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Wednesday, February 1

WA lawmakers of both parties back 13 bills meant to boost housing supply
Whether through easing permitting, zoning or other regulations, a bipartisan group of state lawmakers wants to make it easier to build homes and apartments in Washington. Lawmakers projected unity on the issue Tuesday, holding a group announcement of support for 13 bills meant to increase Washington’s housing stock. Proposals include measures to hasten the process of getting permits to build housing and making it easier to develop “mother-in-law” units in a state where insufficient housing has driven up the cost of renting and owning a home. Rep. Mia Gregerson, D-SeaTac, said Washington currently needs about 150,000 more housing units, and in the next 20 years will need 1 million homes. The announcement came a few weeks into a legislative session where housing is already front and center. Continue reading at Seattle Times. (Karen Ducey)

WA lawmakers promise bipartisan action to boost housing supply
Legislators in Olympia are considering a host of bills to address the housing crisis, and Tuesday, members from both parties announced they’re finding common ground. A group of lawmakers highlighted a suite of policy proposals, backed by both Republicans and Democrats, that would make regulatory and construction changes aimed at boosting the supply of homes across Washington. The list of bills covers a wide range of construction and regulatory changes, including proposals to speed up the building permit process, create more housing near transportation hubs and diversify the type of housing available in certain areas. With commitments from both sides of the aisle to move forward, Senate Housing Committee Chair Patty Kuderer (D-Bellevue) says this session is shaping up to be a big one for housing. Continue reading at KUOW. (KUOW)

Bill would limit traffic stops to try to prevent police killings
Police in Washington would be barred from pulling over drivers for minor issues like broken tail lights or expired tabs under a measure now before the state Legislature. It’s part of an effort to limit low-level traffic stops, which critics say too often escalate into violence — especially against Black, Hispanic and Indigenous people. Supporters say the change would also free up officers to pursue more serious violations such as driving under the influence, potentially helping curb the state’s recent rise in traffic fatalities. At a public hearing this week in Olympia, the fatal beating of Tyre Nichols by Memphis police hung over the proceedings, with the bill sponsor, the committee chair and some members of the public mentioning Nichols’ death as an example of a traffic stop gone wrong. “Communities of color bear the disproportionate burden of these traffic stops,” said the legislation’s sponsor, state Rep. Chipalo Street (D-Seattle). “This raises the chances that we are involved in tragic escalations of force.” Continue reading at Axios. (Brendan Lynch)

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Associated Press
Feds use rare veto to block Alaska Pebble Mine plan

Axios
Bill would limit traffic stops to try to prevent police killings (Street)

Bellingham Herald
WA saw highest traffic fatalities in 30 years in 2022. Is $9 million enough to help fix it?
Working Families Tax Credit applications to open as lawmakers introduce ideas to expand it (Thai)
Washingtonians must prepare for the impacts of wildfire and smoke. These bills could help (Springer, Shewmake)
Opinion: WA trails its neighbors’ beverage recycling rates. A bottle bill can change that

Columbian
Vancouver legislator proposes bill to allow optometrists to perform surgery (Cleveland)
Sturgeon numbers sinking in Columbia River

Everett Herald
Former state Rep. Karla Wilson, 88, remembered as ‘smart, energetic’
Despite controversy, Lynnwood opioid treatment center opens its doors
After rapid rise, Everett’s Pallet hits milestone: 100 shelter villages

International Examiner
In the wake of Lunar New Year shootings, community reflects on mental wellness and how to cope

News Tribune
Black History Month starts today in Pierce County with events, activities for all ages
Opinion: A $4 billion loan to build affordable housing? In WA, it’s a steep price worth paying

Olympian
Pierce County makes new plea to end airport prospects. Why it’s questioning transparency
Testimony again heard on psilocybin-assisted treatment. Can a bipartisan bill get passed? (Salomon)

Seattle Times
Car insurance premiums in WA to creep up, commissioner warns
WA lawmakers of both parties back 13 bills meant to boost housing supply (Gregerson, Peterson)
Opinion: WA Supreme Court can support racial justice with capital gains tax ruling

Spokesman Review
Right turns at red lights could soon be banned for drivers at certain locations in Washington (Liias, Lovick)
Community groups, Spokane city leaders frustrated as roundtable talks on policing come to abrupt end
Legislature looks to clean Spokane River PCBs with new proposal to regulate the chemicals (Billig, Riccelli)
Opinion: Walking while Black: Why it’s time to repeal Washington’s jaywalking laws

Wenatchee World
Legislation to fund five additional school days set for Thursday hearing (Billig, Wellman)

Broadcast

KING 5 TV (NBC)
Washington’s utility bill help: ‘People shouldn’t choose between food or heat’
Police support bill to roll back restrictions on pursuits (Dhingra)
Washington Senate committee considers harsher penalties for sexually abusive jail guards

KOMO 4 TV (ABC)
Lawmakers introduce a dozen bills addressing Washington’s housing shortage (Gregerson)

KNKX Public Radio
EPA vetoes Pebble Mine looming over Bristol Bay salmon fishery

KUOW Public Radio
Can you afford to be on a jury for $10 a day? Not everyone can
WA lawmakers promise bipartisan action to boost housing supply (Peterson, Kuderer)
How do you protect kids online… from their own parents? (Reeves)

KXLY (ABC)
Advocacy groups say not much gained from police accountability roundtables

Web

Crosscut
Can Washington prisons change the culture of corrections?

MyNorthwest
State lawmakers considering ‘TSWIFT Consumer Protection Act’ concerning ticket sales (Reeves)

Tuesday, January 31

WA lawmakers debating ways to address surging traffic fatalities
If you have spent any time behind the wheel since the pandemic began, you’ve surely noticed people driving more aggressively and way too fast. That correlates with a rise in traffic fatalities that last year reached levels not seen since the 1990s in Washington state and Oregon. State lawmakers in Olympia are debating a suite of possible new responses. Those include authorizing photo radar in highway work zones, prohibiting right turns at many red lights, and lowering the breathalyzer limit to convict for drunk driving. The traffic safety proposals the lawmakers described would tackle the problem from a number of angles. Continue reading at KNKX. (ODOT)

‘Right to repair’ bill would give consumers access to parts, info needed to fix their electronics
Washington residents are going to have a chance to speak out on whether they should have choices on how to repair their own electronics. The issue is called “right to repair,” and some bills offering those rights will have public hearings this week. Lawmakers supporting the right to repair bills say such repairs can be costly and sometimes lead to just replacing the device. Rep. Mia Gregerson said that such a measure could help save taxpayers money when governments need to make device repairs. Continue reading at My Northwest. (KIRO7)

Washington and Oregon may regulate the wild West of crypto mining
More than a dozen cryptocurrency mining operations call Grant County, Washington, home. The swell of crypto mining interest in the region was driven by some of the cheapest hydropower in the U.S. produced by the Grand Coulee and other dams. So the utilities in central Washington used tiered power rate increases to manage the high electricity usage that is characteristic of the industry. Several years of bitcoin’s boom-and-bust cycles later, environmental regulations around crypto mining have remained relatively sparse in Washington and the rest of the Pacific Northwest. Even at state agencies tasked with environmental protections beyond emissions, such as water quality or e-waste disposal, spokespeople echoed a common refrain that they have little or no specific insight into the impacts of bitcoin mining. Slowly, that’s beginning to change. Continue reading at Crosscut. (Erick Doxey)

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Bellingham Herald
Governor pitches plan to borrow billions to address the housing crisis in WA (Billig)
Testimony again heard on psilocybin-assisted treatment. Can a bipartisan bill get passed? (Salomon)

Capital Press
Washington denies new capital gains tax also taxes income

Columbian
Like I-5, Hood River-White Salmon Interstate Bridge needs to be replaced
Missing middle housing bills back on Legislature’s table (Bateman, Trudeau)
Regional Transportation Council receives $300K Safe Streets grant

Everett Herald
No right turns on red gets a look, a bid to expand sports betting arrives (Liias)
Despite controversy, Lynnwood opioid treatment center opens its doors
With 747 out, Boeing to open new 737 Max line at Everett’s Paine Field
Comment: Economists failed middle-class Americans on inflation

The Facts Newspaper
City of Seattle’s Food Equity Fund now accepting proposals

Kitsap Sun
Lawmakers eye reforms to address special education students sent out of state (Wellman, Wilson)

News Tribune
Tacoma warned of active TB case; TPCHD could seek court order after patient declines meds

New York Times
U.S. Plans to End Public Health Emergency for Covid in May

Olympian
‘Unacceptable’ death threats allegedly sent over Tenino sex offender home, Sheriff says
PSE planning a program to move homes off natural gas. It’s already getting pushback

Puget Sound Business Journal
Air Force orders 15 more KC-46 tankers from Boeing
Seattle apartment rents up 8% yearly, but increases appear set to slow

Seattle Times
WA settles sexual harassment case at Monroe prison for $600,000
UW’s Sisterhood Initiative aims to build community for women of color
Feds will give Seattle $25.6 million to help fund Sodo safety improvements
Opinion: The anesthesiologist assistant model is not a good fit for WA

Skagit Valley Herald
Research continues on pinniped predation in Salish Sea

Spokesman Review
Washington Legislature considers bill to lower blood alcohol limit to 0.05% for DUIs (Lovick)
Legislature looks to clean Spokane River PCBs with new proposal to regulate the chemicals (Billig, Ormsby)

Broadcast

KING 5 TV (NBC)
Bill aimed at changing traffic stops intended to reduce fatalities, increase racial equity (Street)
Gov. Inslee weighs in on potential Bellevue school consolidation
Recovery advocates aim to reduce stigma surrounding opioid treatment center

KIRO 7 TV (CBS)
Boeing bids farewell to an icon with delivery of last 747 jet
Lawmakers debating bill that would limit law enforcement’s ability to make ‘low-level’ traffic stops (Street)

KOMO 4 TV (ABC)
Seattle police chief gives statement on fatal crash that killed 23-year-old grad student
Funding cuts made to safety project on street where woman was killed by Seattle police car

KNKX Public Radio
Movies set, but not filmed, in Washington are common. That might start changing.
WA lawmakers debating ways to address surging traffic fatalities (Lovick, Fey, Ramel)

KXLY (ABC)
WA bill aims to teach kids about underrepresented groups (Wilson)

Q13 TV (FOX)
Washington communities get $9M to reverse trend of traffic fatalities

Web

Crosscut
Washington and Oregon may regulate the wild West of crypto mining (Senn, Doglio)
Homeless services could face cuts in WA’s 2023 legislative session (Macri, Alvarado, Wilson)

Geekwire
Privacy bill aims to protect health data on apps and websites in Washington state (Slatter)

Land Line
Restroom access for truckers on Tuesday’s agenda for Washington lawmakers (Stanford, Keiser)

MyNorthwest
Labor unions, residents see economic impact with new Boeing assembly line coming to Everett in 2024
‘Right to repair’ bill would give consumers access to parts, info needed to fix their electronics (Gregerson)

Pluribus News
Democrats eye data privacy in abortion rights protections push (Slatter)

West Seattle Blog
FOLLOWUP: Local legislators co-sponsor two bills to keep boats further away from endangered orcas (Nguyen, Fitzgibbon)

Monday, January 30

Inslee wants WA to borrow $4B to build housing and shelter. How would that work?
It’s the centerpiece of Gov. Jay Inslee’s 2023-25 budget proposal: a plan to borrow $4 billion to fund an aggressive push to build affordable housing and shelters in Washington. A few weeks into the 2023 legislative session, it’s not clear whether Inslee’s proposal will get the necessary support from lawmakers to pass. In its current form, the unprecedented effort to address homelessness and the dearth of affordable housing would also need approval from Washington voters. “Until we fix our housing crisis, thousands of people will remain homeless,” Inslee told a joint session of the Legislature on Jan. 10. “And we need a fix that provides a level of speed and scale beyond anything we’ve done in the past.” Here’s how state officials say it would work. Continue reading at Seattle Times. (Karen Ducey)

Washington Legislature considers a bill that would prevent pre-employment cannabis testing
More than a decade after voters legalized marijuana under Washington law, some state lawmakers hope to end the use of testing for the drug as a condition for getting hired. Recreational use of marijuana is legal under state law for adults over the age of 21 in Washington, but legalization hasn’t stopped some employers from making hiring decisions based on the results of drug testing for cannabis . A bill sponsored by Sen. Karen Keiser, D-Des Moines, would prevent testing for cannabis for pre-employment, though employers still would be able to test workers while they are employed. “I think that it is discrimination at this point, to discriminate against someone for the use of a legal substance just in terms of being hired,” Keiser said. “We really need to open our doors and not close them. It’s both a fairness issue and a workforce issue.” Continue reading at Spokesman Review. (Jesse Tinsley)

Bill introduced to broaden access to music therapy in Washington
A dim prognosis, a motor skills disorder, grief or just stress and anxiety: no matter what the case may be, a quickly growing form of therapy could have you singing a new tune. Currently in Washington, music therapists are not eligible for state licensure. But on Thursday, Senate Bill 5214 was introduced and there is a new push in the legislature to change that. Music therapy is defined by using music to address the physical, emotional, cognitive, and social needs of a patient. Treatment can cost anywhere from $50 to $250 dollars per session, but the bill would allow music therapists to begin accepting insurance. The bill would make music therapist services more affordable and accessible for every Washington resident. Continue reading at KING5.

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Associated Press
Seattle could broaden anti-discrimination law to add caste

Aberdeen Daily World
Fish and houseguests: Shoalwater Bay Tribe pushes back against green crab

Columbian
‘Slipping through the cracks’: From foster care to homelessness
Hundreds in Washington go missing from foster care

Everett Herald
Democrats advance assault weapons ban, new rules for gun buyers (Peterson, Hansen)
COVID still ‘simmering’ in the county, while booster uptake remains low
A move to require voting and a bicameral chasm on vehicle pursuits (Dhingra)
Editorial: Don’t let fear foil answers to opioid, other crises

News Tribune
Tacoma council considers stance on WA drug-possession bills. Here’s where it is leaning (Salomon, Robinson)
What would an airport in the shadow of Mount Rainier mean for the park and its visitors?
Editorial: First responders need stroke training. The Puyallup DUI story is a perfect example

New York Times
6th Memphis Police Officer Suspended in Tyre Nichols Death

Olympian
The City of Tumwater wants to turn this motel into affordable housing for seniors
Washington’s first residential treatment facility to welcome patients in February

Peninsula Daily News
Legislature aims to protect tenants (Tharinger)
Status of rental legislation outlined

Puget Sound Business Journal
Boeing fully staffed in Renton as expectations loom over 737 line
Restaurants that missed out on Covid relief fund could catch a break

Seattle Times
Inslee wants WA to borrow $4B to build housing and shelter. How would that work? (Billig)
WA bills seek to cap rent hikes and register rentals, landlords object (Peterson, Macri, Ramel, Thai, Kuderer)
Judge dismisses lawsuit from protester who claimed she was denied medication in jail
Tyre Nichols’ brutal beating by police shown on video
Opinion: Support new effort to end homeownership disparities
Editorial: WA should fund unit to investigate missing Indigenous people
Editorial: Serve the people, not developers: Amend WA ‘middle housing’ bill (Bateman, Pollet)

Sequim Gazette
Constitutional amendment to protect abortion rights stirs support, protest (Keiser, Kuderer, Jinkins, Trudeau, Mena, Riccelli, Farivar, Randall, Slatter, Dhingra)

Spokesman Review
Legislature has options for addressing drug possession law. Here’s a look at some of them (Billig, Jinkins, Dhingra, Robinson, Salomon, Rule, Simmons)
Washington Legislature considers a bill that would prevent pre-employment cannabis testing (Keiser)
Proposal to expand free lunch to all public school students in Washington gains bipartisan support (Riccelli, Stonier)
Assault weapons ban advances out of state House committee (Peterson)

Washington Post
Black Memphis police spark dialogue on systemic racism in the U.S.
How liberal states are shoring up abortion rights

Wenatchee World
Retail theft on the rise, attorney general tells industry reps and law enforcement
Opinion: WA’s ‘Death with Dignity’ law failed my wife

Yakima Herald-Republic
Yakima County’s 2022 jobless rate ties for lowest since 2010, but recent numbers rising
Editorial: Proposed wealth tax is worth a look (Frame)

Broadcast

KING 5 TV (NBC)
Lawmakers debate tax, abortion, road safety measures in week 3: In Session (Lovick)
Elected officials respond to Bellevue School District’s 3-school consolidation (Slatter, Thai)
New online tool launches to help survivors of sexual assault in King County
Bill introduced to broaden access to music therapy in Washington (Frame, Cleveland, Conway, Hasegawa, Lovelett, Nobles, and C. Wilson)

KIRO 7 TV (CBS)
Controversial opioid treatment center opens in Lynnwood Monday

KOMO 4 TV (ABC)
Sound Transit, Washington State Ferries receive millions in federal funding
Doctors from UW Medicine encouraging boosters for pregnancy

KUOW Public Radio
Can Washington’s capital gains tax survive the Supreme Court?: Today So Far
WSU removing Covid vaccine requirement for most students
Roadway carnage has lawmakers pitching everything from more photo radar to fewer right turns on red (Lovick, Fey)
WHO: COVID still an emergency but nearing ‘inflection’ point

Web

MyNorthwest
Lake Stevens HS employee arrested for alleged sexual misconduct
Providence rated worst nonprofit hospital in country regarding consumer practices
Multiple rent stabilization bills aim to control extreme increases (Ramel)

Friday, January 27

Justices weigh effort to balance Washington state’s tax code
An effort to balance what is considered the nation’s most regressive state tax code came before the Washington Supreme Court on Thursday, with justices hearing arguments about whether they should overturn a prohibition on income taxes that dates to the 1930s. Washington is one of nine states without an income tax, and its heavy reliance on sales and fuel taxes to pay for schools, roads and other public expenses falls disproportionately on low-income residents. They pay at least six times more in taxes as a percentage of household income than the wealthiest residents do, according to lawmakers, and middle-income residents pay two to four times as much. Democrats in Olympia, led by Gov. Jay Inslee, sought to begin addressing that in 2021, when they enacted a 7% capital gains tax on the sale of stocks, bonds and other high-end assets, with exemptions for the first $250,000 each year and gains from sales of retirement accounts, real estate and certain small businesses. Continue reading at Associated Press. (Ted S. Warren)

WA may launch a cold-case unit for missing, murdered Indigenous people
Washington lawmakers are pushing ahead with a bill to establish a special cold-case unit for missing and murdered Indigenous people after pushback from some law enforcement officials who claimed the new task force could interfere with their work. House Bill 1177, requested by Attorney General Bob Ferguson, is sponsored by the 40th District’s Rep. Debra Lekanoff, who sits on the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and People Task Force at the Attorney General’s Office. According to data collected by the Attorney General’s Office, there are 2,200 unsolved homicides in Washington. Native American women make up nearly 5% of those, though they represent less than 2% of the state’s population. Continue reading at Crosscut. (Caean Couto)

State Sen. Salomon’s bill is best response to WA drug possession law
The Washington Supreme Court has pushed the state Legislature this year to create a permanent law governing the possession of controlled substances. This legislative session, two bills propose to change the current law, along with a Republican proposal from late last year that essentially reinstates the law the Supreme Court found unconstitutional. Both bills would make possession a gross misdemeanor. Under Salomon’s bill, if a person completes the substance-use treatment prior to their conviction being entered, the court would be required to dismiss the charge. An evaluator trained in clinical substance treatment would recommend the type and length of treatment, not a judge. Continue reading at Seattle Times. (Karen Ducey)

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Associated Press
Justices weigh effort to balance Washington state’s tax code

Columbian
Point in Time Count provides snapshot of homelessness in Clark County
Vancouver to revise urban forestry plan as it aims for equity, climate goals

Everett Herald
County to pay $1.9 million over Everett man’s fatal shooting by deputy
School program gives Scriber Lake teens class credits — and paychecks
State to pay $600K over psychologist’s harassment at Monroe prison

The Facts Newspaper
Important Update for Social Equity License Applicants: Maps

High Country News
This Washington experiment could rebuild eroding coastlines

The Inlander
High schoolers urge Washington lawmakers to eliminate gender-based pricing discrimination (Dhingra)

News Tribune
Renowned Washington artist named to create likeness of this Indigenous leader for Capitol
Tacoma police want to stop hate crimes. Here’s its plan and how businesses can help
Editorial: WA must finally address mental health delays in jails. The cruelty is staggering

Olympian
WA Supreme Court hears first oral arguments in capital gains tax case
Mental health hospital in NE Lacey on hold after partner pulls out
Bipartisan bills introduced to WA legislature to limit public records lawsuits (Springer, Walen, Pollet)

Seattle Times
Washington traffic safety is ‘a crisis that we can’t ignore,’ lawmakers say (Liias, Lovick)
Ending homelessness in King County will cost billions, regional authority says
Editorial: State Sen. Salomon’s bill is best response to WA drug possession law (Salomon, Robinson)

Spokesman Review
State Supreme Court hears capital gains tax arguments in hearing

Broadcast

KING 5 TV (NBC)
This Washington study might make you think twice about your makeup choices
Washington Attorney General sues Providence hospitals over ‘unfair’ medical billing practices
Department of Health approves license for Lynnwood opioid center
Washington legislature eyes free school lunch for all students

KNKX Public Radio
AI helps scientists better understand wildfire emissions

KUOW Public Radio
WA could expand resources for solving cold cases with Indigenous victims

Q13 TV (FOX)
State leaders hope bipartisan effort saves lives, increases traffic safety in Washington (Lovick, Liias, Shewmake, Frame, Hunt, Reed, Mena)

Web

Crosscut
WA may launch a cold-case unit for missing, murdered Indigenous people (Lekanoff)

Thursday, January 26

Washington’s new capital gains tax goes before state Supreme Court
Progressives in Washington have been anticipating this hearing for years in the hope that the state Supreme Court will bless a capital gains tax as lawful – and perhaps even overturn a prior court precedent that has long stymied a personal income tax. Democratic lawmakers have long assailed Washington’s tax system – which doesn’t have a personal income tax – as regressive. Since state revenue depends so heavily on sales and business taxes, it means people who earn the least ultimately pay a higher share of their income in tax. Democrats in the Legislature passed the capital gains tax in 2021 and Gov. Jay Inslee signed it into law. The new law levies a 7% tax on profits from selling assets like bonds and stocks. The tax would apply only to the portion of the profits from those sales that exceed $250,000 by an individual or married couple. Continue reading at Crosscut. (Jovelle Tamayo)

What new federal money will mean for WA ferries
The federal government has awarded Washington State Ferries $4.9 million to help build an electric-ferry charging station for the busy Mukilteo-Clinton line, and $5 million for dock improvements to improve transit and pedestrian connections at Southworth. Those grants, along with $1.7 million for WSF to buy modern ferry-payment software and systems, that make credit-card transactions quicker, were announced Thursday morning by the Federal Transit Administration. FTA’s latest ferry spending represents a modest sum that might help Puget Sound agencies get moving on new projects, and displays the federal government’s new zeal to subsidize cleaner transportation. Continue reading at Seattle Times. (Stefanie Loh)

What if voting were not just a right, but a legally required duty?
Numerous Democrats in the Washington Legislature are backing a new proposal to make voting in elections compulsory. Citizens are required by law to cast ballots in about 25 counties, but in no other U.S. states. State Sen. Sam Hunt (D-Olympia) said he got the idea for what he calls “universal civic duty voting” from a recently published book titled “100% Democracy” by E.J. Dionne and Miles Rapoport. Democratic Senate Majority Leader Andy Billig of Spokane mailed Hunt a copy last year. “As a member of the Senate, once the majority leader sends you something, it sort of gets your attention,” Hunt said in an interview. “So, I read the book and it piqued an interest with me.” So much so, Hunt had the concept of compulsory voting turned into a legislative proposal. Billig’s enthusiasm separately inspired state Rep. Sharlett Mena (D-Tacoma) to introduce an identical version of the legislation in the state House. Continue reading at KUOW. (Wikimedia Commons)