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Monday, February 13

All former WA prisoners can now vote. So far, few have
Cyril Walrond used his first full day as a free man to vote for the first time ever because of a new law that took effect last year that automatically restores voting rights to those with felony convictions the moment they exit prison – a change that expanded the franchise to more than 12,000 Washingtonians on probation and parole, along with an indeterminate number who owe court fines. But of more than 24,000 state residents with past felony convictions now eligible, just 414 cast ballots in the midterms, according to the Office of the Secretary of State. In new legislation this session, Simmons and others are calling for jails and prisons to offer voter registration drives and provide information on voting to current detainees, an idea that has run up against opposition from some local officials. Without more proactive engagement efforts, advocates warn that the voices of former prisoners could continue to be left out. Continue reading at Crosscut. (Amanda Snyder)

Washington Legislature considers bill to eliminate fines, fees and restitution in juvenile court
At the age of 14, Nuu Leae was charged with a crime and received a one-year sentence and a bill for restitution totaling $12,000. After serving his time, Leae – then 15 – was saddled with debt and felt unprepared to re-enter society. With a criminal record, he struggled to find employment to earn money and pay back his debt. The Legislature is considering a bill seeking to eliminate legal financial obligations in juvenile court, including fines, fees and restitution. In lieu of charging juvenile offenders restitution, the bill would establish a Community Compensation Program to pay victims of crimes committed by juveniles. Bill sponsor Rep. Darya Farivar, D-Seattle, said court fines and fees are “causing great harm in our systems” and holding back youth after they’ve served their time. “At the end of the day, I also want to make sure that those folks who are harmed are also getting the services and support that they need, which is going to be paid for out of this compensation fund, and that’s not happening right now.” Continue reading at Spokesman Review. (Jesse Tinsley)

Washington bill would make it easier, less stressful to score concert tickets
Washington state lawmakers are now responding to the frustration of the Ticketmaster meltdown when the site crashed during the Taylor Swift ticket sale. “Whether you’re going to see a popular artist like Taylor Swift or you’re experiencing a local Seattle artist, folks are feeling the crunch of not being able to get access to their favorite artists through these ticket seller markets,” said House Rep. Kristine Reeves. Reeves is backing the Ticket Sales Warrant Integrity Fairness and Transparency Act, which also happens to stand for TSWIFT. The bill focuses on addressing bots, cracking down on fake sales, hidden fees and requiring sellers to be upfront about ticket prices. Reeves said lawmakers have taken feedback from consumers and experts in the industry to create the best consumer protections possible. House Bill 1648 goes to a vote Wednesday to move out of committee. Continue reading at KING5. (KING)

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Aberdeen Daily World
Oakley Carlson advocates crowd steps of Capitol to endorse H.B. 1397

Columbian
Editorial: In Our View: Driver’s ed bill would put state on safer route (Liias)
Editorial: In Our View: Increasing density responsibly will be a win-win

The Daily News
Longview looks to attract affordable housing builders

Everett Herald
Pay raises coming, a vote on vehicle pursuit reform may not (Hunt, Goodman, Simmons, Davis)
Nursing homes face staffing crunch
Community Transit overhaul accounts for light rail timeline limbo
A Blake fix centers on a harsher penalty, more treatment options (Robinson, Davis, Goodman, Dhingra)
Comment: Nurses’ work can lead to PTSD; provide care they need
Comment: State needs lawmakers’ oversight on public lands’ use

Kitsap Sun
Kitsap public schools navigate post-COVID enrollment decline

News Tribune
Opinion: Inslee’s $4 billion housing plan is doomed. Here’s why — and 5 things that would help
Editorial: Washington Democrats are trying to cut gun-related deaths again. Enough is enough!
Editorial: WA needs a new set of thinkers to tackle the idea of a second international airport

Olympian
Olympia non-profit aims to help youth in justice system reenter society. Here’s how
Now consumers are suing to block the Kroger-Albertsons merger, too. Here’s what we know
Dozens protest outside Supreme Living housing facility near Lacey on Friday. Here’s why
Short of workers, Washington aerospace industry aims for higher tech, higher wages

Peninsula Daily News
Vehicle pursuit law hits speed bump (Chapman, Goodman, Dinghra, Goodman, Van De Wege, Tharinger)

Puget Sound Business Journal
Seattle leads US in growth of high-income renters, report says
Microsoft layoffs continue with another 617 job cuts in Seattle area
Opinion: Seattle’s industrial zoning needs a renovation

Seattle Times
New UW program aims to expand training for abortion providers
How extreme heat scorched Pacific Northwest’s evergreen trees
Families of 2 men killed by WA police wait years for officers’ trials
What’s so scary about teaching racial realities in schools?
Editorial: Boot confusing advisory votes from WA ballots

Skagit Valley Herald
National park superintendent talks about challenges facing North Cascades

Spokesman Review
Washington isn’t officially ‘The Evergreen State’… but it could be
Washington Legislature considers bill to eliminate fines, fees and restitution in juvenile court (Farivar)
Catholic officials oppose Washington bill requiring clergy to report child abuse if it doesn’t exempt confessions (Frame)
Op-Ed: Steve Hobbs and Sara Jones: Book bans an egregious form of censorship

Tri-City Herald
Clean energy solution? Tri-Cities lawmaker wants WA support for new nuclear sources
Insurance providers would have to cover infertility services under bill in the WA Legislature (Stonier)

Walla Walla Union Bulletin
Rising rents are drowning Walla Walla and Washington’s smaller cities

Broadcast

KING 5 TV (NBC)
Super Bowl Sunday drunk driving has been increasing in recent years. How lawmakers are responding (Liias)
New investigation reveals Washington’s most dangerous roads
Washington bill would make it easier, less stressful to score concert tickets (Reeves)

KOMO 4 TV (ABC)
Snohomish County mayors push for changes to state’s drug possession, criminal pursuit laws

KNKX Public Radio
UW, Eastern Washington researchers hunt down hidden racist history in property deeds
Washington realtors’ lobby spends nearly $1M to push housing bills during football playoffs

KPQ
Thousands Tune In for Public Hearing on Bill Proposing Overtime Restriction for Farm Workers (Saldaña, Keiser)

KUOW Public Radio
Northwest lawmakers, courts weigh new rules on gun sales
Washington bill could allow Department of Natural Resources to sell carbon credits (Nguyen, Lovelett)

KXLY (ABC)
Insurance policy restricts rural pharmacies from refilling prescriptions

Web

Crosscut
All former WA prisoners can now vote. So far, few have (Simmons)
Grant dollars are seeding the urban forestry push in Washington (Trudeau)

MyNorthwest
Legislature mulls expanding partial exemptions for property taxes (Wylie)

Friday, February 10

Washington Senate panel approves bill to make drug possession gross misdemeanor
The Legislature is moving forward with a proposal to fix the state’s drug possession laws after a Senate panel on Thursday approved a bill with a larger focus on treating addiction. The bill has 15 co-sponsors, including Senate Majority Leader Andy Billig, D-Spokane. “What has been really fascinating when trying to deal with the Blake issue is really the fact that everyone is coming to this work with the intention of getting people treatment and helping them on their journey to recovery,” said Sen. Manka Dhingra, D-Redmond, chair of the Law and Justice Committee. An amended bill that passed a Senate committee on Thursday would make possession a gross misdemeanor and incorporate the treatment options recommended by the Substance Use Recovery Services Advisory Committee, a bipartisan committee that has met over the last two years to discuss the state’s drug possession law. Continue reading at Spokesman Review. (Jim Camden)

WA Democrats claim some Republicans privately support — but may not vote for — abortion protections
Washington state Democrats want to add abortion rights to the state’s Constitution, but they need Republican votes to make that happen. A resolution to amend the state Constitution is currently winding its way through committees in Olympia. The resolution would need to win a two-thirds vote in both the state Senate and House before it can be put on a ballot for voters. The problem for Democrats is, they don’t have that two-thirds vote in either body in Olympia. But some lawmakers told KUOW they still have hope for Senate and House joint resolution bills, claiming that a few Republicans privately back abortion rights and might be convinced to vote with Democrats, eventually. “We’ll see what happens. It takes time to build pressure. It takes time to build attention,” Keiser said. Continue reading at KUOW. (NW News Network)

Students of color are now the majority in WA public schools
For the first time ever, kids of color make up the majority of students enrolled in Washington public schools. It’s a slim majority, at 50.6%, but the growth in recent years has been rapid. Between 2009 and 2022, the percentage of kids identifying as a race other than white increased by nearly 50%. The milestone was always inevitable; it’s just a question of timing. National estimates say that net U.S. population growth in the past several years has been from people of color, and public schools are generally more racially diverse than the adult population. Washington state’s total population is around 66% white. But the pandemic may have tipped the scale here. Kids of color weren’t the majority until last fall, according to state data. In 2020, they were still in the minority. The number is yet another sign that public schools are undergoing a major shift — and not just in the parts of the state where students of color make up the majority, such as in the Seattle area. Almost every school district in the state has seen its share of students of color zoom up. In a system that has long been criticized as being modeled on what works for a middle-class white kid, white kids are no longer the most common customer. Continue reading at Seattle Times.

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Bellingham Herald
WA gun buyers would need a permit to purchase firearms under bills before the Legislature (Berry, Liias)

Columbian
Southwest Washington lawmakers back bill to help bars fill job ranks (Stonier)
Columbian white-tailed deer make gains, but still face threats, challenges

The Daily News
Death of Castle Rock teen highlights need for access to mental health in schools

News Tribune
Op-Ed: Congress is divided, but this bipartisan issue can unite lawmakers — and Tacoma
Opinion: Memphis police killed Tyre Nichols. It’s trauma that’s familiar in Tacoma, too
Opinion: Lowering the legal blood alcohol limit for WA drivers will backfire. Here’s why

Northwest Asian Weekly
Inslee meet with CID community leaders, gives update on encampments

Olympian
Olympia is forming a Youth Council. Lacey Youth Council members weigh in on why that’s good

Peninsula Daily News
Zoning proposals prompt concerns
Supreme Court: State law preempts city gun ordinance

Puget Sound Business Journal
WA bill would provide tax credits to producers of green jet fuel
SBA finalizing expansion of one of its most popular lending programs

Seattle Medium
Case Denied Against Government In Woman Crippled In Police Pursuit

Seattle Times
DNR wants in on WA’s emerging carbon-credit market (Lovelett, Nguyen)
Students of color are now the majority in WA public schools
Editorial: WA Legislature must act on high-potency cannabis (Davis)

Spokesman Review
Fraternity at EWU punished for hazing, bullying violations
Washington Senate panel approves bill to make drug possession gross misdemeanor (Billig, Dhingra, Jinkins)

Tri-City Herald
Tri-Cities teen authors WA bill to promote teaching more diversity and inclusion (Wilson)

Wenatchee World
Opinion: Healthcare Workforce Issues Continue, but the Legislature is Considering Remedies

Yakima Herald-Republic
Washington lawmakers consider bill to lower blood alcohol limit to 0.05% (Lovick)
State officials ready to recommend approval of two Yakima County solar projects

Broadcast

KING 5 TV (NBC)
Bill would require turn signals to exit roundabouts (Doglio)
Lawmakers seek to ban some utility shut offs during extreme heat (Mena)
‘Fair Repair Act’ passes through House Committee in Olympia
Microsoft announces another round of layoffs impacting Washington workers
3 elementary schools recommended for consolidation in Bellevue

KNKX Public Radio
Lunar New Year could be Washington’s newest state holiday (Thai)

KUOW Public Radio
WA Democrats claim some Republicans privately support — but may not vote for — abortion protections (Keiser)
Police pursuit debate in WA Legislature involves dueling data sets (Dhingra)
Legalizing jaywalking to reduce enforcement inequities considered at Washington statehouse (Saldaña, Alvarado, Liias)
Sen. Maria Cantwell questions Southwest over holiday cancellations

Web

Geekwire
‘Baby bond’ legislation aims to address wealth gaps in Washington state

MyNorthwest
Washington Senate moves to eliminate advisory votes on tax increases (Kuderer)

Thursday, February 9

Rep. Mena & Sen. Trudeau: Don’t believe the smears. A fact-based police pursuit law makes Washington safer
We have a duty to put people over politics and make fact-based decisions. The fact is that high-speed chases are inherently dangerous to everyone involved, including police officers, suspects and passengers, but most importantly the public. This is why, in 2021, the Washington Legislature passed House Bill 1054, creating uniform standards for pursuits. The safety of every person, in every neighborhood, must be at the center of each decision. However, we continue to hear a false narrative, meant to instill fear and provide a simple solution to a complex problem. Changes in Washington’s pursuit law are being blamed as solely responsible for the national spike in crime, auto theft, and the overall safety of our communities. Here are the facts. Continue reading at Bellingham Herald. (Legislative Support Services)

A WA bill would lower the legal driving limit to .05% BAC
SB 5002 got off to a quick start, getting a public hearing and a bipartisan vote out of the Senate Law & Justice Committee at the start of the session. It then got its public hearing in the Senate Transportation Committee, and awaits a vote there before it could go to a vote of the full Senate. The bill is a unique concept in the United States – only Utah has made blood alcohol levels above 0.05% illegal. Washington experienced 745 highway fatalities in 2022, with alcohol or drug impairment playing a role in more than half, according to the Washington Traffic Safety Commission. Sen. John Lovick, a former state trooper and SB 5002’s primary sponsor, believes people should not only be safe, they should feel safe. Continue reading at Crosscut. (Taija Perry Cook)

‘Nothing about us without us’ act would require more representation on legislative task forces, workgroups
A new bill being championed by self-advocates with disabilities and other marginalized groups would require more representation in legislative workgroups and task forces. House Bill 1541 would create the “Nothing About Us Without Us” Act. When a legislative workgroup or task force is working on an issue that “directly and tangibly” affects an underrepresented population, the legislature would be required to appoint a representative from that population to the workgroup. The bill’s sponsor, Rep. Darya Farivar, D- Seattle, is optimistic it will pass. “If you’re living it and are experiencing it every single day you have valid lived experiences and I would argue the expertise that needs to be included,” she said. Continue reading at KING5.

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Associated Press
AG’s Office defends lawmaker use of ‘legislative privilege’

Aberdeen Daily World
Aquatic plant plan in works

Bellingham Herald
Rep. Mena & Sen. Trudeau: Don’t believe the smears. A fact-based police pursuit law makes Washington safer.

Capital Press
Washington lawmaker rejects WDFW testimony on wolf bill (Chapman)

Columbian
Zoning key piece of housing puzzle in Clark County, Vancouver
Vancouver seeks comment on American Rescue Plan grant proposals

Everett Herald
Democratic Latinos form a caucus, hospital staffing bill clears a hurdle (Robinson, Ortiz-Self, Davis, Ramos, Saldana, Valdez, Randall, Stonier, Alvarado, Mena, Reeves, Cortes, Simmons)
Editorial: Lawmakers shouldn’t weaken state Public Records Act (Walen, Pollet)

The Inlander
Debate over the lower Snake River dams’ removal has gone on for decades. What will it take to protect the river’s health?

News Tribune
Hogtying is banned in much of WA state. Why is Pierce County’s sheriff OK with the risk?

The Northern Light
Bill in state legislature aims to stop female genital mutilation (Keiser)

Olympian
Senate passes legislation to eliminate advisory votes from ballots (Kuderer)
Olympia is closing its city jail and laying off workers. Here’s what you should know

Puget Sound Business Journal
Washington state has No. 1 aerospace business environment, study finds

Seattle Medium
Opinion: Black Students Deserve Equitable Access To Arts Education

Seattle Times
As traffic death toll mounts, WA looks to help teens with driver’s ed (Liias, Lovick)
Seattle Schools students seek funding for ethnic studies, counselors
Editorial: WA charter school funding perpetuates systemic inequality (Mullet, Wellman)
Opinion: Update WA Medicaid rates to ease long-term care staffing crisis

Spokesman Review
Tax incentives for sustainable jet fuel could soon be coming to Washington (Billig)
Agriculture economist forecasts Washington’s crop outlook

Broadcast

KING 5 TV (NBC)
Pay up to light up: High-potency THC products at risk of higher taxation (Davis)
‘Nothing about us without us’ act would require more representation on legislative task forces, workgroups (Farivar)

KUOW Public Radio
WA will need more clean energy from other states by 2050
WA geographical sites renamed after Black homesteaders

KXLY (ABC)
Some lawmakers want to change requirements for minor sex offenders (Frame)

Q13 TV (FOX)
Lawmakers consider banning octopus farms in Washington (Peterson)

Web

Crosscut
A WA bill would lower the legal driving limit to .05% BAC (Lovick, Liias, Saldana)

MyNorthwest
Bill forcing Washington residents to vote advances from committee
Seattle Schools weighs consolidation as enrollment plummets

Wednesday, February 8

Middle housing proposal passes House panel with changes
A proposal to legalize denser zoning laws statewide has cleared its first hurdle in the Legislature but looks a little different from its initial draft. The bill, sponsored by Olympia Democrat Rep. Jessica Bateman, would require cities to expand what types of housing can be built on residential lots. In the amended version, Bateman told the House Housing committee on Tuesday that the changes make the bill easier for cities to adopt. “It enables private property owners to choose whether they want to build middle housing,” she said. The proposal has bipartisan support in both chambers as the Legislature looks to tackle the growing need for housing across the state. Continue reading at Spokesman Review. (Jesse Tinsley)

Rising rents are drowning Washington’s smaller cities
While Seattle may have the highest rents statewide, the most drastic percentage increases over the past four to five years are in smaller cities and rural areas. And affordability is not an issue just for the poor but across different income levels: Even college-educated professionals are feeling the pinch of rapidly rising prices. A survey of 18 Washington counties from the Washington Center for Real Estate Research at the University of Washington shows average rent increases for a one-bedroom apartment of between 10% and 53.3% from 2018 to 2021, when comparable data was available. Continue reading at Crosscut. (Amanda Snyder)

Bill would protect runaway youth seeking gender-affirming care
If a teenager runs away from home, and ends up in a shelter, are shelter staff required to inform parents? In Washington state, the answer is yes. But a bill now before the state Legislature would make a few exceptions to this rule, including if the child has run away to seek gender-affirming care. State Sen. Marko Liias is one sponsor of SB 5599, which is currently working its way through the Senate Committee on Human Services. He says the measure would allow transgender kids who are not being supported at home to find safe accommodation. “We know when people don’t have access to gender affirming care it leads to life-long challenges in terms of mental health,” Liias said. Continue reading at KUOW. (Ted S. Warren)

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Associated Press
Boeing plans to cut about 2,000 finance and HR jobs in 2023

Axios
Seattle will get $25.6 million for safer streets

Capital Press
Washington buffer bill gains wide support; Inslee holds out (Chapman)

Columbian
Editorial: In Our view: Smart legislation can help ease labor shortage

Everett Herald
Snohomish County greenhouse emissions up, largely due to cars
A holiday for Lunar New Year, a return of green and white license plates (Santos)

News Tribune
Opinion: Washington must fix this ‘superpredator’ era sentencing law. Take it from a judge
Op-Ed: WA doesn’t doesn’t need more apartments and ADUs — it needs affordable starter homes

Northwest Asian Weekly
Opinion: No promises from Sound Transit about following its own plans

Olympian
WA Attorney General’s Office defends use of ‘legislative privilege’ by state lawmakers
Could new commission restart WA airport process? Here’s what we know about new bill (Fey)
Pierce County adopts anti-airport resolution. Here’s what the Council wants to happen

Peninsula Daily News
$25.7 million asked for center in Sequim (Tharinger, Chapman, Van De Wege)

Puget Sound Business Journal
Inflation hits 40-year high in Seattle, but many consumers are unfazed

Seattle Medium
Berg Promotes Water Safety and Drowning Prevention With House Bill 1750 (Berg)

Seattle Times
Red tape keeps WA psychologists waiting for months to enter workforce
‘Silly’ little WA scandal is another step in something big (Pollet)
Opinion: To keep WA competitive, lawmakers must invest in our ports

Skagit Valley Herald
State aims to fix section of Highway 20, help salmon

Spokesman Review
Spokane County Commission picks Spink for airport board after drawn-out selection process
Middle housing proposal passes House panel with changes (Bateman, Fitzgibbon)
Opinion: Denisse Guerrero: Capital gains tax helps right wrongs of state code

Wenatchee World
Senate bill would mandate zero emission school bus purchases by 2035
Legislation to prohibit power shutoffs in high temps draws concern from local utilities (Nguyễn, Mena)

Yakima Herald-Republic
Lucian Act would provide more tools to find missing people in WA

Broadcast

KING 5 TV (NBC)
Study: Washington is the most competitive in the country for engineering, manufacturing planes
‘We’ve literally hit bottom:’ Jails across Washington are overwhelmed by mentally ill inmates, sheriff says (Dhingra)

KIRO 7 TV (CBS)
Western Washington city named one of the safest in the country

KUOW Public Radio
Bill would protect runaway youth seeking gender-affirming care (Liias)
With rulings against racial bias, WA Supreme Court starts ‘hard discussions’

NW Public Radio
Obtained documents reveal years of unsanitary conditions at the Northwest Detention Center (Ortiz-Self)

Q13 TV (FOX)
Bill under consideration would increase tax on high-potency cannabis in Washington (Davis)

Web

Crosscut
Rising rents are drowning Washington’s smaller cities (Trudeau)
‘Haphazard and unorganized’: GOP lawmakers react to Dems’ secrecy (Billig, Jinkins, Valdez, Pedersen, Kaiser, Randall, Trudeau)

MyNorthwest
Washington wetlands are renamed to honor Black, Indigenous history
Federal Way mayor in full support of bills re-criminalizing drug possession (Robinson, Salomon)

Tuesday, February 7

WA schools still restrain, isolate students often despite state laws, report says
A watchdog report by disability rights advocates found that restraint and isolation have been excessively and improperly used on Washington school students, and disproportionately used on those with disabilities. Disability Rights Washington and the ACLU of Washington released the report Monday, as lawmakers considered a bill that would ban isolation and limit restraints in Washington schools. Washington law bars schools from restraining or isolating students unless there is an “imminent likelihood of serious harm,” a high bar that educators often fail to meet, the advocates reported. The report, drawing on research studies, emphasizes that the practices “have no academic or therapeutic benefit.” Continue reading at Seattle Times. (Kylie Cooper)

What WA plans for the largest remaining source of lead pollution threatening kids
Airports and pilots are eager to get rid of leaded aviation fuel, but some worry that a new Washington bill is putting the cart before the horse. The Federal Aviation Administration already has a plan to phase out 100-octane “low lead” aviation fuel that’s commonly used in small planes seating 2 to 10 people. The Environmental Protection Agency has called it the largest remaining source of lead pollution in the air and can endanger young children’s health and others. The FAA’s target to phase out leaded fuel is 2030, but House Bill 1554 introduced in Washington this legislative session would put a state deadline to begin the transition in 2026. Continue reading at Tri-City Herald. (Tri-City Herald)

Racist covenants kept families of color from building generational wealth. This bill aims to offset that
For decades in the 20th century, developers could restrict who could live in neighborhoods. Phrases barring owners “other than the white race… except servants” were commonly placed in homeowner covenants. While that practice was outlawed in 1968, Lt. Gov. Denny Heck said the impact of the racist policies are still felt today. Rep. Jamila Taylor, (D-Dist. 30), is the prime sponsor of House Bill 1474. ”We’ve seen the compounding of all these practices, policies, and laws, have led to where we are right now and we are not making traction,” said Taylor. Realtors and developers testified in favor of the bill in Olympia Monday afternoon. Continue reading at KING5.