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Tuesday, January 10

Lawmakers convene in Olympia for first day of 2023 Legislature
State lawmakers kicked off the 2023 session on Monday, starting a 105-day marathon of bill-passing and budget-writing in their first fully in-person gathering since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic three years ago. The return of lawmakers seated side-by-side in chambers, with galleries loaded with family members and other observers looking on, stood in marked contrast to the mostly empty Capitol of the past two sessions. After her colleagues reelected her to lead the chamber, House Speaker Laurie Jinkins, D-Tacoma, walked up the aisle to the dais, exchanging hugs and handshakes with lawmakers of both parties. “The last time I delivered remarks to a packed House, with actual visitors in the galleries, was on the opening day of the 2020 session, my first as speaker of the House,” Jinkins said. “At that time, none of us knew within weeks — in fact I researched it — within seven days of us kicking off our legislative session, would we be faced with a global pandemic that completely changed how we work, how we socialize and how we live our lives.” Continue reading at Seattle Times. (Karen Ducey)

Rep. Bateman & Barkis: WA’s housing crisis requires bold reform. This bill would be transformative
Everyone needs a home. Washingtonians deserve an affordable place to live, work and raise a family — yet that dream is out of reach. While the single-family home has been the iconic American starter home for decades, it is an outdated model that is no longer attainable to most first-time home buyers. Washington is experiencing a housing shortage of more than 140,000 homes To close this gap, we must triple the pace of construction. That’s not possible under the status quo because most cities either restrict home construction to single-family homes or make it only feasible to construct single-family homes by requiring minimum lot sizes and setback requirements. We need to close the housing gap by making it legal to build modest homes in cities where people want to live. Continue reading at Tri-City Herald.

Attorney General Bob Ferguson Partners With Lawmakers to Propose Legislation Targeting Native American Cold Cases
In a statement released on Friday, Washington state Attorney General Bob Ferguson announced he has partnered state Sen. Manka Dhingra, D-Redmond, and state Rep. Debra Lekanoff, D-Anacortes, to propose legislation creating a Cold Case Investigations Unit focused on solving cases of missing and murdered Indigenous people. The primary purpose of the unit would be assisting local and tribal law enforcement agencies to solve cold cases involving missing and murdered Indigenous people. “We must address the crisis of missing and murdered Indigenous women and people,” Ferguson said. “This bill not only honors the task force’s recommendation, it’s the right thing to do and is long overdue.” Dhingra is sponsoring Senate Bill 5137 in the state Senate while Lekanoff is sponsoring a companion bill, House Bill 1177, in the state House. Continue reading at The Chronicle. (HOUSE DEMOCRATS PHOTO)

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Associated Press
Washington lawmakers convene for 105-day session

Auburn Reporter
WA lawmakers prepare for first in-person session since 2020 (Peterson)

Axios
Getting abortion pills will soon become easier in Washington

Bellingham Herald
State Legislature fully convenes in person for first time since 2020 (Jinkins)

The Chronicle
Attorney General Bob Ferguson Partners With Lawmakers to Propose Legislation Targeting Native American Cold Cases (Dhingra, Lekanoff)

Columbian
Clark County, its cities plan for new sales tax proceeds

The Daily News
Parents see benefits of early kindergarten in Longview after two months

Everett Herald
Lawmakers return as a path for a Blake fix is fine-tuned (Jinkins, Billig, Robinson)
Editorial: Lawmakers seek privilege that doesn’t exist

New York Times
U.S. Carbon Emissions Grew in 2022, Even as Renewables Surpassed Coal
As Infrastructure Money Lands, the Job Dividends Begin

Olympian
Sheriff Derek Sanders defends involvement in Jan. 5 pursuit. Bail set for defendant
Lawmakers are using ‘privilege’ more often than they claim to deny access, records show (Jinkins, Billig)

Port Townsend Leader
Land with old-growth, shoreside forest donated to Jefferson Land Trust

Puget Sound Business Journal
Seattle schools sue tech giants over youth mental health crisis

Seattle Times
Traffic deaths in WA outpaced national toll in 2022, early data shows
Why the state’s education leader says WA schools are ‘accelerating’
Lawmakers convene in Olympia for first day of 2023 Legislature (Pedersen, Jinkins)

Spokesman Review
After two remote sessions, Legislature opens Monday fully in person (Jinkins, Fitzgibbon, Pederson)

Tri-City Herald
Avian flu and cholera kills 100s more birds near Tri-Cities. How you can help stop the spread
Op-Ed: WA’s housing crisis requires bold reform. This bill would be transformative (Bateman, Barkis)

Vancouver Business Journal
Opinion: 2023 gives lawmakers a new chance to champion the economy

Washington Post
The last eight years have been the warmest on record, researchers say

Yakima Herald-Republic
WA bill would create cold case unit for missing and murdered Indigenous people (Dhingra, Lekanoff)

Broadcast

KING 5 TV (NBC)
Legislative session began in Olympia in person for the first time since 2020 (Mena)
Leesa Manion the first woman, person of color to serve as King County Prosecutor

KOMO 4 TV (ABC)
Pierce County prosecutor claims Washington’s drug law is making the community less safe
‘Social media is addictive’: Students react to lawsuit against social media platforms

KNKX Public Radio
New Biden student loan plan unveiled amid agency funding crisis

KUOW Public Radio
2023 housing strategies proposed by Seattle’s top CEOs

KXLY (ABC)
Spokane council members, mayor ask for community feedback on rental housing

Web

MyNorthwest
Opponents of Pierce County airport to gather this Friday
SDOT, KC Metro offer free transit during West Seattle Low Bridge closure

The Stranger
Seattle’s Winter Eviction Protection Needs a Fix

Monday, January 9

5 issues to watch as the WA Legislature convenes Monday
After two years of debates, committee meetings and votes on Zoom, Washington legislators will return Monday in person to the Capitol. In the 105-day session, legislative leaders and Gov. Jay Inslee have signaled they’ll tackle thorny issues including homelessness, public safety, abortion rights and gun violence. Before their scheduled adjournment in April, lawmakers also must write the 2023-25 state budget, armed with a surplus that majority Democrats hope to channel to what they say are some of the state’s most urgent needs, like workforce shortages and child care. Here are a few key issues to watch in the upcoming session: Continue reading at Seattle Times. (Karen Ducey)

Why you should pay attention to the 2023 Washington Legislature
The unprecedented pandemic may be receding into the rearview mirror, but Washington’s elected officials still face a host of serious issues as the Legislature resumes its work on Monday. As 147 lawmakers stream in from near and far, they are expected to focus on Washington’s long-simmering crises: homelessness, housing affordability, the mental health system, education funding and keeping state workers happy, among others. And here too, the pandemic has left its mark. At the same time, the House and Senate are seeing generational turnover. An influx of brand-new lawmakers – many younger and more diverse than their predecessors – will take up the work of the institution that for generations was overwhelmingly white and often older. Continue reading at Crosscut. (Amanda Snyder)

More treatment or more jail? Washington lawmakers must approve new drug sentence rules or eliminate jail time for drug possession
As the Washington Legislature begins its work for 2023, lawmakers will have to weigh that and other tough decisions on drugs as they craft new sentencing rules for possession or ending all jail time for those crimes altogether. In February 2021, the state Supreme Court declared Washington’s felony drug possession statute unconstitutional. The decision left lawmakers scrambling to come up with a fix by the end of the legislative session. But the Legislature’s solution in 2021 was only temporary. “I think that there’s a diversity of views in the Legislature about what the right approach is, but I do feel like there’s a consensus building to do something that’s public health-focused,” Senate Majority Leader Andy Billig, D-Spokane, said, adding that some penalties for drug possession likely will remain. Continue reading at Spokesman Review. (Dan Pelle)

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Associated Press
State’s legislative session to start Monday
Seattle schools sue tech giants over social media harm

Axios
How to follow the action at Washington’s Legislature
A record number of women are serving in Washington’s Legislature

Bellingham Herald
This report outlines housing affordability solutions for Whatcom residents
Memorial honors those who died as homeless deaths surge in Whatcom

Columbian
2023 Legislative Preview: Can Washington Democrats, GOP span differences?

The Daily News
Washington lawmakers aim to focus on housing, workforce shortages in upcoming session
Cowlitz County looks to fund Martin’s Dock repairs, IWOW, Highlands upgrades in 2023 legislative session

Everett Herald
Lawmakers return to Olympia. Here’s how to reach them this session. (Stanford, Duerr, Kloba, Shavers, Paul, Liias, Peterson, Ortiz-Self, Salomon, Ryu, Davis, Robinson, Cortes, Fosse, Lovick, Donaghy, Berg)
Lawmakers prepare for first in-person session since 2020 (Liias, Donaghy)
Have a question for Washington State Ferries? Ask away this week
Early Community Transit data shows youth ridership bump
Editorial: State lawmakers’ to-do list chock-full of issues

News Tribune
Town hall on anti-airport efforts in Pierce County set for Jan. 13. Here are the details

New York Times
Restoration of the Ozone Layer Is Back on Track, Scientists Say

Northwest Asian Weekly
Opinion: CID organizations’ open letter to Sound Transit

Olympian
Thurston County overdose deaths increased again in 2022, continuing a troubling trend

Peninsula Daily News
Cooke Aquaculture wins temporary injunction

Port Townsend Leader
Washington State 2023 Legislative Session kicks off Monday

Puget Sound Business Journal
Will industrial market hit a tipping point in 2023?
USPS data shows downtown Seattle lost over 2,000 businesses since 2020

Seattle Times
5 issues to watch as the WA Legislature convenes Monday (Jinkins, Kuderer)
WA funding pitch aims to connect more Native preschoolers with tribal identity
Amid labor shortage, WA aerospace plants hire untapped talent (Simmons)

Skagit Valley Herald
Expert looks on as Skagit County works on agritourism policy
Area legislators seek bipartisan solutions on housing, health care, policing (Ramel, Paul)

Spokesman Review
More treatment or more jail? Washington lawmakers must approve new drug sentence rules or eliminate jail time for drug possession (Billig, Dhingra)
The Legislature convenes Monday for its 2023 session. Here are the issues to watch (Jinkins, Ormsby, Rolfes)

Tri-City Herald
Eastern WA quarantine grows for destructive beetles. What it means for your roses and lawn

Wenatchee World
East Wenatchee makes deal with Douglas County PUD for electric vehicle pilot program

Yakima Herald-Republic
As new state rules take effect, most Yakima Valley businesses pay more than $15.74 an hour
WA bill would create cold case unit for missing and murdered Indigenous people (Lekanoff, Dhingra)

Broadcast

KING 5 TV (NBC)
Legislative session in Washington to begin Monday
Washington healthcare workers push for new staffing laws, enforcement

KIRO 7 TV (CBS)
Seattle schools sue tech giants over social media harm

KOMO 4 TV (ABC)
Washington state’s legislative session to start Monday (Jinkins)
Housing, homelessness crisis to be priority for state lawmakers in 2023
New COVID-19 variant makes way into Pacific Northwest

KNKX Public Radio
While states ban TikTok, this Washington state agency says it helps them reach young people
New WA agency launches police hotline for use-of-force cases, but hiring still a slow go
WA legislature is back in-person, but virtual public comment has more Washingtonians calling in

KUOW Public Radio
Police vehicle pursuits could be hot topic at WA Legislature – again
Seattle hospital temporarily diverting some patients

NW Public Radio
Washington bill seeks to regulate solitary confinement (Peterson)
Here are six issues atop the agenda for the 2023 Washington Legislature

Web

Crosscut
Why you should pay attention to the 2023 Washington Legislature (Mena, Ormsby, Billig, Rolfes)

Harvard Journal on Legislation Online
Frockt: Overcoming the Partisan Divide to Address Long-Range Risks: A Case Study in Planning for ‘the Really Big One’

Friday, January 6

Lawmakers aim to tackle drug laws and homelessness
Washington lawmakers return to Olympia Monday with several pressing issues to address — chief among them, revising Washington’s criminal drug laws and addressing the state’s housing and homelessness crisis. Here are four key topics the Legislature is expected to debate during its 105-day session, which runs through the end of April: reforming drug laws, housing and homelessness, long term care tax, and gun control. Continue reading at Axios. (Brendan Lynch)

Hospitals, nurses at odds over how WA lawmakers should address health care crisis
Washington hospitals and nurses, faced with staffing shortages that plague the healthcare industry nationwide, are seeking help from the state Legislature, which begins its 2023 session Monday. Nurses are calling on state lawmakers to enact nurse-to-patient ratios, saying they would ease burdens on nurses and reduce turnover and burnout. A staffing ratio bill died in the Senate last year. Pressure on lawmakers to take action will likely only increase as the healthcare industry remains on rocky financial footing, with several Washington hospitals threatening to cut back services or even close. Continue reading at Puget Sound Business Journal. (SEIU HEALTHCARE 1199NW)

Inslee, lawmakers focus on workforce amid tech layoffs and shortage in other industries
While the tech industry is shedding jobs, many other employers are desperate for workers. State legislators are newly focused on trying to help. Legislators told reporters Thursday they want to make it easier for behavioral health specialists licensed in other states to take jobs here, and they propose new police training facilities closer to where incoming officers will live and work. They also want new training and apprenticeship programs. “We have to rethink how we’re doing this. We have a new problem, we need new solutions,” Senator Andy Billig (D-Majority Leader) said. Continue reading at KIRO 7.

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Aberdeen Daily World
Cold weather shelters to expand capacity, other potential sites identified

Axios
Lawmakers aim to tackle drug laws and homelessness
Some school districts must wait on electric bus money
Cap-and-trade takes effect in Washington state

Bellingham Herald
Repairs begin on Nooksack Dam near Ferndale

Columbian
Clark County COVID rates fall; 10 deaths reported

Everett Herald
Comment: Beyond numbers, this is what child poverty looks like

News Tribune
Medical examiner identifies man fatally shot by Tacoma police last month following chase
Puyallup Tribe announces economic development project at port. Here are the details

New York Times
Biden Administration Moves to Tighten Limits on Deadly Air Pollution

Northwest Asian Weekly
ST alternate stations outside the CID present challenges

Olympian
Thurston Sheriff pursues driver accused of hit and run, possessing stolen vehicle

Puget Sound Business Journal
Hospital, nurses at odds over how state should address health care crisis
Experts expect unionization efforts to gain steam
FTC proposes broad ban on noncompetes

Seattle Times
WA hospitals, health care unions split on best way out of staffing crisis
Final report on Boeing 737 MAX crash sparks dispute over pilot error

Spokesman Review
Idaho Supreme Court upholds all abortion laws challenged in Planned Parenthood cases

Walla Walla Union Bulletin
New variant of COVID-19 on its way to Walla Walla Valley; vaccine still key weapon, experts say

Washington Post
Half of Earth’s glaciers could melt even if key warming goal is met, study says

Yakima Herald-Republic
EFSEC at odds with Yakima County commissioners on solar project moratorium

Broadcast

KING 5 TV (NBC)
Amazon announces another wave of layoffs, eliminating over 18,000 positions in 3 months
DOJ settles claim filed by Des Moines ‘dreamer’ who was arrested in 2017

KIRO 7 TV (CBS)
Inslee, lawmakers focus on workforce amid tech layoffs and shortage in other industries (Billig, Jinkins)

KOMO 4 TV (ABC)
Inslee tackles housing, homelessness, police ahead of legislative session (Rolfes)

KNKX Public Radio
The U.S. job market is still healthy, but it’s slowing down as recession fears mount
Biden announces new border control measures and legal pathways to some migrants

KUOW Public Radio
Washington grid attacks flew under the radar for months
Could bottle deposits be coming to Washington state? (Berry, Rolfes)

KXLY (ABC)
‘It’s 100% necessary’: SPD to ramp up patrols in neighborhoods
Healthcare workers head to Olympia, await passage of safe staffing standards bill
Spokane directs $5.1 million towards customers who fell behind on utility bills

Web

MyNorthwest
State Capitol building briefly evacuated ahead of legislative session

Thursday, January 5

Here’s how Washington might get consumer bottle recycling, eliminate waste production
Washington legislators are taking another swing at improving recycling and eliminating waste production in the state, and have introduced a new bill to make it happen. The Washington Recycle and Packaging Act was presented Wednesday, Jan. 4, at a Seattle Aquarium event by Rep. Liz Berry and Sen. Christine Rolfes. “This bill creates a path to reduce packaging and paper and make sure what remains is recycled or composted, and does not go to landfills,” Berry, D-Seattle, said at the introduction of the bill. “But I am most excited about our inclusion of a bottle deposit system in our bill, similar to what Oregon has. We’ve learned many months of crafting legislation that if we really want to meet our goals to reduce litter and reach our reduce and recycle targets, and refill targets, Washington must implement this kind of program.” Continue reading at The Olympian. (TVW)

Washington state starts 2023 with ambitious new climate efforts
One of Washington’s biggest climate programs yet launched on Jan. 1: the Clean Fuel Standard. Under this program, fuel suppliers must gradually provide cleaner and cleaner fuels for gas pumps across the state, starting now, through 2034. Also kicking in this month is a law that caps greenhouse gas emissions from the state’s largest polluters. That program allows companies to buy carbon credits in an auction, which can be traded like other investments — also known as cap and invest. And this year, major federal incentives for green energy kick in. People can get tax credits for buying electric vehicles, installing rooftop solar, and heat pumps. Continue reading at KUOW. (Eric Mclean)

State audit: low-income, students from communities of color most impacted by COVID campus closures
Students from the state’s poorest school districts, and those with the highest populations from communities of color suffered the most learning loss during pandemic shutdowns of campuses, according to a new state study. In an audit requested by state legislators, conducted by the Joint Legislative Audit and Review, investigators looked at test scores, teacher surveys, enrollment figures, and substance abuse and mental health studies. All of the races and ethnic groups saw numbers improve by spring of 2022, but not to pre-pandemic levels in 2019. “It’s heartbreaking. You never want students to get behind,” said Rep. April Berg, D-Everett. Berg said keeping students at home was the right decision, saying it kept them healthier, but she said lawmakers need to do more about the learning loss suffered between 2020 and 2022. Continue reading at KING5.

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Bellingham Herald
New law means most WA employers will list pay info on job ads. Here’s what you need to know

Capital Press
Inslee celebrates coming cap-and-trade auctions

Columbian
I-5 Bridge replacement program misses out on grant
Washington’s two key climate standards are now in effect

Everett Herald
Protesters push back on opioid center near Lynnwood Boys & Girls Club
Editorial: Use drug possession charge as leverage for treatment

News Tribune
Mentally ill people are languishing in jail. Pierce judge blames state, issues fines
Tacoma cop’s pursuit violated policy. Here’s what the city will pay injured bystander
Federal government reaches settlement with ‘dreamer’ who sued after detention in Tacoma

New York Times
Biden Administration Defends Student Loan Cancellation at Supreme Court
U.S. Moves to Bar Noncompete Agreements in Labor Contracts

Olympian
Open government group says WA legislators are using ‘privilege’ to withhold public records
Thurston County ends nonprofit-operated juvenile diversion program after 46 years
Here’s how Washington might get consumer bottle recycling, eliminate waste production (Berry, Rolfes)

Puget Sound Business Journal
Construction trade group: Public funding likely to bolster industry in 2023
Amazon to cut more corporate jobs than originally expected
Study: Washington’s economic performance dropped during pandemic

Seattle Medium
Road Rage Rises in Washington
Editorial: The King Holiday Reflects Our Resilience

Seattle Times
How Tacoma’s yearlong guaranteed income experiment fared (Berry)
Thousands without power as wet, windy weather continues in Western WA
Mental health research is making ‘undeniable’ progress. Why are we still in crisis?

Skagit Valley Herald
State commission approves Puget Sound Energy rate increases
Guemes Ferry fares likely to increase

Spokesman Review
Here’s what you need to know about 2 Inslee-backed climate laws effective today

Tri-City Herald
Richland will demolish problem motel it bought for $1.2M. What could take its place?

Vancouver Business Journal
Low wages, student debt create shortages in behavioral health workforce

Walla Walla Union Bulletin
Walla Walla Public Schools teams with Paper to bring online tutoring to students

Wenatchee World
East Wenatchee to spend $4.6 million from state on two street projects this fall

Yakima Herald-Republic
City Council pitches Yakima for new airport as state looks to boost capacity

Broadcast

KING 5 TV (NBC)
Crisis stabilization center in Bellingham dedicated for 50-year veteran social worker
Riders slow to return to the Sounder commuter train
State audit: low-income, students from communities of color most impacted by COVID campus closures (Berg)

KIRO 7 TV (CBS)
Washington delegation members speak on House speaker selection drama

KNKX Public Radio
Members of the military will now get 12 weeks of parental leave
Abortion pills should be easier to get. That doesn’t mean that they will be

KUOW Public Radio
Washington state starts 2023 with ambitious new climate efforts
Murray becomes first woman president pro tem of the Senate

Web

Crosscut
Study reveals internet access inequities in Seattle and Portland

MyNorthwest
Repairs continue on West Seattle Low Bridge after ice storm
Seattle City Council confirms Adrian Diaz as police chief
King County selected to participate in CDC National Health Survey

West Seattle Blog
FERRIES: Third boat back on Fauntleroy-Vashon-Southworth soon? Update expected next week

Wednesday, January 4

Murray becomes first female president pro tempore in Senate
When Washington Sen. Patty Murray was elected to the Senate in 1992, she says, male senators treated her with some trepidation. But now she has outlasted almost all of them, becoming the first woman appointed president pro tempore — a senior member of the majority who presides over the Senate and is third in line to the presidency. Murray, 72, says she sees her own ascension to the post as another example of the slow, steady progress of women in the perpetually old-fashioned Senate — not only as an example for young people, but as a platform for women’s issues, like paid leave and child care, that she has championed for years. She first ran as a self-proclaimed “mom in tennis shoes,” and she still wears them to this day, as a grandmother. Continue reading at Associated Press. (Jacquelyn Martin)

Economic downturn anxieties lead Washington lawmakers to ask: To tax or not to tax?
A debate is brewing in Olympia over how to prepare for a potential economic downturn. “Looking forward we still have a very robust economy, it’s the envy of the United States, we still have gangbuster industries doing very, very well and I believe there is a reason that that will continue,” Inslee said while speaking with TVW’s Austin Jenkins. Inslee’s budget is a 12% increase over current spending, despite anxieties over inflation and economic downturns. But the governor says the state also has $2 billion in reserves as a cushion. He further argues that the state plans to give a tax break to some residents (the Working Family Tax credit), but no general tax cuts. Also, the state still has considerable issues to address, which “demand investments.” Continue reading at KUOW. (NW News Network)

WA scores in federal omnibus spending bill
In a mad rush before the end of the year, Congress finally passed an omnibus federal spending bill. Washington’s congressional delegation made sure that important projects around the Puget Sound will receive a federal financial boost, to the tune of $44 million. More than a quarter of that money will fund health care and child development. Pierce County will get help for its homeless residents. Transportation on land and at sea will improve. And there are grants for environmental restoration and economic development, too. Washington will be in line for even more federal support for the next few years. Sen. Patty Murray will chair the budget-writing Senate Appropriations Committee. Continue reading at Seattle Times. (J. Scott Applewhite)