WASHINGTON STATE

Washington State House Democrats

HOUSE DEMOCRATS

Thursday, March 28

Washington legislators voted this session to add the perspective of marginalized communities into state learning standards
Nearly 40 years ago, Cal Anderson was appointed to the Washington House of Representatives, becoming the first openly LGBTQ+ person to hold the office in the state. His name, however, is absent from any Washington curriculum on state government, according to state Sen. Jamie Pedersen, D-Seattle. That may soon change though with Gov. Jay Inslee’s March 18 signing of Senate Bill 5462 into state law, which would make sure that the K-12 curriculum is more inclusive of people from marginalized communities. The law takes effect on June 6. Continue reading at The Inlander.


Redfin reports that as of February 2024, a person would have to earn about $173,378 annually to afford a

You need to earn how much for a ‘starter home’ in Seattle?!
Rising costs of living and property price tags are hitting first-time homebuyers hard — and even harder in Seattle. A person would have to earn a $173,378 annual salary to earn what Redfin considers a “starter home” in Seattle, according to the real estate company’s February 2024 data. That salary estimate is up roughly $31,000 from just six months ago, and up 8.4% from February 2023. As of February, the median sale price of a Seattle starter home is $535,000, with a monthly mortgage of $4,334. Seattle’s numbers are a significant uptick from just six months ago when Redfin calculated that a person needed to earn $142,000 annually to afford the purchase. Continue reading at KUOW. (Jaye Haych)


An ambulance drives past the entrance to Harbor Regional Health in Aberdeen. Officials said they had to close a floor of the facility after temporary staffing expenses soared

In rural Washington, patients travel hours for basic healthcare
In Washington, patients outside of urban centers often travel long distances to get basic health care, and researchers and providers say the impact — on everything from dementia treatment to maternity care — can lead to worse patient outcomes and delays in treatment. Telehealth is also making a difference. But training physicians can take a decade or more, and not all kinds of care translate well to a virtual space. In the meantime, patients face major disparities in access to basic — and sometimes urgent — care between urban and rural Washington, and between east and west. Continue reading at Crosscut. (Harbor Regional Hospital)


Print

Associated Press
Stock market today: Wall Street holds near records as it coasts to another winning month and quarter

Axios
Financial exploitation of older adults up in King County

Bellingham Herald
Bellingham mobile home park’s affordability uncertain after residents’ land purchase attempt fails
‘I’m so grateful’: Leaders, planners, future tenants unite to celebrate new Bellingham senior housing

Capital Press
USDA gives organic product grants to nine Northwest firms
Shell shocked: Egg producers carry on despite avian flu, cage-free regulations

Columbian
Could fatal collapse of Interstate 5 Bridge happen?
Vancouver officials developing new green building policy
WA passes bill to protect libraries, as other states target them (Hunt)
What the Supreme Court abortion pill case could mean for WA  (Randall)
New Washington law will allow traffic cameras on more city streets and county roads (Donaghy)
Fighting period poverty: Hockinson High School students fundraise for menstrual products at middle school

Everett Herald
Under new federal program, Washingtonians can file taxes for free
Despite petition, Lake Stevens OKs rezone for new 96-home development
Editorial: Initiative fee increase protects process, taxpayers

The Inlander
A new Washington program will automatically start retirement accounts for workers who don’t already have access
Washington legislators voted this session to add the perspective of marginalized communities into state learning standards (Pedersen, Wilson)
As deaths on our roads continue to rise, a local stay-at-home dad is on an ambitious quest to make Spokane’s streets the safest in the U.S.

News Tribune
‘It’s about time’: Much anticipated new Pierce County high school finally breaks ground
Opinion: What’s ‘climate-smart’ wood? Hopefully, a big part of Pierce County’s future

Northwest Asian Weekly
CAPAA Golden Celebration
New UW athletic director Pat Chun

Olympian
North Thurston announces 3 finalists for superintendent. One of them is local
Washington leaders brace for U.S. Supreme Court ruling on access to abortion drug (Randall)
College enrollment rose in 2023, but Washington state ranks low nationally in new students

Peninsula Daily News
Funding needed for Port Townsend homeless shelter

Puget Sound Business Journal
Nintendo lays off 86 contract workers in Redmond
How a major credit-card settlement could save businesses billions

Seattle Times
Instacart settles over alleged labor violations for nearly $750K
Washington State University officer fires at student in residence hall
Despite All-Star summer, recovery is elusive for Seattle’s tourism industry
Comment: Trump Treasury chief tried to force a sale of TikTok. Now he’s a possible bidder
Opinion: WA schools don’t have ‘bad kids.’ They lack enough tools to help them

Spokesman Review
Inslee signs slew of bills boosting gun restrictions in Washington (Ormsby, Berry)

Walla Walla Union Bulletin
Ellen Brigham oversees changes at Dayton Memorial Library
Columbia County Commissioners appoint Dale Walling to library board

Washington Post
AI hustlers stole women’s faces to put in ads. The law can’t help them.
U.S. clamps down on oil and gas firms releasing potent greenhouse gas
Americans who’ve given up religion often point to anti-LGBTQ+ teachings

WA State Standard
Housing and homelessness in Washington, by the numbers

Broadcast

KING 5 TV (NBC)
Carnation residents, officials frustrated after another false alarm from Tolt River Dam emergency system

KIRO 7 TV (CBS)
Deadly Renton accident raises question – should teens have ‘speed limiters’ in their vehicles?

KNKX Public Radio
Olympia police the latest in South Sound to buy car-tracking cameras

KUOW Public Radio
Electric vehicles keep charging ahead in Washington state
You need to earn how much for a ‘starter home’ in Seattle?!

KXLY (ABC)
Washington State Police shot at student in campus residence hall
The State of Hate: A look at the history of racial hate in the Inland Northwest
New housing law passed to promote co-living development in Washington State
Spokane County deputies who shot and killed man in Loon Lake will not face charges

NW Public Radio
Hometown med student raising awareness for colorectal cancer testing
Service changes begin March 31 for Pierce Transit, lack of funding means no new routes
Lewiston-Clarkston Valley’s senior population could strain healthcare providers in coming years

FOX13 TV
King County plans to close youth detention centers by 2028
‘No locks, no cells’ approach in youth detention expected by 2028

Web

Cascadia Daily News
Add wildfire, climate change to the list of Lake Whatcom worries
Whatcom Skills Center gets needed funding for phase one of project
Ferndale School Board debates local control, diversity at heated meeting

Crosscut
In rural Washington, patients travel hours for basic healthcare

MyNorthwest
Protests at Amazon HQ object to use of fossil fuels in Oregon
Luxury tiny homes creating a stir in Washington home market

West Seattle Blog
State, city days away from removing 1st/Cloverdale encampment
Questions about the East Marginal Way project? West Seattle Transportation Coalition’s online meeting Thursday features SDOT