Trans minors protected from parents under Washington law
Minors seeking gender-affirming care in Washington will be protected from the intervention of estranged parents under a measure Gov. Jay Inslee signed into law Tuesday. The new law is part of a wave of legislation this year in Democratic-led states intended to give refuge amid a conservative movement in which lawmakers in other states have attacked transgender rights and limited or banned gender-affirming care for minors. Licensed shelters and host homes in Washington had generally been required to notify parents within 72 hours when a minor came into their care. Under the new law, facilities can instead contact the state Department of Children, Youth and Families, which could then attempt to reunify the family if feasible. Continue reading at Associated Press. (Ed Komenda)
Breaking down the biggest chunk of state housing dollars
Central to the package of housing legislation that state lawmakers passed in Olympia this year is a record investment in the Housing Trust Fund, the largest individual pot of state money that is available to help get more people into affordable homes. Lawmakers raised the amount of money going to the trust fund to $400 million, a roughly 40% increase over the last budget cycle and more than double the amount that they provided for the account in some recent years. It’s an investment that advocates say is long overdue but still not enough, given the growing need for housing for people at the lowest income levels. Continue reading at WA State Standard. (Dan Reynolds)
Gov. Inslee signs bill to help survivors of sex trafficking in WA
Gov. Jay Inslee recently signed a bill intended to help survivors of sex trafficking access housing, health services and more in Washington. Substitute Senate Bill 5114 was written by and for survivors of adult sex trafficking, according to the WASE coalition of 34 agencies working to prevent commercial sexual exploitation of vulnerable people. The coalition hopes the money will be spent on culturally responsive programs and services tailored toward those disproportionately affected by human trafficking, including communities of color. The legislation, sponsored by Sen. Claire Wilson, D-Auburn, and Rep. Tina Orwall, D-Des Moines, will fund services like legal advocacy, safety planning, substance-use disorder treatment, housing, health services and education. Continue reading at Crosscut.
Associated Press
Trans minors protected from parents under Washington law (Liias)
Axios
Seattle’s Chinatown among most endangered historic places
Meet Washington’s new state dinosaur, the Suciasaurus rex
Bellingham Herald
Whatcom County home sale prices drop, but WA remains third most-expensive state
Capital Press
Washington to adopt California ban on diesel trucks
Columbian
Washougal chief steps in at Vancouver Police Department
Editorial: Dems already have head start on new drug law
Everett Herald
Trade fair gives Snohomish County kids glimpse of college alternatives
Lynnwood council member Binda admits to violating ethics rules
Olympian
WA Gov. Inslee signs bill limiting wind turbine lights. But he vetoes local control
Seattle Medium
Gov. Inslee Signs Bill To Remedy Discrimination In Housing (Taylor)
New Law Aims To Prevent Childhood Drownings (Berg)
Seattle Times
Seattle neighborhood placed on unfortunate historic places list
Why conservation groups are trying to restore native prairies in WA
To aid the killer whales, the real apex predator gets some pushback
Seattle makes obstructing firefighters illegal
Sequim Gazette
Local lawmakers optimistic about special legislative session (Chapman, Tharinger, Van De Wege)
Spokesman Review
Opinion: With the public health emergency ending, what will change? Here’s what you need to know
Tri-City Herald
Big E. Washington employer lays off hundreds of workers. Paper mill is being idled
Walla Walla Union Bulletin
Walla Walla students win top award at Youth Legislature event in Olympia
Washington Post
Inflation eased again in April, but prices are still rising fast
Washington State Standard
A climate cash spending spree is about to get underway in Washington state (Fey)
New law blocks Washington employers from testing for pot when hiring
Breaking down the biggest chunk of state housing dollars
‘This is what the capital budget should be about’ (Lovick, Tharinger)
As overtime looms in Olympia, deal on drug possession law proves elusive (Dhingra)
Law would redirect surging public requests for election records
Yakima Herald-Republic
New list of Native boarding schools with Catholic affiliation includes Yakima school
Opinion: County’s homeless idea should stop before it starts
Broadcast
KIRO 7 TV (CBS)
Gov. Inslee signs bill furthering protections for survivors and victims (Nobles)
Inslee signs bill making sure first responders get treatment for job-related PTSD, other ailments
Gov. Inslee signs bill protecting homeowners from decades-long real estate listing agreements (Mullet)
KOMO 4 TV (ABC)
Suciasaurus rex named Washington state’s official dinosaur (Morgan)
Inslee signs bill to create support programs for survivors of adult sex trafficking (Orwall, Wilson)
KNKX Public Radio
Inflation stayed high last month, compounding the challenges facing the U.S. economy
KXLY (ABC)
Community workshop invites public to weigh in on NSC to I-90 connection
Local leaders, community members discuss mental health resources, housing at homeless symposium
Web
Cascadia Daily News
Whatcom County population rises after pandemic decline
Crosscut
Gov. Inslee signs bill to help survivors of sex trafficking in WA (Orwall, Wilson)
MyNorthwest
Chinatown-International District “Most Endangered” listing energizes preservationists