WA lawmakers to hear testimony on abortion bills
On Tuesday, days after the 50th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, state lawmakers will hear testimony on several bills intended to protect abortion rights and access in Washington. Abortion is legal in Washington up to the point of viability, or roughly 23 to 24 weeks of pregnancy, and to protect the life or health of the pregnant person. Democratic state legislators are proposing laws that would increase protections for patients and providers in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in June to overturn Roe. Continue reading at Seattle Times. (Karen Ducey)
Editorial: Fund could break inequitable cycle of poverty
Jennifer Bereskin, a member of the Snohomish Nation and Qawalangin Tribe of Unalaska, Alaska, wants state legislators to think ahead when addressing the needs of Washington’s children. Say, seven generations ahead. Senate Bill 5125 would help individuals build wealth and combat the economic hardships that can lock families into a nearly unbreakable cycle of poverty for generations. The legislation, first requested by State Treasurer Mike Pellicciotti’s office last year, has returned, this year backed by a report, requested by lawmakers. Continue reading at Everett Herald. (Getty Images)
WA bill promotes dense, walkable communities around transit stops
Many cities across Washington state have invested heavily in transit. But there aren’t a lot of people living around the many stations set to open north and south of Seattle in the next few years. A bill introduced in Olympia aims to change that. City planners want to see dense, vibrant communities around transit. House Bill 1111 would give them some of that power by creating a new tool called Housing Benefit Districts. Cities could opt in if they have a light rail station or a bus rapid transit line. Those cities could then finance hundreds or even thousands of new homes, at least a third of them affordable, in well-planned, walkable neighborhoods with day cares and parks, all near that transit. Continue reading at KUOW. (UW College of Built Environments)
Associated Press
Washington bill would lower legal blood alcohol level limit (Lovick)
Tax the rich? Liberals renew push for state wealth taxes
Bellingham Herald
Gov. Inslee in Bellingham to see the ‘future of electric transportation in Washington’
Capital Press
Northwest wheat industry expects food aid uses to increase
Everett Herald
Providence disputes details in TikTok about Everett nurse staffing
Editorial: Fund could break inequitable cycle of poverty
Kitsap Sun
Recognition for Black pioneers Nathaniel Sargent, Rodney White moves forward at state level
News Tribune
A historical lunar event is causing ‘King Tides’ in WA. Here’s how and potential impacts
Scientists ‘optimistic’ about improving drought conditions in parched parts of WA
New York Times
‘Tragedy Upon Tragedy’: January Brings Dozens of Mass Shootings So Far
Olympian
Fixing the mental health workforce: WA has an underutilized counseling resource
TSA found a record number of firearms in carry-on bags at SeaTac in 2022. Most were loaded
Peninsula Daily News
Service organizations prepare for annual Point-in-Time count
Port Townsend Leader
Bills push for improving salmon habitat, removing barriers (Ramel, Chapman)
Puget Sound Business Journal
Retirement plan law could be ‘game-changer’ for small businesses
Banking execs predict tough year as mortgage applications dry up
Seattle Times
WA could ban use of cancer-causing chemicals in makeup, hair care (Mena)
WA lawmakers to hear testimony on abortion bills
Bills to create solutions to missing and murdered Indigenous women (Lekanoff, Dhingra)
Editorial: Inslee’s plan to raise WA debt for housing deserves scrutiny
Broadcast
KIRO 7 TV (CBS)
State Senate, House to hear multiple abortion protection bills
King County medical examiner’s office is struggling to store bodies amid rise in fentanyl overdoses
KNKX Public Radio
Washington bill would restrict nighttime lights on wind turbines
The FDA considers a major shift in the nation’s COVID vaccine strategy
KUOW Public Radio
Pierce County pushes back on the state’s proposed airport sites (Fey)
WA bill promotes dense, walkable communities around transit stops
KXLY (ABC)
Camp Hope population down 75% from July
Q13 TV (FOX)
Senate hearing into ticketing industry following Ticketmaster meltdown
Web
Crosscut
A proposed WA law requires clergy to report child abuse, neglect (Walen, Frame)
How Washington’s new carbon emission cap will work
FCC broadband service maps disputed at thousands of WA locations
Pluribus News
5 abortion bills on docket in agenda-setting day of hearings in Washington State (Cleveland, Randall)