WASHINGTON STATE

Washington State House Democrats

HOUSE DEMOCRATS

Wednesday, November 20

In Washington, operators of some regional crisis lines say they saw a spike in calls in the days after Nov. 5, with the majority of callers expressing worry about the potential impacts of the election. (Dean Rutz / The Seattle Times, 2022)

After election, here’s what crisis hotlines in Washington saw
Though Trump doesn’t take office for two months, election night clearly raised anxieties and fears for many Americans. In Washington, operators of some regional crisis lines say they saw a spike in calls in the days after Nov. 5, with the majority of callers expressing worry about the potential impacts of the election. While an increase in calls can’t explicitly be tied to any one event, operators say many of the calls they’re taking are related to Trump’s promises to roll back rights for transgender Americans and conduct mass deportations of large numbers of undocumented immigrants. Continue reading at The Seattle Times. (Dean Rutz)


Washington state Attorney General Bob Ferguson (at podium) makes remarks prior to Gov. Jay Inslee (to the left of Ferguson) signing a package of gun legislation in April 2023. (Bill Lucia/Washington State Standard)

Inslee execs heading for exits as Ferguson prepares to take over as WA governor
Washington Secretary of Health Umair Shah said Tuesday he will step down next month, joining other state agency leaders planning to exit before Gov.-elect Bob Ferguson takes office. Shah is one of six members of Gov. Jay Inslee’s executive cabinet intending to leave on or around Jan. 15 when Ferguson, who is now attorney general, will begin his term as Washington’s 23rd governor. Both Inslee and Ferguson are Democrats. But even when partisan control of the governor’s office does not change hands, shakeups in the executive ranks aren’t unusual. Continue reading at The WA State Standard. (Bill Lucia)


Washington state sees sharp increase in whooping cough cases
Washington has had a sharp rise this year in cases of pertussis, also known as whooping cough. The state reports that 1,303 cases have been reported statewide so far in 2024, as of Nov. 9. That’s a sharp increase compared to the same time frame in 2023, when there were 54 cases reported statewide, according to a weekly report by the Department of Health. According to a Department of Health announcement earlier this month, at least 28 people in Washington have been hospitalized including 12 infants under the age of 1. Continue reading at Crosscut.


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Aberdeen Daily World
Men caught in Grays Harbor with 179 pounds of illegal mushrooms

Axios
Nooksack evictions set to begin after Thanksgiving
West Coast bomb cyclone hits with heavy rain, high winds

Bellingham Herald
Thousands lose power in Whatcom County in wake of ‘bomb cyclone’ that battered the region
Bellingham City Council approves a new roundabout, coming to city’s north side in the spring
Bellingham crews begin cleaning up encampment near Walmart, where the unhoused have moved on

Capital Press
Washington ag to Ferguson: Re-appoint Sandison
Report: Windmills and solar panels can yield more cash than crops

Everett Herald
Fight over 8% tax hike central to Snohomish County budget talks
Have thoughts on increased I-405 toll prices? The state wants to hear.

News Tribune
Deficit spending, increased sewerage costs heading to this Pierce County city next year
A long stretch of Tacoma highway has gone dark as thieves once again hunt pricey metal

New York Times
Storm Unleashes Heavy Rain in Washington State, Leaving Nearly 600,000 Without Power

Port Townsend Leader
Know about recreational fishing? Fish and Wildlife seeks committee members

Puget Sound Business Journal
Seattle City Council narrowly rejects capital gains tax proposal
Kroger-Albertsons: Court ruling date delayed in Washington state case
The white-collar job market hits a new normal — and everyone hates it
Building industry group seeks emergency action in wake of I-2066’s passage
Affordable housing provider plans 730-unit redevelopment in Rainier Valley
WTIA CEO Michael Schutzler to step down after 11 years heading tech association

Seattle Times
Seattle Public Schools may withdraw closure plans
After election, here’s what crisis hotlines in Washington saw
Years behind schedule. Millions over budget. Inside WA’s big IT fix
Seattle council OKs new budget, loosens JumpStart tax’s spending rules
What the Western WA windstorm means for buses, light rail and ferries
As deadly bomb cyclone whirls into Seattle, another may be right behind

Skagit Valley Herald
La Conner School District released from financial oversight

Spokesman Review
Central Valley School Board sends letter against transgender girls in sports
Spokane Public Schools sees uptick in homeless students as district launches annual gift card drive
Washington man among four business owners federally indicted in alleged scheme to violate the Clean Air Act
Spokane County Commissioners approve 2025 property tax increases; average homeowner to pay extra $3 annually
The Spokane police ombuds can’t tell the public how officers were disciplined in their reports. It led to misinformation over a ‘Let’s Go Brandon’ sticker
Opinion: Collaboration can help youth, rural areas gain access to mental health care

Washington Post
See if your city is poised to bounce back from the next climate disaster
Record-setting bomb cyclone, intense as a hurricane, lashes Northwest
RFK Jr. wants fluoride out of drinking water. Oregon shows what’s coming.
How Trump’s tariffs could spark a trade war and ‘Europe’s worst economic nightmare’
Wrestling scandals shadow the rise of Linda McMahon, Trump’s pick for education secretary
What to know about Dr. Oz, the TV physician Trump tapped to run Medicare, Medicaid and ACA

WA State Standard
Even blue states are embracing a tougher approach to crime
Same-day voter registrations hit new high mark in Washington
WA Congressman Adam Smith: Democratic Party brand is ‘broken’
Inslee execs heading for exits as Ferguson prepares to take over as WA governor

Yakima Herald-Republic
Sunnyside budget proposals would increase rates and close museum, pool and senior center

Broadcast

KING 5 TV (NBC)
Bellingham sweeps notorious homeless camp
Harsh winds easing ‘dramatically’ as bomb cyclone moves away from western Washington
‘Enough is enough:’ Tacoma Firefighters Union demanding more funding in new city budget
SPS superintendent to reevaluate school closures amid community opposition, budget concern
Live updates: Widespread traffic impacts after major windstorm, hundreds of thousands of power outages

KIRO 7 TV (CBS)
Roundup of roads and highways blocked by storm debris
Two people have died and half a million remain without power following ‘bomb cyclone’

KOMO 4 TV (ABC)
Seattle parents rally ahead of school closure proposal update
$18 tolls? Proposal would increase tolls again on I-405, SR 167 express lanes
Washington school board urges state athletics body to ‘restore equity’ to sports
Over 520,000 without power in western Washington, PSE warns of ‘multiple day outage’

KNKX Public Radio
‘Bomb cyclone’ kills 2 and causes power outages across the northwest

KUOW Public Radio
Seattle may not close elementary schools, after all
Dam siren blares false alarm to Skagit Valley town
How the Seattle City Council plans to patch a budget hole with JumpStart revenue

KXLY (ABC)
Spokane residents to see increased property tax in 2025
Spokane Valley City Council votes to make sleeping in parks a misdemeanor
Spokane conservationists work to save 200-acre Thorpe property from development
Spokane County schools notifying families about possible exposure to whooping cough

Web

Cascadia Daily News
Port of Bellingham passes 2025 budget without property tax increase
Early look at Skagit County 2025 budget includes property tax increase
Rep. Alex Ramel reelected Majority Whip ahead of 2025 legislative session (Ramel)

Crosscut
Washington state sees sharp increase in whooping cough cases
King County Executive Dow Constantine won’t run for reelection
Project 2025 calls for massive changes to Hanford nuclear cleanup
Dave Reichert concedes to Bob Ferguson in WA gubernatorial race

MyNorthwest
Tacoma pet food bank temporarily closing amid rising demand
WDFW seizes 179 pounds of mushrooms from pair of foraging bandits
Seattle stabbings: Teacher injured in classroom attack, 60-year-old man stabbed in neck
‘Multiple day outage’ expected as hundreds of thousands have lost power in Western Washington

The Urbanist
Sara Nelson Warns She Can Kill Any Transit Project She Wants
King County Metro Testing Onboard Cameras to Cite Bus-Lane Violators
King County Extends Metro Public Restroom Pilot, Considers Longer-Term Plan