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Thursday, December 12

Experts tackle the ‘all of us problem’ of housing in Snohomish County
What’s the solution to the housing crisis? Building more housing. It sounds simple, but getting to that point — and at the scale required to fix a problem that’s been worsening for more than a decade — is a big ask. On Tuesday, a panel of experts discussed how to do just that, in a virtual presentation hosted by Economic Alliance Snohomish County. Right now, most of the numbers in Snohomish County don’t tell a positive story. Based on occupational median incomes, more than two-thirds of workers in the county don’t earn enough on their own to rent the average apartment without being rent-burdened, or spending more than a third of income on housing. Continue reading at The Everett Herald. (Olivia Vanni)

WA’s carbon market prices increase after failed repeal effort
Prices in Washington’s fledging carbon market spiked this month, after the state’s Climate Commitment Act survived a hard-fought repeal effort in November. The state’s Dec. 4 auction raised nearly $272 million from some of the state’s largest climate polluters by selling about 5.3 million 2023 and 2024 allowances at $40.26 each and 2.2 million 2027 allowances at $26 each. One allowance represents one metric ton of emissions for the year it is labeled. Washington aims to cut emissions nearly in half by 2030, and become a mostly carbon-free state by 2050, while using the carbon market’s revenue for efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Continue reading at The Seattle Times. (Nick Wagner)

Unsheltered homelessness reduced slightly in Vancouver in 2024
There were 1,366 people experiencing homelessness in Vancouver in 2024, according to the annual homelessness counts presented to the city council on Monday night. The new data paint a picture that shows progress as well as ongoing challenges in addressing homelessness in Southwest Washington’s largest city. There was a 5% increase in the total number of people experiencing homelessness in 2024. But, for the first time in six years, there were more people living in shelters than outdoors. Continue reading at KNKX. (Troy Brynelson)

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Axios
Trump commits to protecting abortion pill access
Dueling lawsuits filed over natural gas ballot measure in Washington

Bellingham Herald
‘We’re here’: Whatcom service providers share ideas for aiding unhoused in encampments

Capital Press
Fish and Wildlife proposes federal protection for monarch butterflies

Everett Herald
Washington unions celebrate Kroger-Albertsons merger’s demise
Everett committee finds downtown AquaSox stadium more viable
Experts tackle the ‘all of us problem’ of housing in Snohomish County
Comment: Understanding the anger behind insurance CEO’s murder

The Inlander
Photos from the fight against fentanyl

Mercer Island Reporter
City briefs: State legislative priorities, sport courts opening

News Tribune
Tacoma Fire will get $2.5M in more funding, but city budget reveals difficulties ahead
Pierce County’s eviction rate among highest in state. Are more aid programs necessary?
Does WA Gov. Jay Inslee really plan to move to Idaho when he leaves office in January?
Opinion: Supporting caregivers: How WA Cares addresses long-term care needs in Washington

Peninsula Daily News
Student aid now simplified process

Puget Sound Business Journal
Kraken co-owner David Bonderman dies at 82
Affordable housing investor expands to WA with portfolio purchase

Seattle Times
New Federal Rule Limits Overdraft Fees at Large Banks
WA’s carbon market prices increase after failed repeal effort (Fitzgibbon)
These are Seattle’s highest- and lowest-income neighborhoods
King County, Seattle sue over natural gas initiative passed by voters
Seattle assistant principal resigns after arrest in sex trafficking sting
Tina Orwall chosen for vacant state Senate seat in South King County (Orwall, Obras)

Skagit Valley Herald
Hamilton approves budget, water systems plan update

Spokesman Review
Cantwell, McMorris Rodgers make year-end push to pass Kids Online Safety Act
Opinion: Legislature must address schools’ financial crisis

Tri-City Herald
Out of options, Franklin agrees to join $30M fix for Tri-City region’s failing 911 towers

Washington Post
Americans say their wages aren’t going up enough, report finds
The Postal Service’s electric mail trucks are way behind schedule
Biden commuting nearly 1,500 sentences, pardoning 39 in ‘largest single-day grant of clemency’

WA State Standard
With repeal measure rejected, WA carbon auction prices surge
Washington’s voter-approved natural gas measure snared in two lawsuits
Gig Harbor education leader to become WA’s newest Democratic state senator (Krishnadasan)

Wenatchee World
Chelan Douglas Regional Port Authority to tap into $8.9M ‘reserves’ in 2025 budget

Yakima Herald-Republic
Spreading the word about pears, Washington’s ‘forgotten’ fruit
New WA apple will be called Sunflare, WSU announces at event in Yakima
Mabton residents and council raise concerns about police protection and next year’s budget

Broadcast

KING 5 TV (NBC)
Officials plan to file lawsuit challenging constitutionality of I-2066
Washington guarantees free in-state tuition for low-income students
Some WA districts propose more rules governing trans athletes’ participation in school sports
Body-worn video shows arrest of off-duty Edmonds cop after she allegedly pointed gun at driver

KIRO 7 TV (CBS)
Road sign with alarming message spotted along Lake Union
WIAA proposes new league for transgender high school athletes
Seattle expands opioid crisis response with buprenorphine pilot program
Amazon faces class-action lawsuit over claims of withholding full refunds
Are anti-graffiti drones the future of keeping WA’s roads clear of the vandalism?

KOMO 4 TV (ABC)
Seattle City Council member pushes for ordinance to make Seattle nightlife safer

KNKX Public Radio
A river in Washington state now has enforceable legal rights
A state lawmaker is suing the nonprofit she created. Here’s why
Unsheltered homelessness reduced slightly in Vancouver in 2024

KUOW Public Radio
Washington voters agree — tax the wealthy
What Trump’s second term could mean for education in Washington state
Sea-Tac Airport says major expansion will do little harm. Neighbors don’t buy it
Washington voters approved a natural gas initiative. Lawsuit wants to blow it up

KXLY (ABC)
Washington DNR sues Inland Power over Gray Fire
WIAA says decision on transgender athlete amendments won’t be made until April
Spokane City Council reviews findings from community roundtables on homelessness crisis

Web

Cascadia Daily News
Albertsons gives up on Kroger merger and sues the grocery chain for failing to secure deal
County calls in outside aid as Sudden Valley recovers from destructive November windstorm

Crosscut
WA carbon auction hits high for 2024
Migrant brush pickers face risks, few protections in WA woods

Washington Observer
A TVW-familiar face gets Keiser’s seat (Orwall, Keiser, Gregerson)
MAGA moms slam GOP-backed school attendance bill (Wellman)
Gun control advocates push again for permit-to-purchase (Berry)

Wednesday, December 11

Replacement picked for longtime Washington senator
Democrat Tina Orwall is the latest state representative to make the switch to the Legislature’s other chamber. Orwall was appointed by the King County Council on Tuesday to be the next senator representing the 33rd Legislative District, which covers communities in south King County, including SeaTac, Des Moines and Kent. Orwall replaces outgoing Sen. Karen Keiser who is retiring after 30 years in the Legislature. The council also approved Edwin Obras as Orwall’s replacement in the state House of Representatives. Obras is the deputy division director at the City of Seattle’s Human Services Department. Continue reading at The WA State Standard. (Ethan Miller)

Rent stabilization, new faces and a big budget gap: A picture of WA’s upcoming legislative session
The election results in Washington state are now certified, and we have a clear picture of which lawmakers will be in Olympia for the start of the legislative session in January. Democrats have had a majority in Olympia since 2018 and still have control of the legislature after November’s election. Democrats even picked up a couple more seats to expand the majority, there are a lot of new faces and some important changing dynamics for both chambers. Continue reading at KNKX. (Lindsey Wasson)

New Washington state law aiming to protect ‘vulnerable road users’ takes effect Jan. 1
Starting January 1, 2025, Washington state will be implementing a new law intended to enhance safety for vulnerable road users such as pedestrians, cyclists, and individuals using personal mobility devices. The law aims to reduce injuries and deaths from crashes involving pedestrians and cyclists by increasing the penalties for negligent drivers, according to a press release. Officials defined a “negligent driver” as someone who fails to exercise ordinary care while they’re behind the wheel, which then endangers another person. Continue reading at KOMO. (KOMO)

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Axios
Seattle area leads nation in economic growth
Kroger-Albertsons merger blocked in Washington state

Capital Press
Report: Northwest on path to more power outages
WSU’s new apple star gets a brand name: Sunflare
Washington Supreme Court to take up tribal sovereign immunity

Everett Herald
Marysville school board talks pros and cons of closure options
Edmonds considers disbanding police department amid budget woes
Comment: The problem with legal immigration? It’s broken
Editorial: Applying for financial aid key for students, economy

News Tribune
Albertsons ends merger with Kroger and sues it, seeking billions of dollars
Parts of toll road linking port to I-5 are nearly finished. Here’s when it’s set to open
Already in trouble, PNW restaurant chain now target of lawsuits in Washington, Oregon

Peninsula Daily News
WA Cares can provide long-term insurance benefits, director says

Puget Sound Business Journal
Albertsons terminates Kroger merger, sues for $600M
Boeing 737 Max production resumes, according to report
Job seekers in certain industries will face headwinds in 2025
SBA writes off billions more in Covid-era small-business loans
World Cup expected to generate massive windfall for Seattle area

Seattle Times
Greg Spotts says he’s stepping down as head of SDOT
Full cleanup begins at Lower Duwamish Superfund site
King County will send $70M to arts, culture organizations in 2025
Tax hike approved for Harborview; public health clinics still in doubt
US inflation ticked up last month as some price pressures remain persistent
U.S. life expectancy gap widens to 20 years among groups, Seattle researchers found

Skagit Valley Herald
Concrete Town Council passes town’s 2025 budget

Spokesman Review
New WA apple will be called Sunflare, WSU announces at event in Yakima
Spokane C.O.P.S., angered by need to compete for city funding, gets brief reprieve
Liberty Lake City Council ousts library board member, stunning some councilmembers
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service recommends adding monarch butterflies to endangered species list
Judges reject proposed mega-merger of Kroger and Albertsons, sparing two Spokane Safeway stores from closure
Washington Department of Natural Resources sues Inland Power, claiming company has refused to reimburse costs related to Gray Fire

Washington Post
Albertsons ends merger deal, accuses Kroger of ‘self-serving conduct’
No daylight saving time? See how early or late you would be in the dark.
Progress on inflation stalled, threatening to complicate Republicans’ plans

WA State Standard
Replacement picked for longtime Washington senator (Orwall, Obras)
Gun group wants new taxes and permits for WA firearm sales (Berry)
Judges in Oregon, Washington, block Kroger-Albertsons supermarket merger

Wenatchee World
Wenatchee City Council approves ordinances changing zoning densities

Yakima Herald-Republic
State pollution board hears arguments about Caton Landfill operations near Naches

Broadcast

KING 5 TV (NBC)
737 production restarts at Boeing’s Renton factory; Everett to follow
Edmonds School District cancels ‘Know Your Rights’ info session after online backlash
Albertsons gives up on Kroger merger and sues the grocery chain for failing to secure deal

KIRO 7 TV (CBS)
King County judge blocks Kroger’s mega-merger with Albertsons
Albertsons gives up on Kroger merger and sues the grocery chain for failing to secure deal
Tacoma City Council passes budget, adds $2.5 million to maintain fire department staffing

KOMO 4 TV (ABC)
Seattle renters see more space for their money amid construction boom
Seattle police near end of federal oversight, tackle crowd control policy changes
Shoppers relieved as court blocks Kroger-Albertsons merger in Washington state
New Washington state law aiming to protect ‘vulnerable road users’ takes effect Jan. 1
Albertsons gives up on Kroger merger and sues the grocery chain for failing to secure deal

KNKX Public Radio
Rent stabilization, new faces and a big budget gap: A picture of WA’s upcoming legislative session (Scott, Pedersen)

KUOW Public Radio
Albertsons sues Kroger and ends failed grocery megamerger
Secret payments, damning audit. King County’s youth violence prevention effort, mired in scandal

KXLY (ABC)
Two students arrested for threatening a shooting at Pullman High School
WIAA proposes separate “open division” for transgender high school athletes
Spokane County sees high rate of drug-dependent births compared to national average
City council unanimously approves continuation of $125,000 in funding for Spokane C.O.P.S.
The City of Spokane’s 2025-2026 budget accounts for more resources to help clean up downtown

Web

Cascadia Daily News
Shared well owners divided into three categories for water rights lawsuit
Burlington-Edison will close an elementary school, create middle school amid budget shortfall
Opinion: Nooksack irrigators, McMansion owners should face water-use-efficiency scrutiny

Crosscut
Alaska tribe, WA agency sign child and family services agreement
Bird flu is spreading at PNW farms — among animals and workers

The Urbanist
Seattle Reveals Midrise Zoning Proposal for Phase 2 of Growth Plan

Tuesday, December 10

How Washington is promising free college to low-income kids
Washington state plans to let low-income kids know by the 10th grade that they automatically qualify for free college, rather than making them wait on the outcome of financial aid applications in their senior year. The new system will make it so students whose families are on food stamps can start thinking about college or career training earlier, while eliminating the barrier that the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) can pose for some. Continue reading at Axios. (Maura Losch)

New guaranteed basic income program in WA aims to help Native parents
American Indian and Alaska Natives in Washington have a higher maternal mortality rate than any other ethnic group. Babies born to Indigenous people are more likely to have birth complications. Tribal communities disproportionately experience housing insecurity, poverty and worse health outcomes — disparities rooted in racism and discrimination, and forged by centuries of violence, cultural genocide and economic dispossession. To help reverse those dire trends, Hummingbird Indigenous Family Services launched the Nest in August 2023, the first guaranteed income program in the United States that specifically serves Native communities. Continue reading at The Seattle Times. (Ivy Ceballo)

Voters upheld Washington’s major climate law. Advocates hope it’ll be a blueprint for other states
Washington state voters upheld one of the most ambitious climate laws in the U.S. in November, by rejecting a ballot initiative that would have repealed the state’s landmark cap-and-invest law, the Climate Commitment Act. This comes as a new Donald Trump administration is expected to roll back federal climate policies. The Climate Commitment Act took effect in 2023. It puts a cap on carbon emissions and raises billions of dollars for programs that help the state prepare for and adapt to climate change. One of the largest polluters in the state actually supports this law and framework. Continue reading at KNKX. (KNKX Graphic)

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Axios
How Washington is promising free college to low-income kids

Bellingham Herald
Whatcom County waste hauler says it won’t accept these ‘problematic’ containers for recycling

Capital Press
California loses 8.4 million birds in past month to bird flu
U.S. appeals nationwide injunction against corporate reporting law

Everett Herald
Boeing lays off 396 more workers in Washington
Community Transit approves budget with more service
Comment: Green investments aren’t having a good year, but their focus on the bottom line still makes good financial sense.

Journal of the San Juan Islands
Grants up to $120,000 educate about local environmental projects

News Tribune
Pierce County school district buys 20 acres for $6.2 million. What are their plans?

Puget Sound Business Journal
Alaska adds 2 international routes at Sea-Tac
IRS again delays a key tax-reporting requirement
737 Max production yet to restart post-strike, report says

Seattle Times
Three WA members of Congress talk strategy ahead of Trump presidency
New guaranteed basic income program in WA aims to help Native parents
U.S. life expectancy gap widens to 20 years among groups, Seattle researchers found
Editorial: WA Legislature must keep gun safety a priority

Skagit Valley Herald
Skagit County Board of Commissioners passes county’s 2025 budget

Spokesman Review
STA seeking feedback on planned 2025 service changes
Spokane City Council will continue to meet on Mondays after contentious fight ends in concessions
Spokane County Commissioners approve 2025 budget totaling $865 million, smaller than years past
Northeast Spokane gets a representative on the Transit Authority as the city council shuffles board appointments

Tri-City Herald
French fry giant deals Eastern WA town another blow. It laid off nearly 400 in October
Benton to spend $1.2M to help turn abandoned hospital rooms into recovery apartments

Washington Post
The party that came out on top in state legislative races
Could Trump end birthright citizenship? Probably not, legal scholars say.
Impasse deepens over U.S. Steel takeover as government review nears end

WA State Standard
Why home and auto insurance rates are up in Washington
Major new office building nears opening on Washington Capitol campus

Wenatchee World
Federal Grants Awarded to Chelan and Okanogan Counties for Habitat Restoration Projects

Broadcast

KING 5 TV (NBC)
Lewis County utility commissioner arrested, accused of bribery
Seattle judge denies request to dismiss protester trespassing case
Violent crime in CID deterring patients from seeking medical care
Family member of homeless woman killed in bomb cyclone speaks out
Shuttering Edmonds PD on the table as city looks to address budget deficit
‘Adult cabaret’ on Ballard Ave. NW? Bar seeks approval after Washington state law change

KIRO 7 TV (CBS)
License plate reading cameras up in Renton
Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell will run for reelection
King County judge to rule on Kroger/Albertsons merger
Bellevue Police involved in deadly officer involved shooting
Boeing issues nearly 400 layoff notices to Washington employees
City of Edmonds exploring possibility of dissolving police department
Boeing is building new 737 Max planes for the first time since workers went on strike
New WA law aims to protect vulnerable road users with harsher penalties for negligent drivers

KOMO 4 TV (ABC)
Nearly 400 Boeing workers in Washington receive layoff notices
Salvage efforts in Elliott Bay after boat fire; boom deployed to stop fuel spill
City of Edmonds explores contracting police services amid $13M budget deficit
Boeing is building new 737 MAX planes for the 1st time since workers went on strike
Neighbors, businesses call for safeguards against drug use at Redmond homeless facility

KNKX Public Radio
Voters upheld Washington’s major climate law. Advocates hope it’ll be a blueprint for other states

KUOW Public Radio
Free online therapy for teens and young adults is coming to Seattle
Ruling by a conservative Supreme Court could help blue states resist Trump policies
Will King County’s relief for windstorm victims be enough for low-income residents?

KXLY (ABC)
Spokane City Council votes in favor of C.O.P.S contract extension
Spokane City Council approves Mayor Brown’s 2025-2026 budget
Staffing and safety issues at Adams County Jail prompt costly overtime for corrections officers

Web

Cascadia Daily News
Claim forms for water rights lawsuit finalized; expected to mail in February

Crosscut
Thurston County must repay up to $668K in fraudulent rental aid
Young WA councilmembers provide a ‘generational voice’ in politics
San Juan County adopted a 32-hour workweek. Here’s what happened

MyNorthwest
Boeing lays off nearly 400 more people in Washington, state reports
South King County man sentenced for ‘straw purchasing’ over 130 firearms
‘I would feel less safe’: Potential loss of Edmonds Police Department sparks public outcry

The Urbanist
Opinion: State must reform Sound Transit to keep expansion on track
Opinion: Queen Anne must embrace new neighbors rather than fear housing

Washington Observer
Takeaways from our political operatives (Cleveland)

West Seattle Blog
Week and a half left to comment on new zoning plans. Morgan Community Association briefing Thursday

Monday, December 9

Washington to guarantee college tuition for low-income families
The FAFSA has long been a sticking point for students, with billions of dollars in federal aid going unclaimed because they simply give up on it, or don’t complete it correctly. An overhaul last year meant to simplify the process only made things worse, with technical problems that led to even lower completion rates and contributed to a decline of 7 percentage points in the proportion of high school seniors going directly to college, according to the National College Attainment Network, or NCAN. Now some states, including Washington, propose to work around the FAFSA altogether and find ways to automatically award financial aid to families that need it. Continue reading at The Seattle Times. (Camilla Forte)

Lawmakers return to Olympia for meetings ahead of 2025 session
Child care affordability, crime trends, environmental protections, access to addiction treatment and housing costs. These are some of the issues on Washington lawmakers’ agenda this week. Starting Monday, legislators convene in Olympia for their annual “committee days,” a chance to get up to speed on issues that may arise during next year’s session and to get situated with any committee changes. And with 20 new faces roaming the halls following last month’s election, it’s also an opportunity for lawmakers to meet their colleagues. Continue reading at The WA State Standard. (Bill Lucia)

How many species could go extinct from climate change? It depends on how hot it gets.
Researchers have conducted hundreds of studies projecting how different species might respond to different levels of climate change, finding varied results. In an analysis published Thursday in the journal Science, Urban sought to bring all those studies together. If countries meet the shared goal of limiting warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius, 1.8% of species will be at risk of extinction by the end of the century, Urban reports. But if global warming gets out of hand, warming four or five degrees Celsius, as many as 30% of species could be at risk .In many instances, stopping biodiversity loss means preserving their natural habitats, through protected areas or national parks. Continue reading at KNKX. (Universal Images Group)

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Axios
How much you need to make to be in Washington’s top 1%
New pedestrian improvements completed in Pioneer Square
Biden administration’s probes of police agencies in jeopardy

Capital Press
Sandison to stay as Washington agriculture director
Commentary: Next EPA administrator must clean house in Region 10

Everett Herald
Wallace Falls closed due to bomb cyclone damage
How will new Everett library hours affect its programs?
Wine woes not yet affecting Snohomish County glass recycling
What will Trump’s immigration policy mean for Snohomish County?
Comment: State should drop its lawsuit to block grocery merger
Comment: Ban on flavored tobacco can keep kids from addiction
Comment: Comment: HPV vaccine saving lives; RFK Jr. should see that
Editorial: Trump: State officials planning for ‘chaos’ of second Trump term

International Examiner
Alexis Mercedes Rinck, Seattle’s newest City Councilmember, speaks on CID stabbings, threats from the Trump administration, and setting a 20-year vision

Kitsap Sun
Medical centers facing health care demands of Kitsap’s aging population

News Tribune
Trump is threatening mass deportations. What would that mean for ICE lockup in Tacoma?

New York Times
E.P.A. Bans Cancer-Causing Chemicals Used in Dry Cleaning
Three-Quarters of Earth’s Land Got Drier in Recent Decades, U.N. Says
A $400 Billion Clean Energy Program Is Racing to Get Money Out the Door
Their Fertilizer Poisons Farmland. Now, They Want Protection From Lawsuits.
Spying on Student Devices, Schools Aim to Intercept Self-Harm Before It Happens

Olympian
After 2 years and $33.8 million, see inside the renovated Temple of Justice in Olympia

Puget Sound Business Journal
How safe are Washington hospitals for patients?
Under-the-radar workforce issues that could shape 2025

Seattle Times
Seattle schools must post list of union discrimination violations
Washington to guarantee college tuition for low-income families
Saving Boeing is the hardest job and biggest opportunity in business
Gov.-elect Bob Ferguson’s early approach to fix WA $10B budget deficit
Opinion: The GOP went all-in on taxes — and lost. It’s shaking up WA politics

Spokesman Review
University of Idaho closure of diversity offices up in the air
After nine months of research, a Washington State University sociologist concludes rural clinics aren’t ready for artificial intelligence

Washington Post
It’s almost winter, but much of the U.S. is still unusually dry
Biden urged to empty federal death row before Trump takes office
EPA bans two cancer-causing chemicals used in everyday products
Colleges scramble to shield programs amid growing hostility from GOP
LGBTQ+ Americans stockpile meds and make plans to move after Trump’s win

WA State Standard
Two new Washington state lawmakers are sworn in (Chapman, Bernbaum, Jinkins, Fitzgibbon)
Lawmakers return to Olympia for meetings ahead of 2025 session
WA Rep. DelBene tapped for another term leading House Democratic campaign effort

Wenatchee World
City council allots $4 million for Confluence Parkway project easements
Funding secured for Bridge Street improvements for pedestrians and cyclists
Wenatchee Convention Center receives $50,000 more due to ‘unforeseen conditions’ in renovation project

Whidbey News-Times
District discusses funding challenges with lawmakers (Shavers)

Yakima Herald-Republic
Wildfire this summer worsened risk to aging Yakima Tieton irrigation canal

Broadcast

KING 5 TV (NBC)
Boeing cancels employee surveillance pilot program
Hundreds more SPEEA employees at Boeing receive layoff notices
Here are some of the bills WA legislators will try to pass this session (Chapman)

KIRO 7 TV (CBS)
Boeing lays off hundreds more SPEEA employees
CID businesses tired of lack of attention from city
Organic waste collection coming to Bellingham in 2025
Five shot in the Chinatown-International District in Seattle
Monroe High School closed Monday because of electrical fire
Parents search for answers after school bus kills daughter, drives away
Everett City Council approves new budget, cutting funds for libraries, parks

KOMO 4 TV (ABC)
Federal Way sees 11% drop in overall crime as drug arrests surge by more than 402%

KNKX Public Radio
San Juan County sees benefits from shortened work week
How many species could go extinct from climate change? It depends on how hot it gets.

KUOW Public Radio
Southern Resident orcas have been seen wearing salmon ‘hats.’ But it’s not all fun and games

KXLY (ABC)
Newman Lake residents face 45% rate hike for vital water resource
No timeline for 64 displaced downtown Spokane residents to return home

Web

Cascadia Daily News
Skagit school leaders say state underfunds districts by millions

Crosscut
Strickland takes Congressional Black Caucus leadership role

MyNorthwest
Boeing lays off hundreds more SPEEA workers

The Urbanist
WSDOT Secretary Millar Issues Departing Warning to Policymakers

Washington Observer
The Housing Finance Commission’s rent-a-problem (Pollet, Stearns)

Friday, December 6

Bill offering wildfire survivors relief from taxes and fees passes Congress
After more than five years of waiting in some cases, wildfire survivors across the West will be relieved of paying federal income taxes on their recovery settlements and lawyers fees. The Federal Disaster Tax Relief Act of 2023 passed the Senate on Wednesday night, about six months after it was approved by the U.S. House of Representatives nearly unanimously. The bill, which is likely to be signed by President Joe Biden, would exempt people who have survived a wildfire between 2016 and 2026 from paying federal income taxes on disaster recovery settlements and fees paid to lawyers that were received or paid between 2020 and 2026. Continue reading at The WA State Standard. (Chris Majors)

King County seeks help from State legislature After Approving 2025 Budget
Days after finalizing a 2025 budget, King County Executive Dow Constantine and the King County Council met with state lawmakers this week, advocating for legislative fixes to some of the county’s most structural financial issues. Monday’s annual meeting with King County’s legislative delegation, lawmakers from 17 districts from Woodinville to Federal Way, was a formal opportunity to present the County’s legislative priorities for the 2025 session, which starts January 13. Continue reading at The Urbanist. (Ryan Packer)

Area school districts discuss legislative priorities
The superintendents and many school board representatives from area school districts met Thursday afternoon to speak about their legislative priorities for the coming session. They were joined by state Reps. Carolyn Eslick, Sam Low and Clyde Shavers, and Sens. Liz Lovelett and Keith Wagoner. Mount Vernon School Board President Larry Otos said several years ago the districts decided to form a group with the area superintendents and board presidents to better relay the collective needs of the districts to elected officials. Continue reading at The Skagit Valley Herald.