WASHINGTON STATE

Washington State House Democrats

HOUSE DEMOCRATS

Tuesday, February 25

Recycled material is hand sorted at the Pioneer Recycling Services Material Recovery Facility (MRF) near Tacoma, Wa. on Jan. 17, 2025. By Steve Bloom
WA lawmakers consider bills to boost state’s recycling rate: ‘There’s opportunity to do more’
Truckloads of materials — aluminum cans, cardboard, old newspaper — are carted into Pioneer Recycling Services’ facility in Tacoma. These items are sorted with the help of workers and machines, then compacted into bales. The facility operates like a well-oiled machine. But confusion abounds among state residents about what can and can’t be recycled. Continue reading at The Olympian. (Steve Bloom)


Banners and other signage Hing Hay Park. Photo by Kai Curry.
March to remember Chinese expulsion in Seattle highlights immigrants
The weather—and everyone’s spirits—held for the 5th Annual Chinese Expulsion Remembrance March for the Future on Feb. 23. The event, which welcomed attendees in the morning with presentations at Hing Hay Park, was followed by a circular march to the waterfront and back. The event commemorated the 1886 expulsion of 350 of Seattle’s Chinese residents, who were forced to board a ship for San Francisco, where they were then deported to China. Continue reading at Northwest Asian Weekly. (Kai Curry)


NAOMI volunteers create community with women working to overcome trauma.
Community connection helps women heal from trauma, addiction in Eastern WA
About 95% of people struggling with addiction have experienced trauma, according to NAOMI’s Development Director Barbara Comito. And in Spokane, this connection between trauma and substance abuse hits women particularly hard. Many end up homeless and isolated, lacking the support system needed to break the cycle. Continue reading at Northwest Public Broadcasting. (NAOMI)


Print

Axios
Apple’s $500 billion investment touches Seattle
Washington weighs limits on Uber and Lyft surge pricing (Alvarado)

Capital Press
Wolf, methane, overtime bills fail in Washington (Parshley)

The Daily News
Upcoming citizen summit to focus on Longview’s strengths
Port of Longview awarded for silo demolition documentary
Native American schoolchildren are collateral damage of Capitol Hill funding war
‘Isolated’ Kelso virtual teachers collaborate to set student goals beyond classroom

Everett Herald
Marysville alternative high school opens online program
Everett homeless service facing closure finds possible new home
Bloomberg Comment: Social Security has dead people; very few get benefits

Federal Way Mirror
Food insecurity in King County is on the rise
WA lawmakers light up plan for cigarette tax hike (Reeves)

High Country News
The true cost of the huckleberry industry

The Inlander
Spokane Valley’s homeless outreach team helps direct people to services, even as city ramps up camping bans

News Tribune
Western Washington is home to the 10 wealthiest counties in the state. See the list
Should WA Legislature give more guidance to courts hearing high-conflict custody cases? (Taylor)

Northwest Asian Weekly
March to remember Chinese expulsion in Seattle highlights immigrants (Santos, Hasegawa, Gregerson, Zahn)

Olympian
Should WA Legislature give more guidance to courts hearing high-conflict custody cases? (Taylor)
WA lawmakers consider bills to boost state’s recycling rate: ‘There’s opportunity to do more’ (Fey)

Puget Sound Business Journal
Starbucks cutting more than 1,000 corporate jobs

Seattle Times
Gun safety, minimum wage and other WA bills die after first deadline (Reeves, Simmons, Mena, Parshley, Street, Peterson)
More than 230,000 Canadians sign petition to revoke Musk’s citizenship
US consumer confidence plummets in February, biggest monthly decline since 2021

Skagit Valley Herald
Skagit County commissioners deny appeal on Lake Erie gravel pit expansion

Spokesman Review
Plan to provide free lunch for all Washington students is falling out of favor amid budget shortfall (Riccelli, Wellman)
Two days after a woman was dragged from a Coeur d’Alene town hall, Sheriff Bob Norris and other parties will face investigation into conduct
Union representing Spokane VA workers accuses Trump administration of ‘psychological warfare’ after Musk asks workers to justify their jobs

Washington Post
The trans Americans turning to guns for protection
DOGE’s grab of personal data stokes privacy and security fears
277 million more harmful posts could flood Facebook and Instagram, study says

WA State Standard
Tesla to maintain exclusive hold on direct EV sales to WA consumers (Walen)
Plan to close facilities for people exiting Washington prisons draws backlash (Goodman)

Wenatchee World
No Clear Line: Navigating a path to US citizenship
Chelan County to draft letter in response to federal layoffs

Yakima Herald-Republic
Flu sickening more Yakima Valley residents later in the season than usual


Broadcast

KING 5 TV (NBC)
Trees collapse on cars as powerful winds hit western Washington
High winds pummel PNW as power agency job cuts worry local leaders

KIRO 7 TV (CBS)
Washington legislature’s first deadline claims hundreds of bills — But are they really dead?
Legislation to lower Blood Alcohol Content to .05 returns after two previous failed attempts

KOMO 4 TV (ABC)
Thousands without power after gusty winds, heavy rain sweep across western Washington
Port of Seattle opposes SODO housing proposal, citing impact on freight mobility and jobs

KUOW Public Radio
State schools chief pushes back on federal DEI directives
Tesla’s direct car sales loophole survives in Washington state — for now (Saldaña)
Lawsuit targeting Trump’s refugee ban to go before federal judge in Seattle
Wildfire experts in Washington state warn of fallout from Trump’s Forest Service cuts

KXLY (ABC)
Speeding driver crashes into Washington State Patrol vehicle
Washington signature verification bill faces opposition from initiative backers and secretary of state

NW Public Radio
Federal firings hit Washington’s park rangers
This ‘Ready to Rent’ course is preparing people to exit homelessness
Community connection helps women heal from trauma, addiction in Eastern WA


Web

Cascadia Daily News
Sedro-Woolley community reels after sudden, obscure departure of superintendent
Report: Many local college students face food insecurity, but the struggle meeting basic needs is statewide

Cascade PBS
New WA bill would support chronically absent high school students

MyNorthwest
Bill to open bus only lanes to employer shuttles sparks debate in Olympia
Round 2: Washington lawmakers reignite gun permit fight after failing last year
Washington legislature’s first deadline claims hundreds of bills — But are they really dead?

Washington Observer
The bills that got their torches snuffed at first cutoff (Taylor, Walen, Doglio, Saldaña, Mena, Nobles, Saloman)

West Seattle Blog
ROAD WORK: Here’s the plan for the 35th SW sinkhole
FOLLOWUP: Online ‘open house’ begins for Fauntleroy ferry-dock plan
WEATHER, POWER OUTAGES, TRAFFIC/TRANSIT/TREES: Stormy Tuesday morning updates