WASHINGTON STATE

Washington State House Democrats

HOUSE DEMOCRATS

Tuesday, September 16

A woman casts her vote in Rapid City, South Dakota, in the 2024 election. Credit: Amelia Schafer/ICT
‘A game of inches’: Redistricting hits home in Indian Country
Alabama-Coushatta Tribe Chairwoman Cecilia Flores in Texas can drive just an hour to meet with her local member of Congress, and vice versa. But that visit could soon take hours. The Texas Legislature redrew its congressional district boundaries to give Republicans an advantage in five districts in the 2026 midterm elections. Redistricting mid-decade is unusual and was initiated by President Donald Trump, who needs a Republican majority to keep his domestic and foreign agenda alive. Continue reading at ICT. (Amelia Schafer)


Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios
Republicans embrace speech limits
President Trump and MAGA spent years lampooning censorship, discrimination against conservatives, and progressive “cancel culture.” Now in power — and riding an outpouring of grief and fury over Charlie Kirk’s tragic killing — they’re enforcing speech codes to punish ideological opponents. Why it matters: Backed by the Trump administration, digital vigilantes are demanding arrests, firings and deportations for anti-Kirk posts and remarks. Continue reading at Sarah Grillo. (Axios)


Washington State Supreme Court Justice G. Helen Whitener has made disability justice a personal crusade on the court. (Photo provided by Washington State Courts)
The quest to make WA’s legal system more accessible for people with disabilities
When G. Helen Whitener arrived in this country at age 16 from Trinidad and Tobago, she did so in a wheelchair. The right side of Whitener’s body had become paralyzed. She learned it was from a hereditary degenerative back condition that has followed her for the rest of her life. But with treatment, Whitener, appointed to the Washington state Supreme Court in 2020, hid her disability for years. She felt she already dealt with enough being a Black immigrant woman who was a member of the LGBTQ+ community. Continue reading at The Washington State Standard. (Washington State Courts)


Print

Axios
Republicans embrace speech limits
Canadian crossings to Washington state plunge amid tensions

Bellingham Herald
Whatcom County leaders ready health systems for budget shortfalls, Medicaid cuts
Bellingham Chamber of Commerce event to explore business effects of Trump budget

Capital Press
Cherry shipments drop to China, but industry shows resilience

Everett Herald
New Monroe City Hall opens to the public
Snohomish County Council recognizes Hispanic Heritage Month
Snohomish County’s 211 hotline is moving away from local control
Hazmat teams give all clear after investigation at Naval Station Everett
Behind inviting social media videos lurks danger at Vesper Peak, deputies say
PNW Forest Climate Alliance will host webinar on national forest management
Comment: Buzzed behind the wheel a growing threat in U.S.
Comment: Supreme Court’s blanket acceptance of racial profiling

Indian Country Today
‘A game of inches’: Redistricting hits home in Indian Country (Stearns)

International Examiner
Delays, uncertainty, and opportunity as plans for CID Sound Transit station continue to be in flux

Kitsap Sun
Strawberry Hill Bike Park opens on Bainbridge Island with crowds taking to the trails

News Tribune
Pierce County sheriff says jail is in ‘terrible’ condition. Take a look inside
WA named third-best state for teachers in U.S. in new WalletHub ranking
Washington’s gas prices are the highest in U.S. What’s the cost per gallon?
Pierce County apartment site sells for $13.7M. Will project have fewer units?

New York Times
Johnson Releases Spending Bill, Daring Democrats to Oppose It

Olympian
Comcast lawsuit argues new Washington state tax on advertising is illegal

Peninsula Daily News
Increase proposed for weed control
Olympic Peninsula Community Clinic reports increase in services

Puget Sound Business Journal
Forget mortgage rates. One big factor is worrying homebuyers.
Workers are struggling with job expectations. One factor is to blame.

Seattle Times
Why your health insurance may soon cost a lot more
White House plans broad crackdown on liberal groups
Homelessness in WA is growing, but at a slower rate. Why?
The newest face of long-term unemployment? The college educated

Spokesman Review
Whitworth slashes tuition in half – but students pay the same
‘It’s your history’: State Constitution visits Spokane in first time leaving Olympia
Pilot program aims to cut waste in Medicare with AI, but critics fear it could delay care
Spokane seems to have dodged measles outbreak as no new cases reported from Sacred Heart exposures
Opinion: Wolves the victims of state, federal leadership failures in the Colville National Forest

Washington Post
60 violations in 50 days: Inside ICE’s giant tent facility at Ft. Bliss
Parents of teen girl who died by suicide allege a chatbot contributed to her death
Republicans plan short-term funding extension, daring Democrats on shutdown

WA State Standard
WA state workers OK new contract with retroactive pay hikes
Reykdal seeks $10M to expand artificial intelligence in Washington schools
Trump deploys National Guard troops to Memphis for anti-crime task force
The quest to make WA’s legal system more accessible for people with disabilities
U.S. Education Department boosts funds for HBCUs, tribal colleges, charter schools


Broadcast

KING 5 TV (NBC)
Seattle school’s national award revoked, federal program suddenly cut

KIRO 7 TV (CBS)
Sheriff says inmate died at Thurston County Jail, cites drug smuggling concerns
Pierce County invests $12M in affordable housing across Buckley, DuPont, Fife, and South Hill

KUOW Public Radio
Comcast lawsuit argues new Washington tax on advertising is illegal

KXLY (ABC)
High gas prices in Washington may be straining your wallet, but relief is coming
Spokane City Council extends zoning ordinance on downtown building height limits


Web

Cascadia Daily News
Lynden City Council denies school district’s request for impact fees 
Round-the-clock work approved on Padden Creek fish passage project
Collaboration across borders needed to protect whales, WWU report says

Cascade PBS
WA reviews uses for its portion of $50B federal rural health funds

MyNorthwest
WA’s Wenatchee hybrid ferry begins sea trials after delay
Comcast sues Washington to block law imposing sales tax on advertising
Lynden School District establishes Charlie Kirk Day to promote student debate

The Stranger
Slog AM: Robert Redford Is Dead, Israel Invades Gaza, Trump and Friends Threaten Democracy

The Urbanist
Op-Ed: How to Confront Fred Meyer Closures and Guarantee Food Access

West Seattle Blog
TRAFFIC CAMS, WEATHER, ROAD WORK, TRANSIT: Summer’s last Tuesday
REZONING: City Council goes public with what happens next regarding Neighborhood Center changes and other amendments