
Watch “at least 72” orca whales pass through the Salish Sea
Bellingham to fix beach erosion at Boulevard Park
 
Capital Press
Drought looms in Washington; no relief funds set aside

Columbian
Clark County COVID-19 activity rate hits plateau
Opinion: In Our View: We must remain vigilant about coronavirus
Opinion: In Our View: Goal to curtail gas cars puts state on right path (Macri)
Opinion: In Our View: Cheers & Jeers: Police accountability; fluff jam

Everett Herald
Lawmakers’ latest legal fight with Inslee nears a quiet end (Jinkins, Billig)
In many languages, Snohomish County schools welcome Afghan students
Why Brier and other small cities turned down federal relief
70 killer whales seen in one day in Salish Sea
Verizon workers in Everett, Lynnwood voting on union effort
What we know: Washington coronavirus outbreak at a glance
Bloomberg Comment: How your elders tried to fight inflation in the ’70s
WaPo Comment: Students learn history because they like to argue
Comment: More work needed to correct recent policing reforms
Comment: Long-term care program delayed but harm long-lasting
Editorial: Steps to protect public, police will honor officer

Indian Country Today
At the Crossroads: State of the Economy in Indian Country
State approves 1st alert system for missing Indigenous people (Lekanoff)

News Tribune
This Pierce County city has a rash of graffiti, and a solution. Here’s what it plans to do
How’s Tacoma doing? Community satisfaction continues downward trend in latest survey
Op-Ed: Gender-affirming care saves lives. I’m proud to be part of a team in Tacoma providing it
Sen. Randall: Patients seeking abortions are coming. WA must do its part to oppose Idaho’s new ban
Police chase from Parkland to Tacoma ends with rollover crash, arrest of DUI suspect

New York Times
$4.8 Million Settlement Reached in Trooper’s Fatal Shooting of a Black Driver
Some U.S. states see new cases increase.
House Votes to Decriminalize Cannabis

North American Post
Looking South: Anglophone Canadian Reactions to Japanese American Incarceration – Part 1

Olympian
Public can comment on Thurston code amendments to protect gophers, ease permitting
How to report a robocall scam under the WA Attorney General’s new initiative
‘Astounding’ number of Bigg’s killer whales spotted in Salish Sea Thursday

Peninsula Daily News
Three more Peninsula deaths as case numbers begin to creep up
Slight climb seen in COVID-19 case numbers

Puget Sound Business Journal
Amazon paid more than $4M to labor consultants in 2021 as unionization efforts spread
As employees return to the office, companies grapple with vaccine tensions
What we know — and don’t know — about Seattle’s payroll tax after one year
Alaska Airlines cancels dozens of flights as pilots picket
Seattle health care organizations complete restructure plan, forming Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center
Opinion: Everyone should have access to cancer treatment

Seattle Times
Thunderstorms, high winds and other wild weather expected Monday
Group sues Kirkland, King County over plan to convert hotel to permanent supportive housing site
Inslee rankles fellow Democrats by vetoing part of tax-incentive bill geared toward rural WA (Randall, Billig)
Washington stopped planning for a nuclear war in 1984. Should we start now?
Column: Seattle’s middle class is vanishing. Could this idea save it?
Column: Seattle shrinking? Maybe that’s a good thing
Editorial: Congress must help build a climate resilience workforce 
Opinion: The saga of the West Seattle Bridge: This is how we roll … or not

South Seattle Emerald
Despite national search, interim police chief Adrian Diaz is well-positioned to stay
Cases down statewide, but uptick in King County for covid-19
Washington birth doulas advocated for a pathway to certification — and won
Opinion: Suquamish Tribe opposes Congress’ recognition of Duwamish Tribal

Tri-City Herald
WA state’s worst prison COVID outbreak is in Franklin County. Inmates and staff sickened
250 war-weary Ukrainian refugees could soon resettle with Tri-Cities relatives
Benton jail struggling to take in more inmates even though COVID rules ease
Richland School Board member says she deleted text messages with other board members
50-mph gusts possible in Tri-Cities. Heavy mountain snow forecast on I-90
Dramatic drop in Tri-Cities COVID deaths. Subvariant now dominant in WA

Walla Walla Union Bulletin
Walla Walla Regional Airport prepares for new jets with extensive remodel
Grant to provide free bicycle helmets to Walla Walla kids
Group urges Milton-Freewater to invest in its pool: ‘Pools do not make money, but they do make communities’
Walla Walla Police Department shuts down its app, plans a return to social media
Walla Walla County authorizes funds to widen another portion of Mill Creek Road

Washington Post
Biden calls for a Putin ‘war crimes trial’
Outrage widens over Russian attacks Zelensky now calls a ‘genocide’
The war in Ukraine and a ‘turning point in history’
The world is running out of options to hit climate goals, U.N. report shows
Lawmakers agree on $10 billion in covid funds, but drop global aid from deal
How long covid is accelerating a revolution in medical research
Opinion: Amid backsliding on climate, the renewables effort now must be tripled

Yakima Herald-Republic
Yakima Valley Farm Workers Clinic honored by statewide health organization
Letter: Ukraine tragedy exposes climate-related crises
Letter: Let’s shun states where fascist thinking thrives
Letter: Time for serious solutions for breaching dams

Broadcast

KING 5 TV (NBC)
Uptick in western Washington highway shootings continues in I-5 multi-car incident
Ukrainian refugees get aid from Seattle law students for asylum applications
Everett prepares for memorial honoring fallen Officer Dan Rocha

KIRO 7 TV (CBS)
Everett police Officer Dan Rocha to be remembered at memorial
Officials: gray whale found stranded on Camano Island
Passengers stranded as more Alaska Airlines flights canceled again
Biden: Putin should face war crimes trial for Bucha killings

KOMO 4 TV (ABC)
Dan Rocha: Everett community to pay final respects to fallen officer
Police investigate latest encampment fire on Ballard’s Mary Avenue
Ukrainians are arriving in Washington faster than expected with pleas for help

KNKX Public Radio
After 5 months stuck in hospital, autistic Washington teen sent to facility 2,700 miles from home

KUOW Public Radio
Judge rules against Navy SEAL training at Washington State Parks

NW Public Radio
After Unionizing, WA State Tulip Workers Reach Labor Settlement

Web

Crosscut
Tribal leaders say WA state is ignoring treaty rights
WA prepares against invasive rose- and hop-eating beetle

MyNorthwest
Fourth straight day of canceled flights at Sea-Tac amid ongoing Alaska Airlines pilot shortage
A year after veto, Gov. Inslee signs pledge to end sale of new gas-powered cars by 2030
‘We’re pretty disappointed by this,’ says cycling nonprofit of decision to restrict bikes at Green Lake
Traffic congestion relief comes to Tacoma with Puyallup River Bridge’s completion
Alaska Airlines cancels at least 71 Sea-Tac flights as pilots picket over ‘work rules frozen in time’
Group of parents files lawsuit over planned homeless shelter in vacant Kirkland hotel
Europe’s omicron surge ‘totally different’ than what’s expected in Washington
Three all-electric buses begin south Seattle service amid larger vehicle-electrification push

The Stranger
Councilmember Nelson Wants Signing Bonuses for Cops, Even Though We Don’t Know If They Work
This Week in Worker Conquests: Amazon Workers Unionize Warehouse (!!!), Activists Spoil Scab Search, and Crossroads Sweeps Vote

West Seattle Blog
CORONAVIRUS: West Seattle and countywide updates – what’s up, what’s down