WASHINGTON STATE

Washington State House Democrats

HOUSE DEMOCRATS

Monday, October 9

The Department of Natural Resources owns thousands of acres that aren’t useful for timber harvests, but selling and repurposing the property can be complicated.

How a Washington agency is trying to get housing built on public land
Washington’s Department of Natural Resources owns more than 7,000 acres of “transition land” scattered across the state. Most of this property is surrounded by development, leaving it unsuitable for timber sales – the department’s largest source of revenue from the roughly 5.6 million acres it manages. As the state tries to figure out what to do with these oddball parcels, some see an opportunity to build more housing at a time when it’s badly needed. Continue reading at WA State Standard. (Getty)


Percy Levy, who served 17 years for a drug house robbery, outside his new business Redemption Auto along Highway 99 on Thursday, Sept. 21, 2023 in Everett, Washington.

In wake of ‘Blake,’ 1,500 drug convictions scrubbed in Snohomish County
More than 200,000 cases statewide needed to be adjudicated again due to the Blake decision, said Grace O’Connor, managing attorney for the Blake Defense Program. The state Office of Public Defense set up the program specifically to deal with the legal headaches the Blake decision created. But some things the courts cannot fix. They can’t get former inmates their time back or their lives back on track. Continue reading at Everett Herald. (Olivia Vanni)


Bottles of abortion pills mifepristone, left, and misoprostol, right, at a clinic in Des Moines, Iowa, Sept. 22, 2010. In the U.S., medication abortions usually involve the drugs mifepristone and misoprostol.

Port Angeles pharmacy becomes first in Washington state approved for abortion drug mifepristone
A pharmacy in Port Angeles on the Olympic Peninsula just became the first in the state to announce publicly that it will begin dispensing mifepristone — the first of two drugs used in most medication abortions. This marks a big change for a drug most people once had to go to a doctor’s office to get. Continue reading at KUOW. (Charlie Neibergall)


Print

Axios
Indian Americans now largest Asian American group in U.S.

Bainbridge Island Review
Opinion: Why aren’t noise laws enforced on vehicles?

Bellingham Herald
Whatcom County getting new equipment. Here’s how it’s preparing for another flood disaster

Capital Press
GOP senator: Washington Ecology keeps cap-and-trade secrets

Columbian
Judge orders Larch to remain open until Tuesday; still deciding on further closure delays
East Vancouver neighbors oppose a city zoning change that would allow apartment development
I-5 bridge environmental impact statement delayed, again – this time until 2024

Everett Herald
In wake of ‘Blake,’ 1,500 drug convictions scrubbed in Snohomish County (Simmons)
Group advocating for addiction recovery launches in Snohomish County (Davis)
‘Poster child’ estuary preserved at Edmonds’ Meadowdale Beach Park (Peterson)
Editorial: North Cascades need return of grizzly bears

Federal Way Mirror
Feedback sought for future light rail facility in Federal Way

Issaquah Reporter
Issaquah council OKs transportation agreement, Newport Way NW improvements

News Tribune
‘I thought we were going to have digital driver’s licenses by now. What’s the holdup?’ (Mullet)
Yes, your landlord can increase your rent that much. A WA renter’s guide to rent raises
Client at the heart of the Washington Supreme Court’s Blake ruling has died
Opinion: Washington couple taxed on money they haven’t made yet. Supreme Court could stop it

Olympian
Thurston County Judge rules in favor of ‘legislative privilege’ to shield public records

Puget Sound Business Journal
Kroger, Albertsons could land in court with regulators over antitrust issues, reports say

Seattle Times
Will high gas prices derail WA’s climate policy? (Nguyen, Fitzgibbon, Doglio)
No guns, no uniforms: Meet WA’s new investigators of police force
How Redmond evolved from sleepy WA suburb to fast-growing city
Why Seattle can’t collect on $4.3 million worth of traffic tickets
Where to go when nature calls? Seattle has a public restroom problem
Violence and transit: What’s happening and what Seattle-area agencies are doing to protect riders
Editorial: A Tukwila church steps up where the federal government fails on migration
Opinion: UW misinformation researchers will not buckle under political attacks

South Whidbey Record
Langley council brings back housing committee

Spokesman Review
Democrats and Republicans in Washington state agree the nation’s debt is unsustainable. What could Congress do about it?
‘Not what Spokane represents’: Overnight string of vandalism appears on Spokane LGBTQ+ landmarks
Opinion: Wildfire mitigation work can keep people safe and our insurance market healthy

Tri-City Herald
Homeless people being bused to Tri-Cities? Advocates say there’s no truth to claim

Washington Post
UAW doesn’t expand strike, citing progress in talks with Ford, GM
Rich countries promised poor nations billions for climate change. They aren’t paying.

WA State Standard
How a Washington agency is trying to get housing built on public land
WA counties lawsuit presses state to cover more legal defense costs for the poor
States that send a mail ballot to every voter really do increase turnout, scholars find

Wenatchee World
Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife to acquire 650 more acres near Mansfield for pygmy rabbits

Whidbey News-Times
Sheriff’s Office to begin removing RVs from roadside encampment

Yakima Herald-Republic
Help needed in Yakima County for child care crisis
Yakima County’s labor force is growing again
Editorial: Yakima County crisis response unit is a step forward

Broadcast

KOMO 4 TV (ABC)
Gov. Inslee requests federal aid for survivors of August wildfires
Seattle leaders address violence, safety issues aboard public transit
Revive I-5 project continues with driving surface improvement work starting Monday
Seattle town hall calls for transparency, police accountability after death of Jaahnavi Kandula
Washington to raise minimum wage to $16.28 in 2024, retaining highest rate in U.S.
Pierce County judge rules in favor of 28 counties’ lawsuit against DSHS on behavioral health evaluations

KNKX Public Radio
As San Juan county workers switch to 32 hours a week, some are taking second or third jobs

KUOW Public Radio
NW tribes push for removal of Snake River dams
Dude, where’s my train? Why freight makes Amtrak late
2023 set to be deadliest year yet for overdoses in King County
Washington counties win initial legal victory over scarce mental health beds
Washington state gets $1B boost for roadwork, including EV infrastructure
This Seattle author wrote a memoir for LGBTQ youth. Now it’s being banned
Ginormous South Tacoma warehouse project gets green light despite social justice, environmental concerns
Port Angeles pharmacy becomes first in Washington state approved for abortion drug mifepristone

Web

Crosscut
Why isn’t the Pacific Coastal rainforest treated like the Amazon?