State cementing its status as haven for abortion seekers, providers
In the coming weeks, Washington will cement its status as a haven for those seeking abortions and those performing them with new laws to expand patient access and bolster provider protections. The state is eliminating co-pays and deductible requirements for abortion, fortifying regulations to prevent release of private health data and blocking other states from disciplining doctors and nurses who provide reproductive health services and gender affirming care in line with Washington law. And, finally, the state is set to distribute the abortion pill mifepristone, the most common method of terminating pregnancy in Washington. Gov. Jay Inslee ordered the purchase last month of 30,000 doses, considered enough to cover demand for three years. Rep. Drew Hansen, D-Bainbridge Island shared, “I don’t know of any other state that is acting as swiftly, creatively and aggressively to protect reproductive rights in the wake of the Dobbs decision.” Continue reading at Everett Herald. (Allen G. Breed)
WA lawmakers consider tax increases as session nears end
A state House panel voted Friday to raise an existing tax on sales of multimillion-dollar properties. The vote in the House Finance Committee to raise the state’s real estate excise tax on higher-end property sales was a sign that majority Democrats are weighing tax increases to boost spending on low-income housing to address the state’s homelessness crisis. Lawmakers are also considering a proposal to raise the decades-old 1% cap on the growth of property tax collections, which local government leaders have long criticized for constraining spending on public services. “In this moment, we have a very serious crisis with housing,” said Rep. April Berg, D-Mill Creek, the Finance Committee chair. “And I believe this is a tool that we can use as a state to address it.” Continue reading at Seattle Times. (Karen Ducey)
Propuesta de ley de Saldaña que garantiza servicios de interpretación de alta calidad es firmada como ley
El gobernador Jay Inslee firmo una propuesta de ley que requiere un proceso de examen y certificación para las personas que brindan acceso lingüístico a los servicios estatales. La propuesta de ley 5304, patrocinada por la Senadora Rebecca Saldaña (D-Seattle), es un paso importante para proveer servicios de interpretación de alta calidad para personas con dominio limitado del inglés, particularmente en entornos médicos. Varias agencias estatales utilizan intérpretes certificados por DSHS, incluida la Autoridad de Atención Médica para clientes de Medicaid, el Departamento de Labor e Industrias y el Departamento de Niños, Jóvenes y Familias. Continue reading at La Raza del Noroeste.
Aberdeen Daily World
Aberdeen Parks director explains museum repair estimates
Riding off into the sunset
Axios
Abortions rise in Washington as Idaho cracks down
Columbian
Columbia River spring chinook run below average so far but peak still to come
Is homelessness a threat to public safety in Clark County?
Opinion: Confronting climate change can boost economy
The Daily News
State suspends license of Longview attorney, former Cowlitz County Court commissioner
Conference on ‘parents rights’ in schools spurs pushback from Cowlitz County locals
How push for renewable electricity in WA affects others
Everett Herald
New law lets Snohomish County pour millions into rental assistance (Robinson)
Climate change gets boost of attention from county planners
Compromise calls for honoring Chinese community each January (Santos, Jinkins, Kuderer)
Plan aims to restore ‘community’ to Community Transit bus service
State cementing its status as haven for abortion seekers, providers (Hansen, Keiser)
Opinion: Washington state a leader in ending silence of NDAs (Keiser, Berry)
Editorial: Four failed bills that merit second shot next year (Fey)
Kitsap Sun
Ferry Walla Walla runs aground in Rich Passage; Seattle-Bremerton service resumes Sunday
News Tribune
$8 million will fix this Gig Harbor salmon barrier. Construction may close Harborview Dr.
Olympian
WA governor has signed nearly 100 bills into law so far. Here are some of the key ones
Here are some of the key bills passed before this week’s cutoff date in the Legislature (Hansen, Bateman, Fey)
Bill to limit blinking red lights on wind turbines ready for WA Gov. Jay Inslee to sign (Kloba Liias)
Opinion: We should help our neighbors struggling with substance use, not jail them
Peninsula Daily News
Legislation eases rule on pursuit (Chapman, Tharinger, Rule, Hackney, Van De Wege)
Difference between reasonable suspicion, probable cause
Puget Sound Business Journal
In Olympia, builders harvest a bumper crop of pro-housing bills
Seattle Times
Seattle rally protesting abortion pill ruling marches through downtown
Minors can still get married in WA, though some want that to change (Stanford, Stonier, Dhingra)
WA lawmakers consider tax increases as session nears end (Pedersen, Berg, Walen, Randall, Jinkins, Billig)
Opinion: Post McCleary, WA school funding doesn’t add up
Editorial: Faith in government depends on keeping promises
Spokesman Review
Parents of runaway youth seeking gender-affirming or reproductive care wouldn’t be notified by shelter under bill approved in Washington Legislature (Liias)
We the People: Dueling abortion-pill rulings show expanding role of judicial branch
Walla Walla Union Bulletin
Port of Walla Walla mulls second flight out of regional airport
Walla Walla Public Schools to bring new AI technology into classrooms
Yakima Herald-Republic
As Yakima Valley growers suffer from tariffs in India and China, other industries benefit
Broadcast
KING 5 TV (NBC)
In Session: Washington state lawmakers have one week left to pass legislation (Berg, Goodman, Keiser)
Ferry refloated after running aground near Bainbridge Island, leaving over 600 stranded on board
Seattleites rally in support of abortion pill access ahead of Supreme Court decision (Keiser, Trudeau)
No, crime happening in Gig Harbor is not due to criminals from Tacoma
KUOW Public Radio
Week in Review: The Legislature, the Film Commission, and tiny shampoo bottles
KXLY (ABC)
“Move Over, Slow Down” campaign coming to Eastern Washington this week
Web
Cascadia Daily News
Bills advance that favor police, housing density (Rule, Timmons, Ramel, Lekanoff, Shewmake)
Legislature passes several bills to support higher education
Debate about state’s salmon, trout hatcheries rages on
Officials break ground on waterfront affordable housing
MyNorthwest
Ferry run aground after suspected generator failure, boat refloated Sunday
La Raza del Noroeste
Propuesta de ley de Saldaña que garantiza servicios de interpretación de alta calidad es firmada como ley (Saldaña)
The Stranger
State Democrats Make Washington a Safe Haven for Abortion, Gender-Affirming Care (Hansen, Riccelli)