In Yakima, COVID-era farmworker strikes continue to have impact
It was workers’ rights activism on a scale not seen in decades in the Yakima Valley, and it galvanized public goodwill and support. Five years later, it’s still having an effect. More farmworkers now realize how influential their voices can be, said Edgar Franks, political director of Familias Unidas Por La Justicia, a farmworker union based in the Skagit Valley. Franks and his union colleagues assisted Yakima-area workers during the 2020 strikes. “We always understood policy isn’t eno ugh,” he said. “Sometimes you need people on the ground to make things happen.” Continue reading at Cascade PBS. (Emree Weaver)
Washingtonians may see credit score boost as medical debt removed from reports
Washington residents may see their credit scores improve this year following new legislation that removes medical debt from credit reporting.The bipartisan law, signed in April, eliminates medical debt from credit score calculations in Washington state. “Medical debt accounted for over 50 percent of all credit collections so now that medical debt isn’t impacting credit reports any longer it allows everyone to have more access to positive financial products,” said Jessica Golladay, vice president of consumer underwriting at STCU. Continue reading at KXLY. (KXLY)
Washington state schools left waiting for $137M in federal funds
States are missing billions in federal education funding that was expected to be accessible on July 1 but has yet to be released by the Trump administration. Why it matters: In Washington state, an estimated $137 million is being withheld, which amounts to 15.6% of the state’s federal K–12 education funding, according to the state Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. The big picture: The Department of Education’s funding delay has exacerbated the uncertainty for after-school, summer and other programs, leaving schools in limbo, advocates and policy experts say. Continue reading at Axios. (Kavya Behera)
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After six years, 32,000 boulders and $172M, the Columbia River jetty rehab is almost done
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Washingtonians may see credit score boost as medical debt removed from reports
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In Yakima, COVID-era farmworker strikes continue to have impact
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