Legislature votes to support local news, new capital outlet launching
By a resounding margin, Washington’s Legislature agreed to help sustain the state’s local newspapers. The state House voted 89 to 7 on Monday to create a decade long tax break for publishers and now awaits Gov. Jay Inslee’s expected signature. The tax break is one of many steps needed to stabilize and restore the news industry, including antitrust enforcement to address unfair competition with tech giants and federal support. It took two years of effort by press champions in the Legislature to get it done. An earlier push by Mullet and state Rep. Gerry Pollet fell short last year, after it failed to advance from a Democrat-led Senate committee. Continue reading at Seattle Times. (Karen Ducey)
Washington Senate passes bill to protect transgender youth in shelters who report parental abuse or neglect
Parents of a runaway youth seeking gender-affirming treatment or reproductive health care would not have to be notified of the whereabouts of their minor child who is in a homeless shelter under a bill heading to Gov. Jay Inslee for final approval. Sen. Marko Liias, the bill’s prime sponsor, said it is strictly about providing housing and emergency shelter to at-risk youth. It does not give the department or any other state agency new authority to help runaway or homeless minors obtain the medical treatment they may be seeking without parental approval, he said. Continue reading at Spokesman Review. (Jesse Tinsley)
Bill to ban child marriage in Washington stalls again in the Senate
Washington’s legislative session ends in a handful of days, but even bills with strong, unanimous support are failing to pass out of committee. House Bill 1455 to ban child marriage in Washington is one of them; and according to advocates, the legislation is not being given the priority it deserves. There were 95 yeas and 0 nays in the House but it stalled in the Senate and failed to meet a deadline to get voted out. Attempts at passing legislation in Olympia were unsuccessful the past several years, as the legislation never advanced. “How is it that a bill that got so much unanimous support on both sides of the aisle, still isn’t making it out of committee?” we asked. “That’s an answer I don’t have,” said Stonier, the bill’s sponsor. Continue reading at KING5.
Associated Press
Posts distort Washington estranged minors law (Liias)
Ganja glut? With excess weed, growers seek interstate sales
Supreme Court temporarily extends access to abortion pill
Semi-automatic rifle ban passes Washington state Legislature, heads to Gov. Inslee’s desk (Peterson, Lovelett)
Aberdeen Daily World
Stafford Creek home of new, forward-looking prison initiative
Axios
Electric vehicle adoption doubles in Seattle
Washington set to become 10th state to ban assault weapons sales (Kuderer)
Capital Press
Columbia River Treaty negotiations could conclude by June
Columbia Basin Herald
Abortion med bill passes WA Senate committee (Keiser)
Columbian
I-5 Bridge tolling approved by Washington House (Wylie)
The Daily News
Port of Kalama, TEMCO ask for $14M in help to build more rail
Everett Herald
Layoffs loom as Snohomish County schools face budget shortfalls
State law prompts Edmonds to add bike lanes on Highway 99 overhaul
Cocktails-to-go, parental rights and what clergy must report (Pedersen, Van De Wege, Ortiz-Self)
Comment: Republicans ought to think twice about path on abortion
Editorial: Second look for major airport can skip Paine Field
The Inlander
Washington state makes big bucks taxing cannabis, so what does it do with all that money?
As Washington ratchets down emissions and shifts to a renewable energy grid, heat pumps are about to have a huge moment
Electric cars are becoming more common thanks to government support — but bolstering e-bikes would have a bigger impact
Walking or biking to Seattle isn’t really an option, so what other low carbon emission modes of transportation can get you there?
News Tribune
Pierce County students ‘absolutely in crisis’ after COVID, say area superintendents
New York Times
Abortion Pill Maker Sues F.D.A. to Protect Drug if a Court Orders It Off the Market
Northwest Asian Weekly
WA Senate passes resolution honoring Sikh Americans (Shewmake, Dhingra, Trudeau)
Olympian
Access to public records could be at risk in WA with litigation, change of power, experts say (Pollet)
WA assault weapons ban bill heads to Gov. Inslee after House votes to approve it Wednesday (Peterson, Rule, Shavers)
Cocktails to-go, a pandemic-era boon for restaurants, forever legal in WA (Conway)
Seattle Times
WA court reinstates nearly $100M verdict against state in death of 2 boys
So how do we locate the good guy with the gun?
Fecal pollution restricts harvest in 3 WA shellfish growing areas
Opinion: WA state ferries far from shipshape
Opinion: Legislature votes to support local news, new capital outlet launching (Mullet, Pollet)
Skagit Valley Herald
Legislation will require climate change planning for Skagit County
Sol De Yakima
Presidenta de UFW se une a manifestación en granja de champiñones de Sunnyside
Spokesman Review
Couple hit by on-duty police officer sues city
Spokane receives $6.7 million from Monsanto suit, looks to continue work cleaning river
Washington Senate passes bill to protect transgender youth in shelters who report parental abuse or neglect (Liias)
Assault weapon ban on sales and import in Washington heads to Inslee for final approval (Riccelli, Ormsby, Peterson)
Yakima Herald-Republic
UFW President Teresa Romero joins union rally at Sunnyside mushroom farm
Broadcast
KING 5 TV (NBC)
Bill to ban child marriage in Washington stalls again in the Senate (Stonier, Dhingra)
KIRO 7 TV (CBS)
Bill to make cocktails to-go permanent passes state legislature
KOMO 4 TV (ABC)
Semi-automatic rifle ban passes Washington state Legislature (Lovelett)
Legislation to permanently allow to-go cocktails in Washington heads to Inslee’s desk
KUOW Public Radio
More housing is on the way, but parking? Maybe not
Washington can now look to out-of-state shipbuilders for its next ferries (Liias)
NW Public Radio
In biggest turnout in ten years, Richland citizens fill city council meeting to speak out against drag show harassment
Web
Cascadia Daily News
Bellingham youth combat climate anxiety through action
Shellfish harvest closure expands south of Bellingham Bay
Crosscut
Washington could soon have a battery stewardship program (Stanford)
Proposal to eliminate the ‘pink tax’ fails in WA legislature (Dhingra)
MyNorthwest
Climate Pledge joins Seahawks, Mariners stadiums with a significant excise tax exemption