‘We cannot feed ourselves as a country’: Northwest agriculture could be in jeopardy if mass deportations happen, farm groups warn
Washington State Dairy Federation Executive Director Dan Wood doesn’t carry around papers proving his citizenship in America. But he knows others, often those of Hispanic heritage, feel they have to. Continue reading at The Spokesman-Review. (Tyler Tjomsland)
Washington looks to raise $1.6 billion from tolls for new I-5 bridge
Washington state lawmakers set out Wednesday to raise $1.6 billion from tolls to help pay for construction of a replacement bridge on Interstate 5 across the Columbia River.
Bills introduced in the state House and Senate authorize the sale of $1.6 billion in general obligation bonds, a long-assumed source of financing for the new span linking Washington and Oregon. Continue reading at Washington State Standard. (Grant Stringer)
Most WA law enforcement agencies say they won’t work with ICE
In response to anxiety and confusion around federal immigration enforcement, police departments and sheriff’s offices around the state have released a flurry of statements, nearly all including identical wording: that state law “prohibits local law enforcement from assisting in or making arrests for civil immigration offenses.” Continue reading at The Seattle Times. (Erika Schultz)
Aberdeen Daily World
Deadlines near for 2025’s new state laws
Westport joins county emergency management
Axios
Washington state gets less federal money than it sends
Even in Washington state, trans people face passport hurdles
Bellingham Herald
WA Democrats back bill to raise revenue. But critics say folks ‘not in the mood’ for more taxes (Pollet, Fitzgibbon, Pederson)
Capital Press
Grass seed industry facing difficult times
DOGE nips at USDA as blue states scramble to save grant
Washington lawmakers tackle cap-and-trade’s unkept promise
Oregon proposal would tackle barriers to recycling wastewater for irrigation
Columbian
Vancouver, Evergreen and Ridgefield school boards add new policies, resolutions on immigration
Everett Herald
Snohomish County to mail property tax statements this month
Beginning March 1, Community Transit to reduce some fares
Lake Stevens schools bond leading early; Arlington voters reject latest levy attempt
Editorial: U.S. and Canada better neighbors than housemates
Letter: State single-payer health care bill offers many advantages
The Inlander
Washington lawmakers consider allowing cannabis producers to sell direct to consumers (Saldaña, Krishnadasan, Nobles)
News Tribune
Pierce County deputy died of a heart attack. Should he be memorialized at WA capital?
Vandals take chainsaws to 200-year-old trees in Puyallup along popular trail, WDFW says
Debate over Tacoma apartment tax breaks continues as project gains 12-year MFTE extension
Opinion: Balancing power: The case for legislative control during emergencies in Washington
New York Times
‘Deregulation by Firings’: Breaking Down the Cuts to Financial Oversight
After Abortion Bans, Infant Mortality and Births Increased, Research Finds
Olympian
WA’s health department speeds up sex designation change requests on birth certificates
Puget Sound Business Journal
Explosive growth in million-dollar earners hasn’t just stalled
Seattle voters back new tax for social housing in early returns
Seattle Medium
Rep. Taylor Introduces Bill To Protect Access To Affordable Health Care (Taylor)
Rainier Prep Shines In Outcomes For Diverse Students; A Model Of Public School Excellence In Washington
Seattle Times
WA debates how much cities can collect in property taxes (Pollet, Fitzgibbon)
WA bill would set new limits on when police can stop drivers (Street)
Most WA law enforcement agencies say they won’t work with ICE
Seattle to join other ‘sanctuary’ cities suing Trump administration
Speed camera tickets coming soon to freeway work zones around WA
King County chooses location for its first levy-funded crisis care center
Seattle voters lean toward funding social housing developer with new tax
Editorial: Grant hearing for bill to make hiring of university presidents transparent (Paul)
Skagit Valley Herald
Port of Skagit approves marina rate increases
Skagit County commissioners hear appeal on Lake Erie gravel pit expansion
Spokesman Review
Secretaries of State past and present question federal criticism of election integrity efforts: ‘The threats continue’
‘We cannot feed ourselves as a country’: Northwest agriculture could be in jeopardy if mass deportations happen, farm groups warn
Washington Post
Trump and Musk can’t seem to locate much evidence of fraud
Musk team kicks off federal layoffs as White House eyes big cuts
Trump takes aim at agencies that police wrongdoing, protect federal workers
WA State Standard
Washington looks to raise $1.6 billion from tolls for new I-5 bridge (Liias, Fey)
Washington to begin speed camera enforcement in roadwork zones (Liias)
WA bill intends to protect immigrants from coercion in the workplace (Hasegawa)
Washington lawmaker proposes regulations for self-checkout machines (Fosse)
Ferguson wants to cut WA agency spending by 6%. Here’s what that looks like
Wenatchee World
City approves permits for downtown Majestic Apartments
Yakima Herald-Republic
What can or can’t people do when interacting with ICE?
Signs point to possible third year of drought in the Yakima Valley
Election results show Central WA residents didn’t always vote a straight party line in November
Broadcast
KING 5 TV (NBC)
Voters reject scaled-back levy to replace aging school
Speed zone cameras coming to Washington work zones soon (Liias)
Pike Place Market withdraws from nonprofit’s Day of Remembrance event
Seattle voters approve Proposition 1A, pledging millions for social housing
New bill urges less tolerance for minors repeatedly caught with guns in Washington (Hackney)
KIRO 7 TV (CBS)
Seattle voters approve two key levies for public school
WSDOT to deploy work-zone speed cameras to improve safety, reduce crashes
KOMO 4 TV (ABC)
Ferguson to give update on federal funding and state’s response to Trump’s orders
Washington State Ferries answers concerns about staffing issues, sailing cancellations
Washington expedites 3-day sex designation change on birth certificates for adults, minors
KNKX Public Radio
Burien voters appear to favor expanding $21.10 minimum wage
Seattle poised to pass ‘excess compensation’ tax for social housing
KXLY (ABC)
Washington lawmaker proposes regulations for self-checkout machines (Fosse)
Washington State speeds up gender designation changes on birth certificates
Pullman Police Chief back in court for a protection order; attorneys requesting more text message records
Child protections vs. parental rights; A controversial law may be endangering the kids it’s designed to protect (Ormsby)
NW Public Radio
Washington bills attempt to give public workers power to bargain on AI (Parshley)
An exhibition in Richland highlights the Latino contributions at Hanford
Web
Cascadia Daily News
Wildfire protection plan in Whatcom still lacking, county just starting process
Newcomers to Glacier say Airbnbs make finding housing ‘borderline impossible’
Cascade PBS
Burien voters appear to favor expanding $21.10 minimum wage
What’s in a name? WA wants to officially be ‘The Evergreen State’
How Washington communities are responding to ICE deportation orders
Washington Observer
A bid for a better state flag (Peterson)
New fronts in the rideshare wars (Alvarado, Obras)
West Seattle Blog
TRAFFIC CAMS, WEATHER, TRANSIT: Thursday watch
Fauntleroy-Vashon-Southworth updates, and other toplines from first session of Washington State Ferries’ systemwide community meeting