More transparency needed for WA police asset seizures, audit says
A new state audit says that Washington police agencies could be more transparent about the process of seizing assets like cars, cash or guns in the course of criminal investigations and clearer about how people can get that property back. Between January 2020 and December 2022, more than 100 of Washington’s 250 police agencies got nearly $30 million in property from local and state forfeitures, according to the state auditor’s office. They received an additional $10 million through a partnership with the federal government. Continue reading at The Seattle Times. (Fiona Martin)
Washington extends emergency graduation waiver for class of 2024
Washington school districts will be able to keep waiving certain graduation requirements for high school students in the class of 2024. School officials asked the State Board of Education to continue allowing them to waive requirements for the state’s “graduation pathways” for the 2023-2024 school year, citing the lasting impact of COVID-19 on students. The board granted an extension to the emergency waiver on Thursday. Continue reading at The Washington State Standard. (Getty Images)
Washington to adopt new U.S. PFAS limits, but may take two years
The Washington Department of Health plans to lower the limits on “forever chemicals” in drinking water after the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced new lower limits on Wednesday. The new EPA maximum levels are mostly lower than the limits adopted in 2021 by the Washington State Board of Health. Those state limits will stay in place until the Board of Health adopts the new federal levels, which can take up to two years, according to a news release from the DOH. Continue reading at Crosscut. (Andy Engelson)
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