Wave of turnover hits Washington state legislature
Kirby is one of the more senior Democrats in the House of Representatives. He has a reputation for working with Republicans, and being kind and friendly to young lawmakers. Upon hearing of his retirement, the Republican house minority leader, Rep. J.T. Wilcox, said he was saddened. But Kirby is hardly alone. There’s been an unusual amount of turnover in the legislature this year: Eleven Washington House members decided not to run again, and 12 more ran for other positions or lost reelection. Seven senators are departing as well. Continue reading at KNKX. (Scott Greenstone)
Homeless program audit finds low investment in permanent housing in Yakima County
Yakima County’s homeless program spent more than $13 million on contracted homeless services from 2019 to 2021 but invested less than 1% of resources into permanent housing, according to a new report by the Washington State Auditor’s Office. The report, which also reviewed homeless programs in Seattle, Spokane and Snohomish County, recommended local governments adopt a more data-driven approach to distributing funding and better monitor service providers. Continue reading at Yakima Herald. (Evan Abell)
Police, housing to be priorities
Police reform, housing and workforce development will lead the list of Democratic priorities when the 2023 Washington state legislative session begins Jan. 9, said Rep. Mike Chapman. Revisiting how the state funds education also will be a top concern, he said. Democrats will have strong majorities in the House of Representatives (58-40) and Senate (29-20) during the 105-day session that runs through April 29. Continue reading at Peninsula Daily News. (Peninsula Daily News)
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