WASHINGTON STATE

Washington State House Democrats

HOUSE DEMOCRATS

Friday, May 9

A neighborhood still flooded from Hurricane Milton prepares to have the FEMA Disaster Recover Center covert to a polling location for the general election on Monday, Nov. 4, 2024, in Ridge Manor, Fla. (AP Photo/Mike Carlson, File)
US will stop tracking the costs of extreme weather fueled by climate change
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration will no longer track the cost of climate change-fueled weather disasters, including floods, heat waves, wildfires and more. It is the latest example of changes to the agency and the Trump administration limiting federal government resources on climate change. NOAA falls under the U.S. Department of Commerce and is tasked with daily weather forecasts, severe storm warnings and climate monitoring. It is also parent to the National Weather Service. Continue reading at The Associated Press. (Mike Carlson)


King 5
Port of Olympia exploring ferry service
Commuters to and from Olympia might have another option in a couple of years. The Port of Olympia is exploring the establishment of electric-powered hydrofoil ferry service. “We’re ready to invest to make that happen,” said Port of Olympia President Jasmine Vasavada. Vasavada said the port is conducting feasibility and demand studies into the idea. Continue reading at King 5. (King 5)


Governor Bob Ferguson prepares to sign HB 1217, overturning Washington’s 44-year-old ban on rent caps. (Ryan Packer)
Rent Stabilization, Parking Reforms Become Law in Washington
Governor Bob Ferguson came to Seattle Wednesday to sign a slate of housing-related legislation, putting the capstone on a number of long-awaited policies intended to increase housing supply and affordability in Washington. Among the bills signed were House Bill 1217, which imposes a cap on annual rent increases for tenants in buildings more than 12 years old, and Senate Bill 5184, which imposes a cap on the number of off-street parking spaces that local governments can mandate along with new construction. Continue reading at The Urbanist. (Ryan Packer)


Print

Capital Press
Oregon, Washington sue Trump for blowing off wind projects 

Columbian
WA bill capping rent increases doesn’t ease tenants’ fears in Clark County (Cleveland)

Everett Herald
County Executive Dave Somers: ‘It’s working together’
Marysville to host open house on new middle housing rules
Everett considers ordinance to require more apprentice labor
The Snohomish County Council will hold new hearing on habitat ordinance
Letter: EATS Act would overrides state protections for animals
Letter: Build more housing sustainably to protect environment, climate

The Inlander
WA health department investigating Spokane hospital after girl’s suicide sparked public outcry

News Tribune
Trump wants to reopen Alcatraz. What about WA’s federal island prison?
Fight to close $52M WA school for adults with disabilities is over. What’s next?

New York Times
New Law Requires Priests to Break Seal of Confession to Report Child Abuse (Frame)

Olympian
WA Republican calls tax bills ‘body slam on blue collar joy’ (Berg)
WA State Supreme Court upholds ban on high-capacity gun ammo magazines

Peninsula Daily News
Hoh Road reopens
Court halts watershed logging
FEMA to reduce reimbursement eligibility

Puget Sound Business Journal
Bill Gates to wind down foundation by 2045
Gov. Ferguson signs landmark rent control bill (Alvarado)

Seattle Times
Gun ruling: WA high court upholds ban on high-capacity magazines
US will stop tracking the costs of extreme weather fueled by climate change

Spokesman Review
State supreme court upholds ban on high-capacity gun magazines
Patty Murray grills VA secretary over planned layoffs, handling of computer system rollout
Opinion: Keep Medicaid whole, keep families whole

Washington Post
Republicans fear political cost of Medicaid cuts
Uproar over surgeon general pick exposes factions among RFK Jr. allies
Head of FEMA removed after saying the agency should not be abolished

WA State Standard
Union urges Ferguson not to sign budget without their pay raises
Washington Supreme Court remembers former Justice Susan Owens


Broadcast

KING 5 TV (NBC)
Port of Olympia exploring ferry service
Seattle sees over 40M tourism visitors in 2024
New toll system, rules coming to State Route 167
WSDOT plans for ‘The Rock’ relocation in 2026 stir emotions
Washington Supreme Court upholds ban on high-capacity magazines
As King County housing prices hit record high, a new state zoning law aims to attract first-time home buyers

KIRO 7 TV (CBS)
WA has rent control; what happens now?
Road to Hoh Rain Forest reopens after months-long closure
Morton city clerk admits to embezzling nearly $1 million over years
Washington cements ‘high-capacity’ magazine ban in landmark ruling
Demonstrators protest arrest, suspension of UW students following violent rally
All aboard! First ST3 light rail opens in Redmond Saturday with ribbon cutting, celebration
Council votes to replace Snoqualmie police with King County Sheriff’s services in North Bend

KNKX Public Radio
‘Vastly more walkable’: Seattle’s Pike Place Market tests car ban
Black Ball Ferry delays summer schedule citing US-Canada tensions
REI Co-op members reject company board picks after union campaign

KUOW Public Radio
Rent limits become law in WA with signature from Gov. Bob Ferguson (Alvarado)
His day started with selling a chicken coop. It ended in immigration detention
Could Seattle transit include water-skipping electric vessels? This Irish company hopes so (Nance)
Protesters demand UW reverse suspensions of students who occupied engineering building
High-capacity gun magazine ban upheld by WA Supreme Court. Opponents could seek SCOTUS review

KXLY (ABC)
Forest Service cuts could leave Inland Northwest communities more vulnerable to wildfires
Fentanyl Crisis: Spokane County Medical Examiner’s inside look at surging overdose deaths
21 people facing drug, gun charges in months-long drug trafficking investigation in downtown Spokane


Web

Cascadia Daily News
Coastal jam held to honor missing and murdered Indigenous people in Lummi Nation
Secret relationship in prosecutor’s office fueled allegations of favoritism and mismanagement
Editorial: A modest idea to help Gov. Ferguson recover from early staff, tax stumbles (Shewmake, Lovelett)

Cascade PBS
ArtSEA: NEA tells Northwest arts orgs their funding is “terminated”

MyNorthwest
Washington Supreme Court upholds high-capacity magazine ban
Demonstrators protest arrest, suspension of UW students following violent rally
Washington sues Trump admin. over ‘illegal’ $5B EV fund halt, slams move as ‘cash grab’

The Urbanist
Rent Stabilization, Parking Reforms Become Law in Washington (Bateman, Duerr, Alvarado)