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Thursday, February 23

WA Senate passes bill prohibiting some employers from discriminating against cannabis users
Some employers in Washington state would no longer be allowed to discriminate against applicants for their cannabis use outside of work under a bill passed by the state Senate Wednesday. The bill was introduced by Sen. Karen Keiser, D-Des Moines, and passed with a 28-21 vote. She told Senate lawmakers on the floor Wednesday she believes the legislation could address the “lingering effects of the unfortunate War on Drugs that we have had so much damage from.” “Perfectly legal cannabis use outside of the workplace can leave metabolites in your body fat and they can be picked up weeks after use in a drug test,” Keiser told legislators. “They have no relationship with your status of impairment or not. It’s not like alcohol, it’s an after-the-fact situation. It simply doesn’t make sense to base an employment decision on that kind of unreliable outcome and test.” Continue reading at The Olympian. (Xavier Mascarenas)

Lead or formaldehyde in your makeup? WA lawmakers want to eliminate them
Washington’s Legislature is considering banning the manufacture and sale of cosmetic products that contain formaldehyde and formaldehyde-releasing agents, certain amounts of lead, and some other chemicals. If the bill becomes law, those cosmetics would be gone from store shelves in Washington by 2026. The state ecology department said in the hearing that products marketed to Black people and immigrant communities tend to have higher levels of chemicals. In particular, hair-straightening products are associated with uterine and breast cancer. “This bill ensures safer cosmetics are available in Washington,” said Holly Davies, a toxicologist for the state health department. “It will also reduce toxic exposures on consumers, especially consumers living in communities that are already overburdened by pollution. The Department of Health is particularly concerned about reducing people’s exposures to lead as there’s no known safe level of lead.” Continue reading at KUOW. (Peter Kalonji)

WA could narrow reasons for traffic stops in new police reform effort
This year, state lawmakers could make it less likely you’ll get stopped by police for a problem with your car, in the wake of police killings that began with a traffic stop. House Bill 1513 would largely prevent police from stopping drivers for issues such as a broken taillight or expired tabs, and advocates say it would allow officers to focus on safety issues on the road and could reduce racial disparities in traffic stops. The bill’s sponsor, Rep. Chipalo Street, D-Seattle, says the measure would develop trust with communities of color and there would be more clarity as to why they’re being stopped. “In turn that then improves community safety, again, because folks are more willing, are not afraid of the police and are more willing to work with them, then other crimes can be solved more easily,” Street said. Continue reading at Seattle Times.

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Axios
Loosening limits on police pursuits divides lawmakers (Dhingra)

Bellingham Herald
Expansion of sports gambling in Washington suffers a setback in federal court
This is the proposed spending plan for Whatcom’s new property tax for child care

The Daily News
More than 30 Cowlitz County businesses receive thousands in state relief funds

Everett Herald
Debating recess, welcoming a president, awaiting key vote on pursuit (Liias, Rule, Mullet, Entenman, Van De Wege)
Editorial: Local governments need fair boost of their tax cap

The Inlander
Washington considers legalizing home cultivation of cannabis (Ormsby)

News Tribune
The pandemic is supposed to be over. Why is Pierce County food insecurity still so high?
Opinion: Staffing shortages have crushed WA nursing homes — and hospitals. This would help

Olympian
WA Senate passes bill prohibiting some employers from discriminating against cannabis users (Keiser)

Peninsula Daily News
Feds seek input on pilot grant program

Seattle Medium
Marcus Glasper Named New Director Of Washington State Department Of Licensing

Seattle Times
WA could narrow reasons for traffic stops in new police reform effort (Street)
WA Senate passes bill to bar hiring discrimination for cannabis use (Keiser)
WA auctions off more ‘old’ forest in $2.8 million sale
WA high school graduation rates are up; who saw the biggest gains?
Opinion: Fund the protection of wildlife and habitat for all Washingtonians

Skagit Valley Herald
Port of Skagit developing a climate action plan

Vancouver Business Journal
Opinion: We can’t solve the housing problem without updating the restrictive Growth Management Act (Chopp)

Yakima Herald-Republic
Yakima Valley agencies express support for housing grant

Broadcast

KING 5 TV (NBC)
Seattle street renamed in honor of beloved Central District community leader
CDC director tours public health lab in Shoreline
Crabbers seek solutions as they feel pinch of harvest closure

KOMO 4 TV (ABC)
Reducing fatalities, racial profiling during traffic stops is focus of new Washington bill (Street)
State senate passes bill banning discrimination against job applicants for cannabis use (Stanford)

KUOW Public Radio
Democratic lawmakers steer pay-per-mile into slow lane to replace gas tax, eventually (Fey)
Lead or formaldehyde in your makeup? WA lawmakers want to eliminate them

NW Public Radio
Farmworkers don’t always notice their own mental health struggles

Web

MyNorthwest
WA preparing to protect marine life against invasive green crab

Wednesday, February 22

Washington among 20 states that have joined the new Reproductive Freedom Alliance
On Tuesday, governors in 20 states, including Washington, announced the launch of the Reproductive Freedom Alliance, a non-partisan coalition committed to protecting and expanding reproductive health care in their states. According to a news release from Gov. Jay Inslee’s Office, the alliance will work to strengthen reproductive freedom in the face of an “unprecedented assault on abortion access and other forms of reproductive health care by states hostile to abortion rights and judges who are advancing their ideological agenda.” “This is an issue of freedom,” Inslee said in a statement. “Patients must have the freedom to make personal reproductive care decisions for themselves, without interference by activist politicians. Washington is taking strong action to protect these freedoms for every patient and provider in our state, and we are all in on the fight to protect a person’s right to an abortion across the country.” Continue reading at The Olympian.

Opinion: To know abuse without taking action is to condone abuse
There is nothing sacred about protecting child abuse. Sadly, we know that doing the right thing for the right thing’s sake is not always the case. Enter House Bill 1098, sponsored by state Rep. Amy Walen, and companion bill Senate Bill 5280, sponsored by Sen. Noel Frame, a childhood abuse survivor herself. Adding clergy to the list of mandated reporters with a giant asterisk should be unacceptable. To know abuse without taking action is to condone abuse — and to call acknowledging or providing a safe haven for a known abuser “sacred” or part of a spiritual practice should be unconscionable. Continuing to exempt religious activity that can give coverage to abuse, is to encourage complicity. As long as religious leaders are seen as trusted adults in the community, they must be held to the standards that come with that privilege and responsibility. Continue reading at Seattle Times. (Mark Weber)

WA may soon expand dual-credit programs for high schoolers
The Washington Legislature is considering four bills this session to expand access to education programs that could enable nearly every student to earn college credit while in high school. Dual-credit programs, such as Running Start and College in the High School, give students across Washington the opportunity to earn college credit and their high school diploma simultaneously. Overall, they also cost significantly less than traditional four-year universities, for both students and the state. Students who engage in dual-credit programs while in high school are more likely to graduate from high school and to enroll in college and graduate with a degree or credential, according to research focused on expanding equity in higher education. Studies show that dual-credit programs have the biggest impact on students of color and low-income students. Continue reading at Crosscut. (Taija PerryCook)

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Associated Press
Seattle becomes first city in U.S. to ban caste discrimination

Aberdeen Daily World
Legislature holds anticipated public hearing for Oakley Carlson Act (Rule, Senn)

Axios
Washington kids rank high for eating veggies, per CDC
Seattle police union accuses department of “spying” on officers
Washington state debates how to punish drug possession

Capital Press
Revised carbon bill advances in Washington; timber group leery (Reeves, Chapman, Lovelett)

Columbian
Early learning is child’s play at Hockinson pre-kindergarten class
Clark County arts groups, businesses get COVID aid from state

Everett Herald
Voters put a cap on property taxes, but lawmakers may soon erase it (Berg)

News Tribune
State inspects Tacoma psychiatric hospital after workers complain of violence, lice
Opinion: WA charter schools give hope to Black students. Shortchanging them is an injustice
Opinion: A Tacoma organization is still welcoming Ukrainians displaced by war. Here’s how many

Olympian
Washington among 20 states that have joined the new Reproductive Freedom Alliance
An app focused on history and stories of Black Washingtonians to be released in June

Puget Sound Business Journal
Survey: Women see progress in leadership roles but gaps on pay
States taking aim at occupational licensing in tight labor market

Seattle Times
Avalanche on WA’s Colchuck Peak kills 3; slide is nation’s deadliest this winter
WA lawmaker wants stronger domestic violence protections (Davis)
Federal court deals blow to potential sports gambling expansion in WA
Editorial: Thank you, Sen. Murray, for protecting consumers from unsafe cosmetics
Opinion: To know abuse without taking action is to condone abuse (Walen, Frame)

Skagit Valley Herald
Mount Vernon High School students perform during Latino Legislative Day event

Spokesman Review
Washington may require 30-minute recess at all schools (Nobles)

Broadcast

KING 5 TV (NBC)
House proposal would transition state to pay-per-mile system for drivers (Fey)
City of Tukwila, former officer took measures to cover up firing

KOMO 4 TV (ABC)
Washington bill to loosen restrictions on police pursuits faces challenges in Legislature (Rule)

KUOW Public Radio
WA bill meant to safeguard foster children appears to have died in committee

Web

Crosscut
Seattle exotic dancers organize to improve ‘predatory’ conditions (Saldaña, Orwall)
The burden of rent in Washington’s smaller cities
WA may soon expand dual-credit programs for high schoolers (Paul)
Rifle ban among gun-control bills advancing in the WA Legislature (Hansen, Hackney, Peterson, Berry, Pedersen)

MyNorthwest
Mayor Harrell’s State of Seattle address: ‘A lot to be optimistic about’
Washington State Ferries back in service after weather, mechanical issues

Tuesday, February 21

Editorial: Cap on rent increases can keep more in homes
In a fair rental market with ample housing for all who need it, that market would be strong enough to keep the Snidely Whiplash landlords in check. But much of the state and county cannot currently offer that fair market to renters. Placing a cap on the extent of rental cost increases, while offering fair exceptions to landlords, can keep people in their homes and support a healthy housing market. Both bills, House Bill 1388 and HB 1389, would limit rent increases during a 12-month period to the rate of inflation or 3 percent, whichever is greater, up to a maximum of 7 percent. Continue reading at Everett Herald. (Ryan Berry)

Secretary Hobbs: Reach out to voters before reworking their ballots
Washington’s elections are consistently recognized as among America’s best for accessibility and inclusiveness. We must continue a longstanding tradition of careful improvement and reach out to all voters before forcing them into different ways of filling out a ballot. A methodical approach is in line with state history. I’m deeply concerned that all Washington election reforms be equally mindful of preserving every eligible resident’s access to participate. My voter-education proposals in Senate Bill 5378, if done right, will enact guardrails to help voters in jurisdictions that opt to rework how candidates are chosen. We must protect every citizen’s access to participation. Continue reading at Seattle Times. (Ken Lambert)

Bill that would crown Suciasaurus rex as official state dinosaur passes House
Some 80 million years ago, what is now known as Washington state was submerged in the Pacific Ocean while dinosaurs marched around the rest of the continent. Eons of fossilization, earthquakes and tectonic movement later, it’s the year 2012, and paleontologists discover part of what they call a Suciasaurus rex’s thigh bone in the San Juan Islands, the first and only dinosaur fossil discovered in the state. Following this discovery, a bill to crown the Suciasaurus rex the official dinosaur of Washington passed the state House of Representatives on Monday. “This is not just a silly bill about a state dinosaur,” Morgan said. “This is a lot deeper. This is really about civic engagement from our kids with their state Legislature.” Continue reading at Spokesman Review. (Spokesman Review)

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Associated Press
Panel backs moving opioid antidote Narcan over the counter
Seattle considers historic law barring caste discrimination

Bellingham Herald
Retail, housing project is on its way to Bellingham where YMCA center once stood
Groups fighting ‘invasive’ wind farm project near Idaho incarceration camp site

Columbian
Is the pandemic over? Clark County health officials say COVID likely here to stay

The Daily News
Forest Service opens areas around Packwood Lake closed by Goat Rocks Fire
New reactors could revive U.S. uranium mining — and concerns about its ‘toxic legacy’

Everett Herald
‘I’ve never experienced the patient loads that I experience now’ (Robinson)
PUD eyeing conservation, innovation to meet growing energy need
Edmonds police launch 911 text updates, post-incident surveys
Editorial: Cap on rent increases can keep more in homes

Indian Country Today
Yakama seeking to remove causeway that impedes salmon migration

Peninsula Daily News
Cold weather headed for Peninsula

Seattle Medium
WA: Push To Rehire Workers Fired Over Vaccine

Seattle Times
Seattle Schools upgrades locks, posts safety signs after shooting
PSE pushes to control new renewable energy projects in WA (Nguyen)
Secretary of State Hobbs: Reach out to voters before reworking their ballots

Skagit Valley Herald
Northwest Educational Service District 189 awarded multimillion dollar grant for mental health
Progress made on bill that would keep the state from taxing seniors’ meals

Spokesman Review
Bill that would crown Suciasaurus rex as official state dinosaur passes House (Morgan)

Walla Walla Union Bulletin
Walla Walla leaders take steps to protect manufactured home parks

Broadcast

KIRO 7 TV (CBS)
Edmonds/Kingston ferry route out of service until further notice
‘We want our workers protected’: Bill allowing speed cameras in work zones advances in Olympia

NW Public Radio
Thousands testify at legislature public hearing for agriculture overtime bill

Web

MyNorthwest
Windstorm causes significant damage in Puget Sound region

Monday, February 20

Senator Liias & Nguyen: What the right has wrong about caring for trans youth
Across the country, lawmakers are debating legislation that will directly impact transgender youth. What is missing in these discussions is a sobering reality: Studies show that 1 in every 3 trans youth report attempting suicide. This is why supporting our young people is on the docket this legislative session. Rather than focus on the urgent need to support the health and well-being of trans youth, extreme voices are trying to derail our work with dangerous and inflammatory accusations. Republicans and right-wing talk show hosts have fired up their bases about Senate Bill 5599 by making false claims that it will allow kids to get gender transition surgery while stripping away parental rights. It is easy to fall for misinformation when it is intentionally aimed at riling up emotions. So, let us set the record straight. Continue reading at Seattle Times. (Rogelio V. Solis)

Here are some of the bills that survived the WA legislature’s first cutoff — and some that didn’t
Friday marked the first cutoff date in the Washington State Legislature since the session began in mid-January. Bills that lawmakers introduced by lawmakers this year had to be passed out of executive session in their committee of origin by Friday. Lawmakers will now have until Feb. 24 to get legislation with fiscal impacts passed from their house of origin during executive sessions in House fiscal committees as well as Senate Ways & Means and Transportation committees. In a press conference with reporters Thursday, Gov. Jay Inslee said that there appears to be a “positive vibe” amongst legislators this session, and that he is seeing better bipartisan communication. Additionally, he said, some of his bills are still alive and “on-track for major progress.” Here’s a snapshot of legislation that passed committee in time for the cutoff – and some that didn’t. Continue reading at The Olympian. (The Olympian)

State abortion laws are strong; Democrats want to make them stronger
A day after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade last June, Democratic Gov. Jay Inslee and Democratic lawmakers responded with a call to chisel abortion rights protection into Washington’s state’s constitution. A constitutional amendment would become the centerpiece of a suite of legislative proposals to solidify the right to choice in Washington, buffering the state’s long-established access to reproductive care from political and legal attacks. “There is a desire for us to become a haven for those who come into our state seeking medical care, to protect our doctors who provide service and to make sure they are not punished, and to make sure we have the strongest protections possible for women’s reproductive services,” said Rep. Lillian Ortiz-Self, D-Mukilteo and chair of the House Democratic Caucus. Continue reading at Everett Herald. (Karen Ducey)

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Aberdeen Daily World
Rivers, roads, rails: Port moves forward planning $46m capability expansion

Columbian
Vancouver police to roll out body cams starting Monday

The Daily News
Editorial: Our view: Smelt license proposals for Columbia, Cowlitz rivers is off target

Everett Herald
Chasing a pursuit bill and tracking another nurse staffing battle
‘Our neighbors’: Snohomish County has welcomed 2,600 Afghans, Ukrainians
A perfect storm soaking school district budgets with red ink
State abortion laws are strong; Democrats want to make them stronger (Ortiz-Self, Hansen, Riccelli, Salomon)
Comment: State’s criminal justice system needs thorough reforms
Comment: Traffic bill will put emphasis on safety hazards
Editorial: Calling on our better angels to build bridges (Heck)

News Tribune
Tacoma not the only place seeing apartment boom. This small city set to get 380+ units
Video: Fleeing suspect narrowly avoids getting hit by freight train, police say
7,600 were incarcerated in Puyallup during WWII. This memorial will display their names
Editorial: Republicans are right: Solving homelessness in WA requires more than housing
Opinion: Cops killed our loved ones. Pierce County Sheriff’s defense of hogtying is wrong

Olympian
Here are some of the bills that survived the WA legislature’s first cutoff — and some that didn’t (Jinkins, Rule, Thai, Salomon, Bateman, Peterson, Kuderer, Saldana)
Olympia will see 16-foot tides next week. Is the city ready after last year’s flooding?
Ready to live in an 800-square-foot house? Lacey is issuing permits for unique option
Outcry over South Puget Sound airport triggered new bill. Here’s why some don’t like it (Fey)

Peninsula Daily News
Bill urges expanding Running Start to high school sophomores
North Olympic Peninsula funding proposed (Van De Wege, Tharinger, Chapman)
Opinion: POINT OF VIEW: Gun laws effective as means to curb relentless violence

Seattle Times
Effort to roll back limits on WA police pursuits faces challenges in Legislature (Rule, Dhingra)
Bainbridge Island volunteers remember Japanese American incarceration
Sens. Marko Liias and Joe Nguyễn: What the right has wrong about caring for trans youth

The Skanner
Turmoil in Courts on Gun Laws after Supreme Court Ruling

Spokesman Review
Spokane’s diversifying economy more resilient to recession
Washington Legislature looks to tackle growing nursing workforce shortages this year (Riccelli)
Opinion: Removing Lower Snake River Dams the only way to save salmon

Yakima Herald-Republic
Yakima eligible for $1.8 million in housing funds
Editorial: Don’t base our DUI rules on Utah’s experiments

Broadcast

KING 5 TV (NBC)
In Session: Boys and Men commission bill dies, pursuit measure advances (Fitzgibbon)

KIRO 7 TV (CBS)
Sen. Murray announces more than $33M in federal grants for public housing across state

KOMO 4 TV (ABC)
Washington state lawmakers push to rehire government workers fired over vaccine mandate
Washington could be first state to recognize Lunar New Year as paid legal holiday

KNKX Public Radio
High-paying jobs that don’t need a college degree? Thousands of them sit empty

KUOW Public Radio
When should police pursue?: Today So Far
Week in Review: Amazon, legislature, and housing

NW Public Radio
Electric fire trucks are coming to the Pacific Northwest

Web

West Seattle Blog
CONGRATULATIONS! Another local student serves as legislative page

Friday, February 17

Bipartisan bill to rollback WA vehicular pursuit laws advances
Laws regarding vehicular pursuits in Washington state could again get a makeover under legislation that passed out of committee on Thursday. The House Community Safety, Justice, and Reentry Committee voted nearly unanimously to pass the measure. Sponsored by Rep. Alicia Rule, D-Blaine, and Rep. Eric Robertson, R-Sumner, the substitute version of House Bill 1363 would restore the reasonable suspicion threshold for police to pursue drivers they believe have committed one of six particular crimes. Officers could also engage in pursuits if the suspect poses a “serious risk of harm to others” under the proposal. Continue reading at The Olympian. (Getty Images)

Should rent be stabilized? Washington lawmakers hear the pros and cons
A pair of rent stabilization bills are making their way through the Washington state Legislature. Rent stabilization is very different from rent control. Rent stabilization permits landlords to set the rent at any level that they want, before the renter rents from them. Rent stabilization allows landlords to raise the rent to whatever they want after a renter leaves a unit. While the renter occupies the unit, however, rent increases would be capped at 3% to 7% per year. The idea aims to guard against massive rent increases. Continue reading at KUOW. (Chris Robert)

Washington Students May Get Free Breakfast and Lunch
Democratic State Representative Marcus Riccelli of Spokane introduced House Bill 1238 which would provide meals to all requesting students without charge. In Washington, the House Committee on Education has advanced HB 1238, and it has been referred to the Appropriations Committee. After the House Appropriations Committee, it can head to the floor for a vote. The state constitution says providing basic education to all students is a primary duty of the Legislature. HB 1238 would include free meals for all in the legal definition of basic education. Continue reading at Seattle Medium.