Assault weapon ban clears WA state Senate
The state Senate on Saturday approved a ban on the sale of assault weapons in Washington, setting up the measure to go to Gov. Jay Inslee for a signature in the final weeks of the legislative session. After more than four hours of debate, the Senate approved the assault weapon ban, House Bill 1240, on a 27-21 vote. The proposal passed the state House last month on a 55-42 vote. Because the bill was amended in the Senate, it must now go back to the House for a vote to concur on the final language. Inslee has expressed his support for the ban and is expected to sign it once the House gives final approval. Continue reading at Seattle Times. (Elaine Thompson)
Washington had sixth-lowest COVID death rate in U.S., analysis finds
Washington state had one of the country’s lowest adjusted rates of COVID-19 deaths during the pandemic, according to a recent analysis published in The Lancet. What they found: Washington’s COVID-19 death rate was 286 deaths per 100,000 people, when adjusting to account for age and comorbidities. That’s about 23% lower than the national adjusted death rate, which was 372 deaths per 100,000 people, and the sixth-lowest death rate among states. The new report is among the first explorations of the social and economic factors at play during the pandemic in the U.S., and it found a nearly four-fold variation in COVID infection and death rates between states, Axios’ Tina Reed reports. Continue reading at Axios. (Alice Feng)
Bill in Washington Legislature aims to expand training on sexual assault investigations
State lawmakers are looking at ways to improve how sexual assaults are investigated in an effort to encourage more survivors to report these crimes when they happen. The measure would expand training for law enforcement and prosecutors who handle these cases, which advocates say are severely under-reported. House Bill 1028 expands training for law enforcement and prosecutors who interact with victims of sexual assault and gender-based violence. “I think about one percent of people that are charged receive felony charges and are convicted of sexual assault,” the bill’s sponsor, Rep. Tina Orwall (D-Des Moines), said. “When there’s more training, there are better outcomes,” Jennifer Wallace with the Criminal Justice Training Commission, added. Continue reading at KOMO4.
Associated Press
Washington shutters pot businesses due to old pesticide
Judge in Washington orders feds to keep abortion pill access
Axios
Washington had sixth-lowest COVID death rate in U.S., analysis finds
Capital Press
Bill to refund cap-and-trade fees to Washington farmers fades quickly (Mullet, Nguyen)
Bill to fund Washington brand inspections signed
Columbian
Affordable housing vs. climate: Code creates clash of crises in Clark County
Cleveland health care bills passed by House, head to governor (Cleveland)
The Daily News
Cowlitz County, Longview, Kelso to receive $10.6 million in opioid settlement funds
Longview homeless are scattered around city after Alabama Street closure. Here is how the city helps them.
Everett Herald
Duerr gets dinged, deals get done and the guv gets ghosted (Duerr, Santos, Ryu)
County hits pause on Hope Church shelter plan in Everett
WA Senate OKs assault weapons ban, longer wait on gun sales (Salomon, Kuderer, Van De Wege, Heck)
Editorial: Lawmakers face budget for climate our kids will see
Comment: Mature forests do more for climate, wildlife, water
Comment: Snake River dams’ benefits replaceable; salmon aren’t
Comment: Wealth tax would bring equity, revenue to aid families
Comment: What a century of U.S. shipbuilding, crews have meant (Keiser)
News Tribune
Tacoma Fire issues shelter in place order as boat fire in Hylebos Waterway worsens
Letter: Washington needs to tax the ultra-rich. It would be a game-changer for people like me
New York Times
Abortion Ruling Could Undermine the F.D.A.’s Drug-Approval Authority
Olympian
Senate passes ban on assault weapons. Here’s what would be banned under the law (Peterson, Kuderer, Randall)
WA Senate OKs mandatory waiting period for firearms purchases. Bill now heads to the governor (Berry, Kuderer)
Is your property at risk of wildfires? A no-cost assessment can help you find out
Thurston County plans new voter services center in Tumwater as another project stalls
Peninsula Daily News
Murray, Kilmer hunt invasive crab
Fentanyl remains top concern on Olympic Peninsula
Hospital staffing bill heads to governor’s desk (Van De Wege, Chapman, Tharinger)
Latest bill version enforces orca boundary (Van De Wege, Chapman, Tharinger, Lekanoff, Lovelett)
Puget Sound Business Journal
Millions of SBA Covid EIDL loans are coming due
Seattle Times
Assault weapon ban clears WA state Senate (Kuderer, Liias)
Seattle’s commercial real estate market slows as bank challenges pile up
WA housing advocates, Realtors clash over proposed real estate tax hikes (Chopp)
Lack of data, unclear roles hamper King County’s progress on equity
Protect railroad workers against retaliation for taking sick time (Kuderer)
Spokesman Review
Whitman County was fastest growing in the nation last year, census data shows
State biologists confirm wolf pack on Mount Spokane during annual wolf survey
Special cold case unit for missing or murdered Indigenous people proposed in Washington Legislature (Lekanoff)
Opinion: Of mice and memories – a look at Olympia’s old press houses as history makes way for progress
Broadcast
KIRO 7 TV (CBS)
WA State Senate passes assault weapons ban, brought upon by mass shootings
KOMO 4 TV (ABC)
Bill to make drug possession in Washington state a misdemeanor moves forward (Davis)
Bill in Washington Legislature aims to expand training on sexual assault investigations (Orwall)
KNKX Public Radio
Judges’ dueling decisions put access to a key abortion drug in jeopardy nationwide
Massive wildfires are taking a toll on Western snowpack, research finds
KUOW Public Radio
Washington lawmakers debate who benefits from juvenile sentencing reforms (Hackney)
Week in Review: legislature, e-scooters, and taxes
KXLY (ABC)
“Move Over, Slow Down” campaign coming to eastern Washington next week
‘That’s why it’s important we don’t look down or look away’: Washington State Patrol looking out for distracted driving this month
Q13 TV (FOX)
Washington Senate votes to ban sale of assault weapons weeks after House approves measure (Peterson, Farivar, Berry)
Web
Cascadia Daily News
Opinion: Whatcom could be first to eliminate kidney waitlist
Crosscut
Washington Senate passes ban on assault-style rifles (Peterson, Kuderer)
How Washington plans to spend money from the new carbon-cap law (Jinkins, Nguyen)
MyNorthwest
Washington State House passes bill to end 40-year exclusive real estate listing contracts
Homebuyers struggle to find the right deal even as prices continue to drop