WASHINGTON STATE

Washington State House Democrats

HOUSE DEMOCRATS

Friday, August 30

Photo of three students studying or taking the bar exam imposed over a blue and gray background.

Washington alters bar exam requirement
Since 2019, 4,364 applicants have taken the bar exam in the state, according to the Washington State Bar Association (WSBA). More than one-third failed the exam. The notoriously difficult exam has set a lofty standard for those entering the profession, but it may soon fall into obsolescence. The bar exam in Washington state will become optional as early as next year. When that happens, it will be the first time in Washington state’s history that a bar exam will not be necessary to obtain a law license. Washington will join Oregon as the only states to abandon the proven method the legal services industry relies on to determine competency. Continue reading at Puget Sound Business Journal. (PSBJ)


Many colorful school supplies and backpack arranged on blue background DIDECS Getty Images/iStockphoto

WA House passed tax-free weekend of school shopping in 2022. Why was it never created?
Washington nearly implemented a tax-free weekend back in 2022. Under the proposal, sales tax wouldn’t be charged between Sept. 3 and Sept. 5 of that year on purchases of items under $1,000. The bill made it through the House by a 91-7 vote, but it met a different fate in the Senate, as it didn’t make it out of the Ways and Means committee. So why did Washington’s Senate reject the tax-free weekend back in 2022 after it passed the House by such a wide margin? Continue reading at Tri-City Herald. (Getty Images)


A fleet of electric delivery vehicles charges. A new network of stations up and down the West Coast could accelerate the adoption of more electric vehicles across the region. (Mustafa Hussain/Getty Images)

Feds giving West Coast states $100 million to create zero-emission truck fueling network
Oregon, California and Washington are getting a major boost from the federal government to advance the shipment of goods by zero-emission trucks on Interstate 5. The U.S. Department of Transportation is giving the three states $102 million to create a network of charging and fueling stations to power battery and hydrogen-fuel cell semitrucks, according to a news release from Oregon’s congressional delegation on Tuesday. Additional federal funding will also pay Oregon $17 million to create two small-scale electric vehicle charging networks for standard vehicles. Continue reading at The WA State Standard. (Mustafa Hussain)


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Aberdeen Daily World
Quinault Indian Nation to resume canoe race Sept. 7
Aberdeen city council votes to remove request for proposal for ‘homeless village’

Auburn Reporter
Council considers amending Auburn’s camping laws

Bainbridge Island Review
Jail program says, We don’t want you back
 
Capital Press
Ecology fines Spokane County farmer $15,000 for irrigation violation
Bird flu blues: Highly pathogenic avian influenza hits dairy herds without warning
Feds giving West Coast states $102 million to create zero-emission truck fueling network

Everett Herald
Timeline of Marysville schools turmoil
Everett council approves buyouts amid financial woes
Hiring freeze, school sports cuts on the table in Marysville
Optum WA cuts care for more than 23K Medicaid patients

Journal of the San Juan Islands
Port one of 11 in Washington awarded electrification grant

Kent Reporter
Kent School District offers free breakfast, lunch to all students

News Tribune
Stay away from toxic algae at this Key Peninsula Lake, health department warns
Opinion: I’m not a fan of regulations. But this dangerous trend calls out for government rules

New York Times
Turbine Blades Have Piled Up in Landfills. A Solution May Be Coming.
Why Interest Rate Cuts Won’t Fix a Global Housing Affordability Crisis

Peninsula Daily News
Funding needed for safety facility
Clallam Transit to welcome four new buses to its fleet
International Overdose Awareness Day set for Saturday
Port of Port Townsend receives $200K in grant funding
High magnitude earthquake simulator comes to Port Angeles
Port Angeles receives $3.4M in federal grant for trail design funding

Puget Sound Business Journal
CEO exits hit record high
Washington alters bar exam requirement
King County Metro signs big contract to upgrade trolley bus fleet

Renton Reporter
Renton Community Court receives additional funding

Seattle Times
Kingston-Seattle fast ferry service will resume Saturday
Immigration agents detain crew after failed WA ferry tow
Light rail to Lynnwood starts today; so do flat fares, systemwide
Washington is falling behind in attracting, retaining high earners
Seattle’s faltering office market inches ahead on a long road to recovery

South Whidbey Record
Navy base to open doors to the public

Spokesman Review
State superintendent recommends school districts update their cellphone policies by next year

Tri-City Herald
WA House passed tax-free weekend of school shopping in 2022. Why was it never created? (Rule)

Vashon-Maury Island Beachcomber
Health Care District signs DispatchHealth agreement

Washington Post
As wildfire risks intensify, California insurance rates keep rising
‘All so confusing’: Student loan borrowers in limbo after courts halt a popular plan
Some disabled workers make pennies per hour under a federal program that lacks oversight

WA State Standard
Farmers ask WA Supreme Court to take up fuel exemptions case
Feds giving West Coast states $100 million to create zero-emission truck fueling network

Whidbey News-Times
School construction projects receive DOD grants

Broadcast

KING 5 TV (NBC)
Pressure mounting on Marysville School District to fix budget crisis
SEA Airport says most systems are back to normal after cyberattack
Opening of Seattle Aquarium’s Ocean Pavilion marks larger milestone
Lynnwood Link Extension opens Friday. Here’s what you should know

KIRO 7 TV (CBS)
Marysville School District adopts budget as kids return to school
Starbucks hit with class action lawsuit over alleged investor deception
Tacoma hotel lawsuit claims management ignored signs of sex trafficking
Law enforcement urges families to talk about safety as kids head back to school
Seattle Public Schools closer to deciding which 20 elementary schools will close
Seattle Aquarium expansion is latest addition to waterfront revitalization project
Some Seattle schools to lockup students’ cellphones, boost classroom engagement
Marysville School District now under ‘enhanced oversight’ as new school year starts
SEA Airport tests systems impacted by cyberattack, prepares for holiday weekend rush

KUOW Public Radio
Light rail is helping Mountlake Terrace find its heart
‘They aren’t forgotten.’ New memorial honors Japanese Americans incarcerated at Washington State Fairgrounds

KXLY (ABC)
Spokane City Council creates grant for youth programs in wake of pandemic
Spokane Regional Emergency Communication addresses city’s concerns at recent board meeting

Web

Cascadia Daily News
Whatcom schools cut budgets, juggle staff amid funding shortfalls

Crosscut
Should WA’s foresters harvest timber or sell it for carbon credits?

MyNorthwest
Lynnwood mayor calls light rail expansion a ‘generational change’
Providence-Aetna talks stall, threatening coverage for 35,000 Washingtonians
Some Seattle schools to lock up students’ cellphones, boost classroom engagement
State cites ‘serious concerns’ as Marysville School District fails to compile viable budget

The Urbanist
Renton Proposes Moving Sound Transit Bus Station, Threatening Five-Year Stride Delay