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Thursday, March 21

New laws aim to prevent youth opioid overdoses in Washington
New laws in Washington aim to combat rising fentanyl overdoses in Washington state, especially among young people. Public health officials say increased presence of the synthetic opioid fentanyl is driving a spike in overdose deaths across age groups. Measures that Gov. Jay Inslee signed into law this week will increase public education about fentanyl and other opioids and require more schools to stock overdose-reversal medications such as naloxone. Continue reading at Axios. (Maura Losch)


A new state law is requiring the city of Vancouver to allow duplexes, fourplexes and even sometimes sixplexes in any single-family home neighborhood.

Following new state law, Vancouver will create rules to allow duplexes, fourplexes in any neighborhood
The city of Vancouver is moving toward implementing state-required rules that would permit duplexes, fourplexes and even some sixplexes in any neighborhood, even those zoned for single-family residences. House Bill 1110, which passed the state Legislature in 2023, aims to boost the state’s housing supply. The law doesn’t ban the construction of new single-family homes but overrides zoning laws that have kept areas exclusively for single-family homes. Continue reading at The Columbian. (Amanda Cowan)


Washington state Sen. John McCoy, D-Tulalip, is sponsoring the Native American Voting Rights Act.

‘Overturning historical trauma.’ Tulalip Tribes celebrates new laws supporting Native education in Washington schools
Washington Governor Jay Inslee signed into law 21 bills surrounding tribal resources and acknowledgements at the Tulalip Resort Casino on Tuesday, including two related to Native American education programs in K-12 schools. HB 1879 renames the state’s Since Time Immemorial curriculum on Native American history, culture, and government in honor of late Democratic state lawmaker and Tulalip Tribes member John McCoy (luliaš). McCoy sponsored a bill establishing the original curriculum, which was adopted in 2015 — a decade after McCoy first proposed legislation for the program. Continue reading at KUOW. (LSS)


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Associated Press
Washington Supreme Court: Bar exam will no longer be required to become attorney in state
Washington Gov. Inslee signs fentanyl bill sending money to disproportionately affected tribes (Leavitt)
Democratic senators push bill focusing on local detainment of immigrants linked to violent crime

Axios
New laws aim to prevent youth opioid overdoses in Washington

Bellingham Herald
Inslee signs bills to combat fentanyl and opioids and help Tribes in Washington state

Capital Press
USDA announces local meat capacity grants

Columbian
2024 Legislative Review: Southwest Washington lawmakers tout session’s successes (Cleveland, Stonier)
Following new state law, Vancouver will create rules to allow duplexes, fourplexes in any neighborhood
‘There was a miracle that happened there’: First graduates of downtown Vancouver Safe Stay celebrate milestone

Everett Herald
In Tulalip, Inslee signs bills to push back against opioid crisis
New memorial means ‘everything’ to survivors, 10 years after Oso slide
What geologists learned from Oso, and what they wish they knew in 2014
Editorial: Mapping landslide risks honors those lost in Oso

The Inlander
A new law requires all eggs sold in Washington to be cage-free — is it driving up egg prices?

News Tribune
Parts of Tacoma, Olympia susceptible to tsunamis. New regulations aim to make them safer

Olympian
Inslee signs bills to combat fentanyl and opioids and help Tribes in Washington state

Peninsula Daily News
More funds coming to Peninsula (Tharinger, Chapman, Van De Wege)

Puget Sound Business Journal
Graffiti-obliterating drones put to the test on state highways

Seattle Times
WA’s carbon market may partner with California and Quebec
What to know about WA’s law requiring LGBTQ+ history in public schools (Liias)
Opinion: One big reason the regional strategy on homelessness is struggling
Opinion: If we can come together to save salmon, so can you

Walla Walla Union Bulletin
RoseMary’s Place child care in Dayton to open April 1

Washington Post
Fed leaves interest rates steady as officials debate timing for cuts
Women dropping birth control amid misinformation on social media
Justice Dept. and states sue Apple, accusing tech giant of a smartphone monopoly

WA State Standard
WA cherry growers will be able to tap emergency loans after last year’s tough season
Care providers for developmentally disabled people come up short pushing for more pay

Wenatchee World
Governor signs ‘Walking Start to Running Start’ bill
NCW law enforcement officials react to police pursuit reversal
Link Transit board votes to maintain sales tax after overwhelming public support

Yakima Herald-Republic
State audit finds bookkeeper misappropriated funds from Yakima-area drainage districts

Broadcast

KING 5 TV (NBC)
Community members push for stronger renter protections in Tukwila
New report shows how drought impacted WA, helps agencies plan for future
Proposed supportive housing project drawing backlash from neighbors in Redmond
Parents protest outside Garfield High School calling for more safety, one week after shooting

KIRO 7 TV (CBS)
Neighbors of planned homeless housing project push back at Redmond City Council meeting
A burglary a week: 12th break-in at pot shop highlights ongoing criminal trend in Western Washington

KOMO 4 TV (ABC)
Parents rally at Garfield High School over gun violence concerns
Inslee signs bill to combat graffiti in Washington with innovative pilot program
Renton police chief sounds off on jump in juvenile crime after 15-year-olds arrested

KUOW Public Radio
10 years after Oso landslide, a new memorial is a gathering place for remembrance
Seattle Public Schools’ latest budget proposal: Tapping into reserves, changing school start times
‘Overturning historical trauma.’ Tulalip Tribes celebrates new laws supporting Native education in Washington schools (Lekanoff)

Web

Cascadia Daily News
Lummi Island Ferry fares to increase after decline in revenue, ridership
More than $55M paid to local governments from WA attorney general’s opioid cases

MyNorthwest
Washington unemployment rate rises for 5th month in a row

Wednesday, March 20

Gov. Jay Inslee passes off a pen after signing HB1879 on Tuesday, March 19, 2024, at Tulalip Casino’s Orca Ballroom in Tulalip, Washington.

In Tulalip, Inslee signs bills to push back against opioid crisis
Drums and applause filled the Tulalip Resort Casino on Tuesday, as hundreds celebrated new strides in addressing the opioid crisis. Away from the walls of the governor’s conference room Tuesday, tribal members and lawmakers witnessed Gov. Jay Inslee sign into law a fleet of bills to help prevent drug overdoses, fortify behavioral health services for tribes and honor a Tulalip leader. Inslee also signed legislation making it mandatory for public schools and higher education institutions to incorporate overdose prevention education in their teachings. Continue reading at Everett Herald. (Ryan Berry)


18-week-old Toba was rescued by Pasado's Safe Haven, which worked with legislators to craft the bill.

New Washington law stiffens penalties on animal cruelty
A bill that imposes tougher criminal penalties for animal cruelty convictions was signed into law by Gov. Jay Inslee last week and takes effect on June 6. The new law elevates the punishment for first-degree animal cruelty — which is already a class C felony — by reclassifying it as a crime that is ranked level III on the seriousness scale .Supporters say House Bill 1961, which overwhelmingly passed both chambers earlier this year, adds uniformity to sentencing by elevating the crime to a ranked, as opposed to unranked, felony. Continue reading at Axios. (Pasado’s Safe Haven)


Gov. Inslee signs bill expanding death benefits for families of slain rideshare drivers
Gov. Jay Inslee signed legislation Tuesday that will expand death benefits for families of rideshare drivers who are killed while on the job. House Bill 2382 passed the state House and Senate in early March. Supporters of the new law hope it will fill a crucial gap in current benefits. Since 2020, there have been five rideshare drivers killed while on the job. Washington state is the first in the nation to offer expanded benefits. Continue reading at King 5.


Print

Associated Press
EPA issues new auto rules aimed at cutting carbon emissions, boosting electric vehicles and hybrids

Aberdeen Daily World
Health center for students, staff opens at North Beach Jr/Sr High

Axios
New Washington law stiffens penalties on animal cruelty

Bellingham Herald
Child care grants adding nearly 30 spaces in Bellingham preschools

Columbian
January storm cost Clark Public Utilities about $26 million
Fort Vancouver students walk out of class to protest district staff reductions
Vancouver man sentenced for selling low-quality body armor to law enforcement, military
Ridgefield, Woodland business co-owner pleads guilty to tampering with federally regulated pollution devices

The Daily News
Sunrise Village’s affordable housing project breaks ground in Longview

Everett Herald
In Tulalip, Inslee signs bills to push back against opioid crisis

High Country News
Washington’s controversial cap-and-trade program, explained. Really.

Port Townsend Leader
Building toward the future: Students in Chimacum learn practical trade skills

Seattle Medium
Grow America To Empower Local BIPOC Businesses
Seattle Mayor Addresses Concerns About City’s Violence And Safety
Seattle Launches Innovative Business Community Ownership Fund With JPMorgan Chase And Grow America To Empower Local BIPOC Businesses

Seattle Times
WA drops 5-day COVID isolation rule
WA cherry growers get federal help after extreme heat hurt crops
Editorial: Gov. Inslee should veto legislation that keeps Seattle from regulating strip clubs (Saldaña, Pedersen)
Opinion: Human genetics research is critical to Seattle-area economy

Skagit Valley Herald
Anacortes bans new short-term rentals in four city zones

Spokesman Review
Inslee signs a bundle of bills advocating for Washington tribes and fighting opioid epidemic
Washington cherry growers to get federal loans after USDA declares 2023 harvest a disaster
Washington Department of Health’s Dr. Bob Lutz, former county health officer, speaks about Spokane opioid crisis, resigns days later

Washington Post
Biden seeks to accelerate the EV transition in biggest climate move yet
U.S. abortions reach recent high, with record number done via medication

WA State Standard
Inslee signs bills fighting opioid epidemic
How police reform efforts in the Legislature faltered this year (Trudeau, Goodman)
Washington hikes initiative filing fee for first time in over a century

Wenatchee World
New high temps set Sunday in NCW
NCW’s early snowpack predictions show lower than normal water for 2024

Yakima Herald-Republic
Yakima seeks four people to serve on Planning Commission
Lower Valley hospital district supporters gear up for a second try this fall

Broadcast

KING 5 TV (NBC)
Billionaire MacKenzie Scott donates $640M to 361 small nonprofits
City of Seattle funding fewer new affordable housing projects this year
Pierce County Sheriff Ed Troyer announces he won’t run in 2024 election
Proposed supportive housing project drawing backlash from neighbors in Redmond
Gov. Inslee signs bill expanding death benefits for families of slain rideshare drivers (Berry)
‘Your heart just sinks’: Family of single mother of four killed in Central District looks for answers

KIRO 7 TV (CBS)
Truck crashes into Georgetown cannabis shop in apparent smash and grab burglary
Class action lawsuit filed against Amazon claiming $2.99 fee for ad-free Prime violates law

KOMO 4 TV (ABC)
10 years after deadly Oso landslide, climate change is increasing the danger
Gov. Inslee signs new laws addressing opioid crisis on tribal lands, in schools
Washington State drops bar exam requirement to reduce ‘barriers’ and inequities
King County councilman advocates for transparent juvenile sexual assault case data

KUOW Public Radio
In a boost for EVs, EPA finalizes strict new limits on tailpipe emissions
Last season was harsh on Washington cherry growers. The USDA is offering help
Booming: Seattle’s 15-minute makeover, TikTokers fear ban, what’s missing from your neighborhood

KXLY (ABC)
Whitman County neighbors upset about proposed wind farm

Web

Crosscut
A decade after the Oso landslide, WA works to improve preparedness

InvestigateWest
New WA Legislation Prioritizes Human Trafficking Prosecutions And Support For Child Victims (Dhingra, Orwall)

Route Fifty
Longtime state senator announces plans to retire (Keiser)

Tuesday, March 19

The Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction

Inslee signs bill requiring schools to include LGBTQ history, perspective in teachings
Public schools in Washington will be required to update curriculum to include LGBTQ histories and perspectives under a new law signed by Gov. Jay Inslee on Monday. Senate Bill 5462 requires the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction to incorporate “the concepts of diversity, equity and inclusion” in new or revised learning standards. The law requires OSPI to post a revision of learning standards on their website by September 2025, and requires schools to amend and conform with the model policies by October 2025. Continue reading at The Olympian. (The Olympian)


Gov. Jay Inslee signs a bill relating to fabricated intimate or sexually explicit images and depictions with primary sponsor Rep. Tina Orwall, right, and Caroline Mullet who testified in support, left, on Thursday in Olympia.

Inslee signs bill creating criminal penalties for distribution of AI fabricated intimate images
Gov. Jay Inslee signed that bill into law on Thursday…proposing criminal penalties for distributing digitally altered sexually explicit images or videos featuring identifiable minors. Deepfake technology, a way to digitally alter photos or videos to appear real, first appeared in late 2017. Sensity AI, a research company that has tracked online deepfake videos since 2019, found that between 90% and 95% of those videos online are pornographic, with the majority depicting women. Rep. Tina Orwall, D-Des Moines, has been working to strengthen protections against intimate images since 2019, though it wasn’t until this year that she proposed the idea of expanding restrictions against fabricated images. Continue reading at Spokesman review. (LSS)


Daniel Lugo (left) poses for a photo with Jim Theofelis, founder and executive director of NorthStar Advocates, a non-profit serving homeless youth.

Extended foster care for young adults up to 21 set to expand in WA
Extended foster care is a voluntary program in Washington available to certain foster care youth ages 18-21 who are no longer eligible for the usual foster care program. The program is aimed at making sure young people in foster care have the skills to enter independent adulthood. Currently, foster care youth about to age out of the system must meet certain federal requirements to qualify. Washington lawmakers want to lower the barriers to accessing extended foster care by removing those federal requirements. Senate Bill 5908, which does that, passed both legislative chambers. It is now awaiting Gov. Jay Inslee’s signature to become law. Continue reading at WA State Standard. (Daniel Lugo)


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Aberdeen Daily World
Domestic violence survivor: ‘It’s never too late’
Cosi city administrator, many longtime staff resign en masse

Axios
New Washington state law criminalizes deepfake porn (Orwall)

Bellingham Herald
Inslee signs bill requiring schools to include LGBTQ history, perspective in teachings (Liias)
WA Department of Health updates guidance for COVID-19, RSV and the flu. Here’s what to know
Lummi Nation gets almost $10 million to help save endangered Chinook salmon on Nooksack River

Capital Press
East Low Canal repaired, filling to proceed as scheduled

Columbian
Redistricting map meant to fix ‘systematic racism’ ousts 1st Latina senator in Central WA

Courier-Herald
Parental authority initiative approved, but concerns linger | Washington State Journal (Pederson, Wellman, Wilson)

Everett Herald
At Everett mayor’s keynote speech: $35 entry, Boeing sponsorship
Comment: Measles outbreaks show importance of MMR vaccinations
Comment: Clearing the internet of misinformation, deep fakes
Editorial: Your choice, drivers; slow down or pay up

News Tribune
Inslee signs bill requiring schools to include LGBTQ history, perspective in teachings (Liias)

Puget Sound Business Journal
Kroger, Albertsons fire back at FTC over attempt to block merger
Commission lawsuits total $626M in settlements. How will payouts work?

Seattle Times
Is a plug-in hybrid better than a fully electric vehicle?
10 years in, here’s what to know about WA charter schools
Judge redraws WA’s legislative map after lawsuit over Latino voters
How one river in south Puget Sound tells the story of salmon’s plight
As WA traffic deaths climb higher, remembering those who died in 2023
Editorial: Return focus to fish in culvert replacement
Opinion: Legalizing pot worked; let’s legalize sex work in WA, too
Opinion: Outraged by police violence? Everyday gun violence is outrageous, too
Opinion: Reevaluate decisions that hamper WA’s clean energy future

Spokesman Review
Inslee signs bill creating criminal penalties for distribution of AI fabricated intimate images (Mullet, Orwall)

Tri-City Herald
Pasco overpass construction forces business to close indefinitely. ‘Can’t wait any longer’

Walla Walla Union Bulletin
State officials: Downtown Walla Walla gas leak began months before it was discovered

Washington Post
U.S. fully bans asbestos, which kills 40,000 a year
Fed weighs future rate cuts as inflation picture looks murky

WA State Standard
Update of Washington’s wildfire building code gets ditched
Extended foster care for young adults up to 21 set to expand in WA (Wilson)

Broadcast

KING 5 TV (NBC)
Seattle’s new street parking rates take effect Monday. Here’s what changed
Edmonds School Board must make $10 million in cuts to 2024-2025 budget
L&I cites King County landfill, calls for arsenic safeguards in worker safety plans

KIRO 7 TV (CBS)
Frustrations grow over gun violence within Central District
How recent real estate settlement will impact buyers and sellers
WSP settles $1.4M lawsuit claiming trooper singled out Black people, immigrants
As support grows for a federal Election Day holiday, experts warn of some potential challenges

KUOW Public Radio
New data shows it’s gotten easier to vote in the U.S. since 2000
Washington state reduces isolation period for Covid from 5 days to 1
In a pandemic milestone, the NIH ends guidance on COVID treatment
AI tool helps Seattle landlords collude to keep rents high, report alleges
The U.S. bans most common form of asbestos, after decades of pushback from industry
Judge approves WA’s new legislative district maps after court battle over Latino voting rights

KXLY (ABC)
Spokane early learning center benefits from $30 million grant for Washington state

Web

Cascadia Daily News
PeaceHealth to open Lynden clinic in April

Crosscut
King County must take swifter action to save Salmon, auditor says

Monday, March 18

Rep. Bruce Chandler, R-Granger, prepares to make a vote on the first day of the legislative session at the Washington state Capitol, Monday, Jan. 8, 2024, in Olympia, Wash. In a busy, 60-day Washington state legislative session, lawmakers made bipartisan strides to address the opioid crisis and tweak policing practices but fell short in getting some of the most anticipated progressive bills across the finish line. The session ended Thursday, March 7 with over 300 bills heading to Democratic Gov. Jay Inslee’s desk.

Key health takeaways from WA’s 2024 legislative session
Health care affordability, workforce shortages and access to care remained top of mind for lawmakers during this year’s legislative session — and while several politicians and health care leaders say there’s still work to be done, they feel important gains were made in all three categories. Legislators spent the short 60-day session trying to figure out how to best help hospitals and providers out of financial holes, debating how staffing, reimbursement rates for public health insurance plans and long-term impacts of health care consolidations, among other factors, play a part. Continue reading at The Columbian. (Lindsey Wasson)


Asylum-seekers were staying in tents at the Riverton Park United Methodist Church in Tukwila on Feb. 13.

Legislature passes more than $32 million in asylum-seeker aid
After providers and advocates spent months pleading for help addressing the state’s growing asylum-seeker crisis, the Washington Legislature responded late last week by setting aside more than $32 million in the updated state budget to support new arrivals to the state. More than $25 million is poised to go to the state’s Office of Refugee and Immigrant Assistance, followed by $5 million to King County and $2.5 million to the city of Tukwila, which is home to Riverton Park United Methodist Church. Continue reading at Seattle Times. (Kevin Clark )


A facility in Sweden is dedicated to breeding zebrafish, a species used to study a variety of medical issues.

Smelt fishing may soon require license in Washington state
Gov. Jay Inslee will soon a bill into law that will require Washington smelt dippers to get a license before they wade out with their nets. Recreational fishing licenses have been required to harvest basically any fish, crustacean or seaweed from Washington waters. Up until now, the only animals that could be harvested without a license were crawfish, carp, bullfrogs and freshwater smelt. With the passing of this law, a recreational fishing or shellfishing license will be required when fishing for smelt, carp or crawfish, but an angler with existing fishing licenses would not need to purchase a specific smelt, crawfish or carp license. Continue reading at The Daily News.


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Aberdeen Daily World
Seismic studies: Are Harbor schools on safe soil?
Longtime port director retires after nearly quarter-century at the helm

Axios
Federal judge decides Washington’s new political map
How Washington’s police pursuit law is about to change
Takeaways from Seattle’s first Pacific Tech Policy Conference

Bellingham Herald
Single-bin recycling poised to spread beyond Bellingham after Whatcom County Council vote 

Columbian
Potential Amtrak routes link cities across West, Midwest
Key health takeaways from WA’s 2024 legislative session (Cleveland, Riccelli)
Removing Washington salmon barriers surges to $1M a day, but results are murky 

The Daily News
Smelt fishing may soon require license in Washington state
Environmental concerns over Drax air quality permit prompt hearing
Rainier Museum will break ground this spring after landing state funds

Everett Herald
Energy bills to rise 5.8% next month in Snohomish County
Traffic cams near Everett school go live in April; more in the way
State settles for $8.5M after impaired driver killed couple on Whidbey

News Tribune
Tacoma school to lose beloved vice principal as district budget cuts take their toll
Latest Tacoma apartment proposal seeking tax breaks include Lincoln District project

Peninsula Daily News
Clallam seeks additional funds for emergency operations center

Puget Sound Business Journal
Texio confirms layoffs as company restructures
Here’s the salary it takes to get beyond living ‘paycheck to paycheck’ in Seattle
A community-based approach to improving health outcomes across Washington state

Seattle Medium
Seattle Looks At Subsidized Housing For Cops
Seattle To Update Street Parking Rates For Spring Season
Washington State Achieves Bipartisan Support To Ban Hog-Tying By Police And Address Opioid Crisis (Mena)

Seattle Times
Legislature passes more than $32 million in asylum-seeker aid (Gregerson)
Blobby creatures washed up on West Coast beaches during marine warming, sucking up energy
Opinion: Don’t shy away from hard conversations with kids about opioids
Opinion: Financial lifeline works to keep vulnerable WA youth housed

Spokesman Review
Inslee and Governor of Kyiv Oblast sign Sister State Agreement
Supreme Court: Bar exam will no longer be required to become an attorney in Washington state
As Washington lawmakers pass on lowering limits for driving drunk, a borrowed breath tester changed at least one mind (Billig)

Walla Walla Union Bulletin
Blue Mountain Heart to Heart health hub to open by August
Lions Park renovation to begin this month, bringing inclusive amenities to College Place

Washington Post
11 charts that show how covid changed the U.S. economy
Four years in, covid flags no longer fly. Families’ grief remains.
Supreme Court weighs whether White House censored social media
The SAT is coming back at some colleges. It’s stressing everyone out
How politicians quietly influence what social media posts get removed

WA State Standard
Redistricting ruling stirs partisan uproar
The art and science of landslide preparedness a decade after Oso

Wenatchee World
BLM plans to strengthen sage-grouse conservation
Wenatchee School District details plan to cut $8 million to $9 million

Yakima Herald-Republic
WA Indian boarding schools committee seek public’s help with effort
New legislative map approved Friday brings big change for Yakima Valley

Broadcast

KING 5 TV (NBC)
Seattle pot shop closes for business after driver plowed through store, stole merchandise

KIRO 7 TV (CBS)
Guns for gift cards keeping weapons off Everett streets
New bill would reimburse military spouses for costs to transfer job licenses, certificates
Starbucks accused of violating Americans with Disabilities Act by charging extra for non-dairy
‘Too many people have too many guns’: Seattle mayor addresses concerns about city’s violence, safety

KOMO 4 TV (ABC)
Congress hears suggestions for US wildfire response changes as season approaches in WA

KUOW Public Radio
Prisoner-led cultural groups in Washington say they’ve been sidelined under state’s prison diversity initiative

NW Public Radio
Contaminated wells near Yakima Training Center getting filter fix from the Army
Samish Indian Nation cleans up over a million pounds of marine debris, more to go

Web

Cascadia Daily News
Fish farm company backs down from effort to restore canceled net pen leases
Whatcom educators: State money still short of what’s needed to fund public schools
Samish mobile park residents celebrate purchase as Lakeway Estates homeowners confront defeat

MyNorthwest
Seattle area average energy prices: Gasoline, utility gas prices dip, electricity rises

Friday, March 15

- Washington Gov. Jay Inslee speaks during a signing ceremony in Washington, Friday, Feb. 23, 2024. Inslee closed out the final day of his last legislative session, Thursday, March 7, 2024, as Washington state governor by describing it as a banner year in the state’s fight against climate change.

The 2024 legislative session wrapped last week; now, Inslee considers signing 300 bills into law
During the past two months, state legislators in Olympia passed a stack of 359 bills that Gov. Jay Inslee has been working through signing into law this week. Lawmakers showed up in Olympia for Washington’s 2024 legislative session with a lofty set of goals in the midst of a statewide housing shortage, opioid epidemic, warming climate and cost-of-living crisis. Here’s a look at a few bills Inslee signed into Washington law on Wednesday Continue reading at the Columbian. (Susan Walsh)


How child care fared in this year’s Washington state legislative session
Washington lawmakers this year funneled more money and support toward the state’s struggling child care system, looking to give providers a boost and expand access to day care and pre-K programs for families. Some of that money will go to expand mental health consultations for infants and toddlers, increase rates for providers caring for infants and add grants for early learning center construction and renovation. The investments were stronger than advocates had expected going into a 60-day session where lawmakers were adjusting the state budget, not writing a spending plan from scratch…Continue reading at the WA State Standard. (Getty Images)


Washington governor signs bill into law adding protections against artificially fabricated, fake intimate images
Washington residents now have more protections in the digital world after Gov. Jay Inslee signed a new bill into law on March 14 concerning artificially fabricated porn. House Bill 1999, sponsored by State Rep. Tina Orwall (D-Des Moines), provides more protections for people against the creation and circulation of fabricated intimate images, including deepfakes and digitally altered, sexually explicit images of minors, according to the bill. Continue reading at King 5. (TVW)


Print

Associated Press
Washington State Bar Association OKs far lower caseloads for public defenders
The Supreme Court upholds mandatory prison terms for some low-level drug dealers
Supreme Court rules public officials can sometimes be sued for blocking critics on social media

Aberdeen Daily World
Contract with Aberdeen could fill Cosi cop void

Bellingham Herald
Whatcom County Jail inmate dies in custody; second inmate hospitalized
Port of Bellingham sues waterfront developer after contract defaults, extension requests
A net loss for our city’: Bellingham residents push back against housing development to preserve trees

Capital Press
Hemp growers ask lawmaker for regulation hearing

Columbian
Firefighter memorial, public land housing bills signed into law Wednesday
Washington state has one of the biggest gender pay gaps in America. Here’s where it ranks
The 2024 legislative session wrapped last week; now, Inslee considers signing 300 bills into law (Riccelli, Wilson, Thai, Billig)
Editorial: In Our View: Culvert project must benefit salmon, taxpayers
Editorial: In Our View: Improvements to vital corridor promising

Everett Herald
Snohomish, Everett electrifying school bus fleets, ahead of new law (Senn)

Journal of the San Juan Islands
Steve Nevey to head Washington State Ferries

News Tribune
Frank Chopp is the latest of a dozen lawmakers who will not return to their posts (Chopp, Jinkins, Billig, Riccelli, Hunt, Bateman, Keiser, Mullet)
These are the fastest-growing parts of Washington state, according to most recent data
Opinion: Call them what you will: Tacoma’s homeless encampment sweeps are cruel and inhumane
Opinion: ‘Home in Tacoma’ promises density — but it won’t thwart gentrification. This would

Peninsula Daily News
Unemployment rises in state, Peninsula

Puget Sound Business Journal
Harrell proposes removing barriers to residential conversions citywide
New census data shows population growth in Puget Sound region

Seattle Times
Lunar New Year becomes a recognized holiday in WA (Thai)
Bill to hold WA cities accountable for affordable housing could return (Peterson, Lovelett)
What’s next for WA ‘Sunshine Committee’ with exits, legislative apathy (Hunt, Springer)
WA has no parole. Should prosecutors control who gets a second chance? (Simmons, Goodman)
WSP pays $1.4M to settle lawsuit alleging trooper targeted drivers of color
Editorial: Support Seattle Fire Department program to help stem overdose deaths
Opinion: Despite progress, Seattle’s downtown comeback faces many obstacles

Spokesman Review
Mayor Lisa Brown: Spokane’s structural budget deficit requires swift action
Multiple bills seeking to mandate school curriculum failed. Here’s what they proposed (Wellman)
Students take the new digital version of the SAT as debate over equity in the test wages
Inslee updates hate crime law, expands powers of physician assistants, boosts money paid to those leaving prison, recognizes Lunar New Year (Riccelli, Wilson, Thai, Billig)

Washington Post
Republicans want to stay away from the IVF issue. Abortion foes won’t let them.

WA State Standard
How child care fared in this year’s Washington state legislative session (Wilson, Billig)
Gender wage gap in Washington is among widest in nation, analysis shows

Wenatchee World
Budget crunch: Wenatchee School District weighs alternatives to closing Columbia Elementary

Broadcast

KING 5 TV (NBC)
Seattle 911 Center handles emergency calls in a new way
SEA Airport train malfunction impacts thousands of travelers
State to pay $8.5 million to families of Whidbey Island crash victims
Federal judge rules in favor of King County Sheriff’s Office in Burien camping ban
Washington governor signs bill into law adding protections against artificially fabricated, fake intimate images (Orwall)

KOMO 4 TV (ABC)
Parents concerned Seattle’s recovery-focused high school is on chopping block
Seattle area could see 70 degrees this weekend, ‘about a month ahead of schedule’
King County Sheriff’s Office challenges legality of Burien’s public camping ordinance

KUOW Public Radio
Climate-friendly building code kicks in on Friday
Longtime Washington powerhouse politician Frank Chopp is stepping down (Chopp, Billig, Keiser)
U.S. House approves TikTok ban with help from Washington state delegation
Why the billions spent fixing Washington culverts may not be saving many salmon

Web

Cascadia Daily News
Young adults with disabilities supported after high school by Ferndale program
More trees or more housing? Meridian development hearing highlights city’s challenge to find balance 
Opinion: I want my corner coffee shops, dammit!

Crosscut
Washington UTC chair who used racial slur asked to resign