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Wednesday, March 22

WA state revenue forecasts predict slowdown as lawmakers prepare new spending plans
Over the next two years, Washington State is likely to bring in less revenue than previously expected, according to the latest revenue forecast officials released Monday. But lawmakers say it’s cause for caution, not necessarily concern. During a presentation with legislative budget leaders, the Washington State Economic and Revenue Forecast Council’s chief economist Steve Lerch said there are several factors behind the latest numbers, which are roughly $480 million below what was projected in November. The news comes just as lawmakers begin releasing their budget proposals for the state’s next two years of spending. Continue reading at KUOW. (N3)

‘Baby steps won’t cut it’: Inslee wants more done to address encampments on state property
Governor Jay Inslee says the state needs to rapidly pick up the pace when it comes to addressing homeless encampments on state roadways and property. Inslee spent time on Tuesday near First Avenue and Michigan Street SW, where an encampment is in the process of being cleaned up. It is the fifth site to be cleaned under the state’s Right of Way Safety Initiative that started last year. “This work is not free. Building tiny home villages is not free. Building permanent apartments is not free,” said Inslee. “This is an issue that you can’t nickel and dime. Baby steps won’t cut it. The Legislature cannot just do half measures this year. We need to step up to the plate and that means billions of dollars.” Continue reading at KING5.

Building ballparks, rewriting ferry rules, recognizing Chinese-Americans
Time to check your patience and stress levels. Things get real in the final month as policy bill negotiations get serious and spending decisions are debated. Money is a hot topic today. A new revenue forecast arrives this afternoon providing authors of the Senate and House operating budgets with figures they need to complete their work this week. Meanwhile, this morning, Senate Democrats released their proposed capital budget. Washington State Ferries wants five new ferries but it can’t find anyone willing or able to build them under the state’s current contracting rules. The spotlight is also on a marriage of two bills — one Senate and one House — to resolve a protracted legislative fight on which month is designated to recognize contributions of Chinese-Americans. Continue reading at Everett Herald.

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Associated Press
Transgender youth: ‘Forced outing’ bills make schools unsafe

Aberdeen Daily World
Aberdeen City Council to discuss Young Street Bridge

Columbian
I-5 Bridge program: If there must be lifts, limit them to 1-4 a.m.
Washington Senate’s proposed budget includes $625 million for affordable housing projects (Mullet)
Editorial: Access to fentanyl test strips could save lives (Cleveland, Stonier)

Everett Herald
Building ballparks, rewriting ferry rules, recognizing Chinese-Americans (Santos, Mullet)
Schools are ‘target rich’ for cyberattacks, fed agency helps fight back
Comment: Those with disabilities need housing benefit help

News Tribune
Pierce County Council votes on sales tax to address housing crisis. Here’s the decision
WA hospitals warn that services could be affected as their financial picture worsens
Understanding the New Clean Vehicle Credit

Olympian
WA state lawmakers speak out against ‘whites only’ group in Centralia

Seattle Times
Sen. Braun: Support special-ed students with advocates in each WA service district

Sol De Yakima
Jefe de policía, alguacil del condado de Yakima se oponen a iniciativa que prohíbe venta de armas de asalto

Spokesman Review
City of Spokane files suit to clear Camp Hope

Walla Walla Union Bulletin
Port of Columbia asks for public comment about Comprehensive Plan update

Broadcast

KING 5 TV (NBC)
‘Baby steps won’t cut it’: Inslee wants more done to address encampments on state property
Kirkland City Council votes to approve plan to turn former La Quinta Inn into supportive housing

KUOW Public Radio
‘Build in Washington’ rule may be cast overboard to obtain new ferries affordably and quickly (Liias)
WA state revenue forecasts predict slowdown as lawmakers prepare new spending plans (Rolfes, Ormsby)

KXLY (ABC)
Proposed ordinance would make open drug use in public spaces illegal in Spokane

NW Public Radio
Communities to receive $197 million in federal funding for wildfire preparation

Web

Cascadia Daily News
Analysis finds long-term, Whatcom median home prices still increasing

West Seattle Blog
FOLLOWUP: Cleanup continues at encampment by 1st Avenue South Bridge, as governor visits

Tuesday, March 21

Sen. Mark Mullet: A fiscally responsible way to tackle WA’s affordable housing crisis
There’s no doubt that housing affordability is one of the biggest challenges faced by Washingtonians. Too many people are getting priced out of living near their jobs, school or families. We need to act. The good news is the Legislature is doing a lot to address this. We’re cutting the red tape and bureaucracy for permits and design review to lower the cost of construction. We are providing powerful incentives to encourage transit-oriented development. And this year, we will make the largest investment in our Housing Trust Fund, the state’s affordable housing construction program, in the history of our state. Before the start of the session, Gov. Jay Inslee proposed borrowing $4 billion above Washington state’s constitutional debt limit to build more affordable housing. After thoughtful consideration, this proposal was not included in the Senate capital budget proposal, and I want to tell you why. Continue reading at Seattle Times. (William Brown)

WA state revenue forecast is down, reflecting expected slowdown in economy
The updated state revenue forecast for 2023-25 was released by the Washington State Economic and Revenue Forecast Council on Monday, projecting that revenue collections for the state budget, while still increasing, will be $483 million lower than previously projected. House Appropriations Chair Rep. Timm Ormsby, D-Spokane, issued a statement in response to the revenue forecast:“Today’s forecast shows that our guarded approach was the correct one and now we must take deliberate and careful steps to ensure that our budget decisions protect the most vulnerable,” he wrote. “The operating budget should be responsible and sustainable, but we cannot forget about those most affected, especially low-income communities that suffer disproportionate impacts when budgets fail to invest in the people who need it most.” Continue reading at News Tribune. (Steve Bloom)

Opinion: Thurston County superintendents say state must step up to fund special education
As superintendents of Thurston County school districts, we feel compelled to comment on bills under consideration this legislative session for special education funding. Until the Legislature and the Governor truly address the funding needed to properly serve students with disabilities, local school districts will be left to pilfer from other funding sources to meet their duty to serve all families. Other programs will be cut to cover the cost of something that is a paramount duty of the state. The Legislature has acknowledged that special education services fit the definition of basic education. The Legislature also acknowledges that current bills will knowingly underfund special education by significant amounts. This is not meeting the paramount duty. Continue reading at Olympian.

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Axios
What’s alive and dead in Washington’s Legislature

Bellingham Herald
First phase of this 992-unit housing community moves forward in Whatcom
16 townhouses proposed near these single-family homes in Bellingham

Capital Press
Bill proposes public funding to promote Washington farm goods (Morgan, Kloba)

Columbian
Oregonians moving to Clark County in droves; experts cite income tax

Everett Herald
New forecast show state revenues won’t be quite as robust as expected (Rolfes)
Comment: Disabled persons can help ease current labor shortage
Editorial: Use state forestlands to ‘farm’ carbon credits

News Tribune
WA state revenue forecast is down, reflecting expected slowdown in economy (Rolfes, Ormsby)
WA senators propose $7.9 billion for construction projects. Here’s what’s in the budget (Mullet)
Opinion: Want to cut crime in WA and hire more cops? There’s a way — but it won’t be easy

Olympian
Port commissioner not ready to take a position on Capitol Lake, seeks postponement
Olympia and Thurston County officials want your thoughts on plans to improve housing access
Opinion: Thurston County superintendents say state must step up to fund special education

Puget Sound Business Journal
Here’s what Amazon’s CEO said about the new layoffs
Opinion: Time to invest in internet access across Washington

Seattle Times
WA Gov. Jay Inslee’s $4B housing proposal faces hurdles in Legislature (Mullet, Rolfes)
Sen. Mullet: A fiscally responsible way to tackle WA’s affordable housing crisis

Skagit Valley Herald
Diesel fuel from derailment found in groundwater

Spokesman Review
Idaho bill to execute inmates by firing squad clears Legislature, heads to governor
Washington’s revenue projections are slowing thanks to inflation and an uncertain economy, new forecast says (Rolfes, Ormsby)

Tri-City Herald
$3 million federal grant to help bring biodiesel hub for farmers to Tri-Cities
Hunger’s ‘perfect storm.’ Cuts in funding leave food banks scrambling to feed Tri-Citians

Walla Walla Union Bulletin
Walla Walla area banks remain confident in wake of national bank closures
State audit finds deficiencies in federally funded COVID-19 programs in Walla Walla County

Broadcast

KING 5 TV (NBC)
Bill would increase support, cash for Washington inmates before being released (Wilson)
Lakewood passes ordinance criminalizing use of ‘dangerous drugs’ in public

KNKX Public Radio
A federal definition of ‘homeless’ leaves some kids out in the cold. One state is trying to help

NW Public Radio
Nowhere to go: Facing steep rent increases, mobile home residents are organizing

Web

Cascadia Daily News
Most people in Whatcom County’s jail are in crisis
Bellingham’s invisible housing crisis: homeless children

Crosscut
Guards in Vancouver, WA public schools used illegal restraint
How WA’s cloudy economic forecast could impact state spending (Rolfes)
As election deniers target the U.S. voter database, WA worries
Following the WA Legislature isn’t easy for non-English speakers (Saldaña)
Seguir la Legislatura de Washington no es fácil para personas que no hablan inglés (Saldaña)

MyNorthwest
Seattle Schools: ‘We need to make changes,’ but promises no closures

The Stranger
Tenant Dead, Sheriff’s Detective Shot After Eviction Attempt in Ballard

West Seattle Blog
FOLLOWUP: Seattle Public Schools’ brief budget briefing

Monday, March 20

As Washington rents go up, up, up, the air gets thin for tenants
Washington will need 1.1 million homes over the next 20 years to keep pace with the expected population growth, according to projections from the state Department of Commerce. More than half of those new units need to be “affordable for residents at the lowest income levels,” the report stated. Yet in Everett, for example, some of the biggest recent housing developments offer few or no units below market rate. State legislators were discussing a buffet of options to boost housing stock this year: zoning changes, subsidized housing, accessory dwelling units (ADUs), permitting reform, rent increase caps and transit-oriented development. Roughly 30 bills about housing and homelessness were still in play as of Friday. “What’s really exciting about this (legislative) session is we have a bipartisan and bicameral effort to tackle this issue head on,” Rep. Strom Peterson said. Continue reading at Everett Herald. (Olivia Vanni)

More than 150 years after slavery was outlawed, a debt is still unpaid
I would imagine if you asked most people if there should be repair for harm, damage or injury, they would say yes. But if you bring up the topic of reparations for African Americans, it’s a very different story. The list of ways the U.S. has denied Black Americans access to justice, housing, education and wealth creation could fill multiple books you would not be allowed to read today in Florida. In Washington’s 2023 legislative session, some lawmakers are working to repair the racial injustice of our own state’s racially restrictive housing covenants. House Bill 1474 would create down payment and closing cost assistance for those directly affected or descended from those affected by restrictive covenants. In Washington, 34% of Black families own homes, compared with 68% of white families. In King County, median income for white households is nearly twice that of Black households. Continue reading at Seattle Times. (Erika Schultz)

Injured workers push for recording exams they say are stacked against them
On Tuesday the Senate Labor and Commerce Committee heard testimony from injured workers pushing for the right to record state-mandated medical exams. When workers in the state of Washington become injured on the job, the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries (L&I) typically orders the worker to undergo an exam by a state-paid doctor, in what are known as Independent Medical Exams (IMEs). But for years, workers and their attorneys have complained the exams are unfair, lack transparency, and are used to cut off worker compensation benefits. Allowing recordings, according to those in favor of House Bill 1068, sponsored by Rep. Dan Bronoske (D-Lakewood), would level the playing field, and would eliminate discrepancies about what actually happened during exams. Continue reading at KING5.

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Columbian
Washington may boost 988 hotline funding as demand grows (Orwall)
Editorial: In Our View: Allowing enforcement upholds social structure
Editorial: In Our View: Drawbridge, tunnel miss mark for I-5 Bridge

The Daily News
LCC Foundation scholarship fund helps Woodland man pursue dreams of auto mechanics

Everett Herald
As Washington rents go up, up, up, the air gets thin for tenants (Peterson)
Comment: Keep state’s working forests in climate change fight
Comment: Real estate tax boost could hurt affordable housing
Editorial: Indifference risks loss of access to public records

Indian Country Today
BNSF fuel train derails on Swinomish Reservation

News Tribune
Safe parking site will be a first for Tacoma. Here’s how the homeless shelter will work
City of Lakewood considers ordinances banning public drug use, overnight camping
WA had third-highest rate for vehicle theft in 2022. Pierce County numbers remain high
Comment: Seattle or Vancouver? Only 1 city has an effective response to homelessness and drugs

Olympian
Olympia eyes property tax increase as potential source for climate response funding
Fentanyl drives worsening trend of overdoses, deaths, Thurston County officials say
Marked or unmarked, Washington drivers are required to yield these rights-of-way
WA state’s annual report on public marine beach safety is in. How did Thurston County do?
Comment: Who’s homeless in Thurston County and why? The answer must drive solutions
Editorial: Remembering Gladys Burns, who provided the vision for Thurston County’s social safety net

Peninsula Daily News
Special ed funding boost moves forward (Van De Wege, Tharinger, Chapman)
Education-related bills in state Legislature

Seattle Times
Southern resident orcas are too inbred. Will the population survive?
More than 150 years after slavery was outlawed, a debt is still unpaid
How a mom fought Washington’s special education system — and won
Foster, homeless college students in WA could get more housing support (Trudeau, Ortiz-Self)
Editorial: Abandoning WA students to learn in cold, leaky schools is disgraceful (Mullet)

Skagit Valley Herald
Senior meal bill passed by state House of Representatives

Spokesman Review
Washington’s DNR wants to take part in carbon-credit markets (Lovelett)
Spin Control: Cute kids, a would-be state dinosaur and willing Legislators – only one thing is missing (Morgan)
Pair of special education bills in Washington Legislature would increase funding for local districts (Pollet)

Yakima Herald-Republic
Police pursuit bill faces tough path ahead in Legislature

Broadcast

KING 5 TV (NBC)
Injured workers push for recording exams they say are stacked against them (Bronoske)
‘We’re small but mighty:’ Locals discuss Black experience in Pacific Northwest
Kent School District announces impending teacher, staff cuts due to enrollment decline

KIRO 7 TV (CBS)
Amazon to lay off 9,000 more workers

KNKX Public Radio
Cut emissions quickly to save lives, scientists warn in a new U.N. report
Rich countries export twice as much plastic waste to the developing world as previously thought
‘Back to one meal a day’: SNAP benefits drop as food prices climb

KUOW Public Radio
Week in Review: Legislature, COVID, and transit fare enforcement

Web

Cascadia Daily News
Democrats meet constituents at Ferndale town hall (Timmons, Rule, Shewmake)
BP Cherry Point mulling green hydrogen, sustainable aviation fuel

My Edmonds News
21st District legislators respond to questions on single-family housing, gun control and more at Saturday town hall (Ortiz-Self, Peterson, Liias)

Friday, March 17

WA bill could help ease renewable energy development tensions
In the Pacific Northwest, conversations about renewable energy can get pretty heated. Residents often raise concerns about fragmented wildlife habitats, disturbed cultural resources, and cluttered viewsheds. But a bill winding through the Washington legislature could help ease some of those tensions. House Bill 1216 would set up a formal process for “least conflict siting” which would help identify the least controversial places to build – and avoid common issues with renewable developments. The bill was requested by Gov. Jay Inslee. After passing the Washington House earlier this month, the Senate Committee on Environment, Energy and Technology Committee held a public hearing on Wednesday on the bill. Continue reading at KNKX. (Avangrid Renewables)

Lawmaker shares personal story of being stalked by ex-boyfriend in hopes of passing domestic violence bill
In public hearings on legislative proposals, lawmakers are used to hearing from those who say the system is broken. But rarely does that criticism come from their peers. Rep. Lauren Davis (D-Shoreline) told state senators that getting state protection from a stalker was difficult. Her bill would offer legal aid to low-income domestic violence survivors, establish a statewide domestic violence prosecutor to help smaller counties prosecute domestic violence and stalking cases, and would expand the Tiffany Hill Act. That 2020 law, named after a Clark County mother who was killed by her estranged husband, requires someone identified as a stalker to have to wear a GPS device that alerts a victim and police if the stalker is closer to the victim than they are allowed to be. Continue reading at KING5.

House passes Ortiz-Self’s bill to regulate conditions in private detention facilities
The Washington House of Representatives has passed, with a bipartisan majority, a bill regulating conditions in private detention facilities in Washington. House Bill 1470, sponsored by Rep. Lillian Ortiz-Self (D-Mukilteo), mandates that conditions at private detention facilities are up to the same standards as public facilities. It tasks the Department of Health with regulating and inspecting these facilities, and it allows the attorney general to enforce violations of these rules. The bill also creates a private right of action and civil penalties for violations and subjects these facilities to the Public Records Act. “This bill is about sending a message to private detention facilities that, if they are going to make money off of people in our state, they must abide by the same standards as our public facilities,” said Ortiz-Self. Continue reading at Mukilteo Beacon.

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Axios
Mount Rainier park rangers priced out of nearby housing

Columbian
Liquor, cannabis compliance checks in Vancouver set to return to pre-pandemic levels
More than 26,000 in Clark County could lose Medicaid as COVID emergency ends

Everett Herald
Supreme Court says sheriff’s deputy improperly detained bus rider
Letter: Back state legislation to tax companies for plastic packaging

International Examiner
Sound Transit tables CID light rail decision; neighborhood divided over station location

News Tribune
New police chief starts in Lakewood. Here’s his experience and goals for the department
‘Our best days are ahead of us.’ Mayor Woodards relays optimism in State of the City
Opinion: Sunshine Week: What would James Madison think of government transparency today?

Olympian
Reproductive ‘shield law’ moves forward in WA state Legislature, but not without opposition (Hansen)
Safe staffing for hospitals bill makes its way through Legislature. Does it go far enough? (Robinson)

Puget Sound Business Journal
Comment: Protecting all bank depositors will cost almost everyone

Seattle Medium
Downtown Seattle Jail May Close

Seattle Times
Why WA leaders say U.S. should change its race, ethnicity categories (Farivar)
Opinion: Misguided Legislature keeps chipping away at Public Records Act
Opinion: Legislature builds a fortress of secrecy

Skagit Valley Herald
State delivers funding to keep First Step Center open through June
State responds to train derailment, diesel fuel spill on Swinomish reservation

Spokesman Review
Spokane and Washington state have a history of failed attempts to regulate oil trains (Billig)
Airway Heights moving forward with new well plans as federal regulators target PFAS in drinking water
More than 100 students apply to Eastern’s new nursing program as demand for health workers soars
Opinion: Medicaid funding key to health care access

Walla Walla Union Bulletin
Gov. Jay Inslee urges bold action on affordable housing during Walla Walla visit

Broadcast

KING 5 TV (NBC)
Lawmaker shares personal story of being stalked by ex-boyfriend in hopes of passing domestic violence bill (Davis)
Those with drug arrests will get priority for cannabis retail licenses under LCB guidelines (Saldaña)

KIRO 7 TV (CBS)
Train derailment in Anacortes spills fuel on Swinomish Reservation

KOMO 4 TV (ABC)
State launches ‘Health Equity Zones’ initiative to address community health challenges

KNKX Public Radio
The dust settles in Olympia after another legislative deadline
WA bill could help ease renewable energy development tensions (Fitzgibbon)

KUOW Public Radio
WA Supreme Court preserves transit fare checks but cites privacy concerns

KXLY (ABC)
Bill advancing in Washington legislature to cap insulin costs at $35 (Keiser)
Spokane County, Airport Board to provide $30 million toward airport expansion

NW Public Radio
New grant to help people with developmental disabilities find housing
Washington bill could help ease renewable energy development tensions
WA lawmakers pass housing, firearm bills ahead of cutoff, leave rent control, recycling bills behind (Jinkins)

Web

Mukilteo Beacon
House passes Ortiz-Self’s bill to regulate conditions in private detention facilities (Ortiz-Self)

MyNorthwest
Redmond police chief calls for stronger stalking laws
Sound Transit making changes to Link Light Rail to ‘increase safety’

Thursday, March 16

Washington’s first carbon auction sold pollution for $300 million
In its first year of implementation, under the Climate Commitment Act, passed in 2021, businesses convene through an online platform and propose how much they want to pay for each allowance, which is equal to one metric ton of carbon emissions. The state sold more than six million allowances, totaling $300 million. The act requires that this revenue fund climate solutions, like electric vehicles, and invest in communities facing environmental justice concerns, like those overburdened by poor air quality. Continue reading at Crosscut. (Ted S. Warren)

Washington bill could help ease renewable energy development tensions
In the Pacific Northwest, conversations about renewable energy can get pretty heated. Residents often raise concerns about fragmented wildlife habitats, disturbed cultural resources, and cluttered viewsheds. But a bill winding through the Washington legislature could help ease some of those tensions. House Bill 1216 would set up a formal process for “least conflict siting” which would help identify the least controversial places to build – and avoid common issues with renewable developments. Continue reading at NWNews. (Avangrid Renewables)

Safe staffing for hospitals bill makes its way through Legislature. Does it go far enough?
A proposed Senate bill to address safe staffing in hospitals is making its way through the Washington Legislature and has now advanced to the House, where a public hearing was held Wednesday in the House Labor and Workplace Standards Committee. Attempts to pass similar legislation last year were unsuccessful, as groups such as the Washington State Hospital Association argued that safe-staffing standards set in that version of the proposed legislation were too “rigid.” That legislation would have set safe-staffing standards into state statute. Continue reading at The Bellingham Herald. (Getty Images)