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Friday, February 23

A New ‘Holy Grail’ in the Housing Crisis: Statewide Rent Caps
Washington residents have converged in recent weeks on Olympia, the state capital, to lobby legislators about one of the most closely watched housing bills in the country: A measure that would cap residential rent increases at 7 percent a year. If it is enacted, Washington would become the third state in the country to adopt statewide rent regulations, after Oregon and California — and all within the last five years. Continue reading at New York Times. (Grant Hindsley)

Five takeaways from WA’s proposed 2024 budget
In the past week, legislators have unveiled their initial proposals on how to update the budget. You can think of the ongoing short session, which ends March 7, as the halfway mark in the state’s two-year budget cycle. “The new investments that we’ve been able to make in this budget are relatively modest,” said Sen. June Robinson, D-Everett, about the Senate’s proposed operations budget, especially compared to recent budgets where the state had an influx of federal funds because of the pandemic. Continue reading at Seattle Times. (Karen Ducey)

Bill that would ban ‘stealthing,’ or lying about sexual protection, may soon become a law
Stealthing is the act of damaging or removing sexually protective devices such as condoms during intercourse without the consent of a partner. It is considered a form of rape in some countries. Canada, Germany and the United Kingdom already have laws banning stealthing. In the United Kingdom, the crime can carry a maximum sentence of up to life in prison. A bill moving through the Washington Legislature right now would make stealthing punishable with a $5,000 fine. The bill would also mandate the reimbursement of costs and “reasonable” attorney’s fees for the prevailing party. Continue reading at Spokesman Review. (Jesse Tinsley)

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Axios
Why King County’s youth jail won’t close by 2025, as pledged

Capital Press
Washington’s snowpack small; warm spring in forecast
Washington wildlife commission praised and panned at hearing

Columbian
Legislation requiring clergy to report child abuse stalls again in Olympia (Senn, Frame, Walen)
Chinook Indian Nation hails decision granting it access to land claim trust funds

The Daily News
Longview schools ditch past reading model for science-backed approach. So far, teachers say attention spans are up.

Everett Herald
Months after strike, nurses reach contract with Providence Everett
Jails had ‘immunity’ to lawsuits over overdoses — so her family settled
To save salmon from pollution, volunteers sample Everett’s stormwater

Indian Country Today
The 50th anniversary of the Boldt Decision is a celebration of Native leadership

The Inlander
A sweeping homeless camping ban that passed by 75% of voters in November isn’t being enforced — city leaders say it poses too big of a legal risk

News Tribune
Congressman’s speech on civility disrupted by protesters in Tacoma. Here’s what we know

New York Times
A New ‘Holy Grail’ in the Housing Crisis: Statewide Rent Caps (Jinkins, Alvarado)

Puget Sound Business Journal
Amazon’s Seattle workforce is down by 5,000 since last year
Seattle construction industry shed thousands of jobs last year
Regulators likely to sue to block Kroger’s massive deal, report says
Companies with AI bots on their websites face unintended consequences

Seattle Times
Five takeaways from WA’s proposed 2024 budget (Robinson, Fey, Liias, Bergquist)
How a bill could affect health care consolidations, patient care in WA (Randall)
Why some King County home values dropped while taxes on them rose
Swinomish tribe files notice of intent to sue EPA over warming WA streams
WA lawmakers advance bill making it a felony to threaten election workers (Dhingra, Leavitt)
Once curbed in Seattle, tiny apartments poised for big boost from Legislature (Salomon, Reed, Hasegawa)
Editorial: Include all players in Mayor Harrell’s public-safety forum
Opinion: WA Cares is not the solution for the state’s graying population
Opinion: WA’s farcical ferry fleet

Sol De Yakima
El Distrito 15 podría tener nuevos límites electorales a tiempo para estas elecciones

Spokesman Review
Bill that would ban ‘stealthing,’ or lying about sexual protection, may soon become a law (Berry)
Highway work zone speed cameras could cost you a hefty fine, but lawmakers are considering different penalties
Spokane site begins checking drugs to reduce overdoses: ‘People will look at this as enabling, but we’re saving lives’
Washington State University faculty members publish open letter calling on WSU President Kirk Schulz, other administrators to step down
‘You pay rent and you don’t get to shower’: The conditions at one Spokane apartment building underscore some residents’ desperation for housing
Opinion: Bill would help put check on police violence

Wahkiakum County Eagle
Lawmakers propose minimum age of 25 for high potency cannabis purchases (Salomon, Keiser)

Washington Post
Air pollution tied to signs of Alzheimer’s in brain tissue, study finds

WA State Standard
WA Senate passes legislation pushing back on book bans (Nobles, Trudeau, Randall)
Legislators throw a life ring to Washington’s ‘other’ ferries (Fitzgibbon, Liias)

Broadcast

KING 5 TV (NBC)
Tacoma Public Schools prepares for budget cuts
Protesters push back against Lacey’s plans for so-called ‘Cop City’
Gig workers split on who’s to blame for Seattle’s ‘PayUp’ law not working
Effort to bring high-speed rail line to western Washington remains on track
Gov. Inslee defends procedures at the state’s maximum security detention center

KIRO 7 TV (CBS)
KIRO 7 investigates Kent police response times going up

KOMO 4 TV (ABC)
Seattle gig workers urge app companies to lower fees
Does Seattle’s budget move signal a big change on regional homelessness response?
Snohomish County halts gravel yard work next to Mukilteo school over health concerns

KNKX Public Radio
WA state Sen. Sam Hunt to retire after 24 years in Legislature (Hunt, Bateman, Doglio, Billig, Jinkins)

KUOW Public Radio
Can rent stabilization help Washington residents?
Micro-apartments are poised to become legal in Washington state
Banning books in Washington state schools could become harder if bill becomes law (Nobles, Randall)
Will it be illegal for fertility doctors to secretly inseminate patients in Washington state? (Orwall)

KXLY (ABC)
Special Report: Unpacking the snowpack and the threat from climate change

FOX13 TV
Legislative battle over prison sentencing
Washington tribes push for legislative change over prison sentencing

Web

Cascadia Daily News
WTA seeks developer for affordable housing in Lynden

Crosscut
WA health officials throw away millions of pandemic supplies

Thursday, February 22

Pass bill limiting rent hikes to help stabilize households
About a third of Washingtonians are living as renters and many communities are facing an affordable housing crisis with frequent and sizable rent hikes. The Washington Legislature is poised to intervene to keep rent increases more manageable. House Bill 2114 is not rent control. Rather it would limit how much a landlord could increase rent charges to 7% each year, still almost double the recent rates of inflation. HB 2114 also addresses the economic pressures surrounding housing, with studies, including a Zillow-sponsored study, that found rising rents are pushing more and more people into homelessness. Continue reading at Seattle Times. (Ken Lambert)

Rep. Ortiz-Self: Tacoma’s private detention center is at it again. The pain won’t end until it closes.
The recent standoff between Washington state and GEO Group, the private company operating the Northwest ICE Processing Center in Tacoma, is more than just a local dispute. It shines a spotlight on a deeply troubling national issue: the lack of transparency and accountability in immigration detention centers. This isn’t just about one facility; it’s about ensuring basic human rights are upheld, regardless of immigration status. The fundamental right to fair treatment and basic human dignity should never be contingent on immigration status. Washington state recognizes this, taking a stand for these fundamental rights. Continue reading at The News Tribune. (Dean J. Koepfler)

Sen. Claudia Kauffman, Rep. Chris Stearns: Racial disproportionality in ‘juvenile points’ sentences
Right now, 422 Indigenous people incarcerated in Washington’s state prisons are serving longer sentences because they were involved in the juvenile system as children. No one should be penalized twice for crimes committed when they were young. Our focus must be on healing and rehabilitation, not punishment. House Bill 2065 would remedy that by giving those people the opportunity to have their sentences recalculated without double-penalizing people for juvenile mistakes. We urge our colleagues to support this necessary reform bill, so we can begin to rectify the vast racial disparities in our prison system. Continue reading at ICT News. (Martin Kraft)

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Columbian
Former Vancouver Fire Department captain sues city for negligence

Courier-Herald
Does climate change affect your health? Short answer — yes | Public

Everett Herald
Feds fine Everett test lab for alleged animal welfare violations
WA boost in student homelessness funding reaches more districts
Mining company ordered to stop work next to school south of Everett
How will climate change affect you? New tool gives an educated guess

Indian Country Today
Sen. Claudia Kauffman, Rep. Chris Stearns: Racial disproportionality in ‘juvenile points’ sentences

The Inlander
West Plains residents can now apply for free PFAS water testing from environmental agencies

News Tribune
Rep. Ortiz-Self: Tacoma’s private detention center is at it again. The pain won’t end until it closes
Opinion: Cougar trophy hunters in WA are desperate. It’s why they rely on ‘alternative facts’

New York Times
Abortion Shield Laws: A New War Between the States
Anti-Trans Policies Draw Scrutiny After 16-Year-Old’s Death in Oklahoma
Support for Teaching Gender Identity in School Is Split, Even Among Democrats

Northwest Asian Weekly
Seattle proclamation confronts discrimination against Chinese Immigrants

Puget Sound Business Journal
Small businesses twice as likely to face cyberattacks
Boeing replaces 737 Max head amid leadership shake-up

Seattle Medium
Seattle Reports Reductions In Street Tents And Homeless Encampments

Seattle Times
Seattle police officer who struck Jaahnavi Kandula won’t face charges
Seattle to take back part of Regional Homelessness Authority’s funding
Long-awaited drinking water testing available for residents near Spokane
Editorial: Pass bill limiting rent hikes to help stabilize households
Opinion: Higher reimbursements will help our mental health crisis in WA

Skagit Valley Herald
Schools running short of bus drivers

Spokesman Review
West Plains residents can now sign up for free PFAS drinking water testing
State hearing highlights divergent fortunes of WSU and UW in new era of college athletics
‘It’s going to be a long process’: Local leaders caution that federal fire aid will take time to arrive
Health district predicts more cases of measles following Spokane County’s first patient since 2015
Bill that would make financial education a high school graduation requirement in Washington passes out of committee (Ormsby, Riccelli)

Vancouver Business Journal
PAL of Southwest Washington receives major grant

Vashon-Maury Island Beachcomber
Catching up with Vashon’s legislators (Nguyen, Fitzgibbon, Alvarado, Fey)

WA State Standard
Two people honored with Washington’s top awards for civilians
How WA lawmakers are looking to improve K-12 special education (Pollet, Stonier)
Legislation requiring clergy to report child abuse stalls again in Olympia (Senn, Frame, Walen)

Wenatchee World
Wenatchee School Board undecided on Columbia Elementary closure

Broadcast

KING 5 TV (NBC)
Stand Together: A father and son talk about Black history, identity
Juvenile crime rates in Washington returning to pre-pandemic levels
Faculty at Washington State University say school is declining, points finger at leadership

KIRO 7 TV (CBS)
Former Boeing employee comes forward alleging he was targeted
SPD officer that hit and killed Jaahnavi Kandula in crosswalk will not face charges

KOMO 4 TV (ABC)
200k pounds of debris removed from encampments along I-5 in Seattle’s U-District
Washington lawmakers explore bill to omit juvenile crimes from adult offender scores

KNKX Public Radio
Legislators throw a life ring to Washington’s ‘other’ ferries (Fitzgibbon, Liias)

KUOW Public Radio
Could a broken WA ferry system help cities grow more sustainably?
Some USDA programs have been mired in inequity. A panel’s final report offers changes

KXLY (ABC)
Faculty members at WSU are calling for new president, leadership
Free water-testing for PFAs is now available for West Plains residents
Gonzaga researchers win $850,000 grant to study wildfire impacts on drinking water in Washington, Oregon

NW Public Radio
Pollution causing problems for nighttime pollinators
About 60 people evacuated when potentially explosive chemical found at Hanford site laboratory
Mr. WSDOT — the man who’s helped make road alerts interesting and ‘artistic’ — is heading to a new job

FOX13 TV
Washington utility rebate proposal to support low-income families (Fitzgibbon)

Web

Cascadia Daily News
Opinion: Whatcom farmers already sound stewards of water

Crosscut
Gas prices too high? WA residents may get $200 back for utilities (Robinson, Nguyen, Fitzgibbon, Liias, Billig)

The Stranger
The Five Anti-Trans Bills That Didn’t Survive This Session
Seattle’s LGBTQ Communities Demand Rent Stabilization (Pedersen, Cleveland, Mullet, Billig, Conway, Wellman, Hunt, Van De Wege, Jinkins)
King County Prosecutors Decline to Charge SPD Officer for Killing Pedestrian

Wednesday, February 21

WA Cares, if it survives, could benefit people who retire elsewhere
State legislators are advancing a proposal that would let Washingtonians access benefits through the state’s new long-term care insurance program, WA Cares Fund, even if they left the state for a new job or to retire. But the proposals are moving forward as WA Cares faces questions over its survival. A petition-backed initiative to the Legislature would make optional a requirement that most Washington workers pay into the program. Continue reading at Seattle Times. (Ken Lambert)

Gregerson state bill aims to improve immigration support
A House bill introduced by State Rep. Mia Gregerson, whose 33rd District includes parts of Kent, aims to modernize and improve support for immigrants and refugees arriving in Washington. House Bill 2368 is designed to support the economic and social integration of immigrants and refugees, as well as the basic needs, an issue that recently popped up in Kent when asylum seekers from Venezuela briefly settled at a local hotel before moving to a SeaTac hotel. Continue reading at Kent Reporter. (Legislative Support Services)

WA debates bill on ‘stealthing,’ or lying about sexual protection
House Bill 1958, prime-sponsored by Berry, would create a civil cause of action for the nonconsensual removal or tampering with sexually protective devices like condoms and dental dams, as well as for misleading someone about the use of such protection. The bill proposes monetary damages of $5,000 per violation, as well as the reimbursement of costs and “reasonable” attorney’s fees for the prevailing party. A 2019 study found that roughly 12% of women have experienced stealthing, with nearly 1 in 10 men reporting engaging in stealthing, according to a study conducted in Seattle. Continue reading at Crosscut. (Amanda Snyder)

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Aberdeen Daily World
House unveils construction budget with $17M allocated to Harbor (Tharinger)
County appoints local leaders, community members to homelessness task force

Axios
Seattle adds 73 no-right-on-red intersections

Bellingham Herald
Bellingham mayor announces drug crackdown, additional services for city center

Capital Press
Washington spending plans include cap-and-trade refunds for farmers (Fitzgibbon)

Columbian
How Washington lawmakers want to spend another $2 billion with this year’s state budget (Ormsby)
‘It’s going worse than I anticipated’: Financial aid delays leave many in ‘limbo,’ Clark County education officials say

Everett Herald
How will climate change affect you? New tool gives an educated guess
How Mill Creek mobile home residents bought the land under their feet
Letter: ‘Good guys with guns’ isn’t working

The Inlander
Spokane County finally gets disaster declaration, opening federal money for 2023 wildfire victims

Kent Reporter
Gregerson state bill aims to improve immigration support (Gregerson)

News Tribune
After lengthy search, local health department selects new director. Here’s what we know

New York Times
More Wall Street Firms Are Flip-Flopping on Climate. Here’s Why
Biden Cancels $1.2 Billion in Student Loan Debt for 150,000 Borrowers

Peninsula Daily News
Cleanup at Rayonier site still years away
House, Senate release spending proposals (Ormsby, Robinson)

Puget Sound Business Journal
Old Bellevue multifamily project to be developed in phases

Renton Reporter
Renton seeks funding for Springbrook Creek flood project

Seattle Medium
Biden Approves Major Disaster Declaration For Washington State
Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell Advocates for Innovation and Unity in 2024 State of the City Address
Advocates Pushing For Legislation That Would Expand Restrictions For Firearms In Public Spaces

Seattle Times
Low wages, high costs: WA prisoners say they’re being exploited
WA boost in student homelessness funding reaches more districts
WA Cares, if it survives, could benefit people who retire elsewhere (Macri, Keiser)
Halfway through his term, Seattle Mayor Harrell lists high-profile goals
How an endangered hawk could topple plans for WA’s largest wind farm
Editorial: Bring riders’ voices back on board to sustain WA ferries’ future (Nance)
Opinion: Pass tower crane safety bill to prevent another needless tragedy (Frame, Reed)

Spokesman Review
Biden signs disaster declaration six months after Spokane wildfires
‘Walking start to Running Start’: Bill would allow students to enroll in college courses before 11th grade
Opinion: Driving toward change: Why we need zero-emission school buses in Washington

Tri-City Herald
Part of Hanford nuclear site lab evacuated after ‘extremely dangerous’ chemical discovered

Walla Walla Union Bulletin
Blue Mountain Heart to Heart awarded $1.66M for pilot program

Washington Post
Tax records reveal the lucrative world of covid misinformation
How the housing industry is working to stop energy efficient homes
Biden administration cancels $1.2 billion in student loans with new repayment plan

WA State Standard
WA state Sen. Sam Hunt to retire after 24 years in Legislature (Hunt, Bateman, Doglio, Jinkins, Billig)
Republicans cry foul on Democrats’ plan for $200 electricity bill rebates (Fitzgibbon)

Broadcast

KING 5 TV (NBC)
Rep. Drew Stokesbary calls House rebate proposal ‘fishy’ (Fitzgibbon)
Washington state law could soon allow lawsuits in cases of ‘stealthing’
‘We all deserve to be safe’: Four women go on the record about protecting strippers rights in Washington

KIRO 7 TV (CBS)
Seattle Mayor Harrell focuses on public safety in State of the City address
State patrol reports 11 shootings on local highways since start of new year
Workers at Mill Creek Starbucks file petition to unionize, joining others across nation

KOMO 4 TV (ABC)
Impacts of Seattle gig worker law felt outside the city
Seattle business owners frustrated by ongoing property crime, damage
Evaluating Seattle’s efforts against open-air drug use presents progress and challenges

KUOW Public Radio
9 points from Seattle Mayor Harrell’s 2024 State of the City speech

KXLY (ABC)
Washington lawmakers considering bill that would cap rent increases
Federal funding now available to those affected by 2023 Spokane County wildfires

NW Public Radio
Washington politicians push for federal affordable housing legislation
I-82 closed for more than a week, once it opens a bigger fix looms ahead

Web

Cascadia Daily News
Bellingham mayor fights fentanyl crisis with first-responder office downtown

Crosscut
WA debates bill on ‘stealthing,’ or lying about sexual protection (Berry)

West Seattle Blog
VIDEO: Mayor Harrell’s third State of the City speech

Tuesday, February 20

WA House and Senate lawmakers release $71 billion supplemental operating budget plans
Washington state House and Senate lawmakers announced their supplemental operating budget proposals Monday, with each chamber dedicating most of the funding to K-12 education and behavioral health. Senate lawmakers are proposing a $71.7 billion supplemental operating budget, adding approximately $1.9 billion in new spending. House lawmakers are proposing $71 billion, slightly under what the Senate is asking for. Continue reading at The News Tribune. (The Olympian)

Bill before Washington Legislature would strip down rules for strip clubs
Washington is known for its strict laws against strip clubs, being the only state that doesn’t allow any establishments with nudity to have a liquor license. Dancers, who often have low incomes, can perform all night and leave owing money. Senate Bill 6105, which will have a committee hearing this morning, would cap club fees at $150 or 30 percent of the money a dancer made during a shift (whichever is less) and ban clubs from carrying over debts from previous shifts. Continue reading at The Columbian. (iStock)

Washington state pushes back on book bans
Democrats in Washington state want to pass a law this year that would slow conservative efforts to ban books in local classrooms and school libraries. The push in Washington’s Legislature follows a nationwide wave of attempts from the political right to limit what kids can read — often targeting works written by or about LGBTQ people and people of color. Under the Washington proposal, school officials couldn’t ban library books or course materials solely because the material focuses on protected classes, such as Black, Hispanic, Indigenous or LGBTQ people. Continue reading at Axios. (Aïda Amer)

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Aberdeen Daily World
Proposed state budget devotes $45 million for Grays Harbor projects (Mullet)

Axios
Washington state pushes back on book bans (Stonier)
Racial gaps persist in Seattle-area home values

Capital Press
Cattle numbers drop in Washington wolf territory

Columbian
Bill before Washington Legislature would strip down rules for strip clubs (Wylie)
Republicans in Washington Legislature bristle over collapse of rural housing bills (Peterson)

The Daily News
Wilson-sponsored bill aims to make kit homes easier to build

Everett Herald
Everett library trustees ‘ideally’ don’t want to merge with Sno-Isle
‘Hollow gestures’ won’t allow Camano forest school to survive, founders say
Comment: U.S. short 3 million workers amid immigration fight
Editorial: Bar set unfairly high for passage of school bonds

High Country News
How the Colville Tribes are restoring traditional lands and wildlife

Indian Country Today
Tribes are battling a devastating opioid crisis

News Tribune
More cuts ahead at Tacoma Public Schools? District again preparing for budget shortfalls
WA House and Senate lawmakers release $71 billion supplemental operating budget plans (Robinson, Ormsby, Fitzgibbon, Nguyen)

Peninsula Daily News
Report: Crime down in Port Townsend in 2023

Seattle Medium
Study Outlines True Cost Of Child Care In Seattle And King County
Exploring Seattle Metro Area’s Rental Market: Insights From Apartment List
Washington State Marijuana Homegrow Proposal Dies In House Committee Without Getting A Vote
Washington’s Dancers Advocate For A “Strippers’ Bill Of Rights”: Protecting Adult Performers In The State

Seattle Times
Five things to know about WA proposal to limit rent hikes
No rest for pothole fillers on Seattle’s crumbling Ship Canal Bridge deck (Liias, Fey)
Opinion: This is what brought our ferry system here, and what could save it
Editorial: Pass bill that respects religious practices and protects children (Frame)

Spokesman Review
A ‘win-win-win’: City leaders push for Cantwell-led expansion of federal low-income housing tax credit
Washington lawmakers released drafts of their 2024 budget proposals on Monday. What could be in store for Spokane County?
Opinion: House Bill 2114 is a progressive solution to housing insecurity

WA State Standard
‘We strip our clothes, not our pay:’ Strippers rally outside the state Capitol (Saldaña)
How Washington lawmakers want to spend another $2 billion with this year’s state budget (Ormsby, Robinson)

Wenatchee World
Wenatchee Valley Technical Skills Center eyes $14.5 million boost from state

Broadcast

KING 5 TV (NBC)
‘Truly disgusting’: Rainbow crosswalk in Redmond vandalized
Dancers, supporters rally for bill adding worker protections for strippers
Composting of human remains a growing option, industry in Washington state
From addict to advocate: How mother of three overcame opioids to help others

KIRO 7 TV (CBS)
New Washington cage-free egg law takes toll on bakeries
Senate panel to discuss future of UW, WSU athletic programs
New map shows unhealthy air quality could be heading our way
Report ranks Washington as #1 state with worst pothole problem

KOMO 4 TV (ABC)
Adult dancers rally in Olympia for ‘Strippers’ Bill of Rights.’ lewd conduct law changes

KXLY (ABC)
Cantwell, Brown calling on Senate to pass bipartisan tax package to increase affordable housing

NW Public Radio
Dissolving library districts is a hot topic, WA bill could make it harder to do
Funding for Northwest tribes to help challenges with housing, climate change
Public health adds porta potties following unhoused residents’ move to Clarkston park
Bill swap, money talks, and initiative hints: A look at week 6 of WA’s legislative session (Liias, Lovick)

FOX13 TV
Paraeducators demand respect and higher pay from lawmakers (Berg)

Web

Cascadia Daily News
Worried homeless campers behind Bellingham Walmart face cloudy future after city action

Monday, February 19

Bill swap, money talks, and initiative hints: A look at week 6 of WA’s legislative session
With just a few weeks left in this year’s legislative session, Washington lawmakers are starting to unveil budget plans and consider bills in the opposite chamber. Another cutoff deadline came down Tuesday, meaning it was do-or-die for policy proposals awaiting a vote in the chamber they started in. Lawmakers in the House approved a hotly debated rent bill this week, after days of uncertainty for its path forward in the Senate. House Bill 2114 is now in front of the Senate Ways and Means Committee – meaning the House bill will avoid the committee where its Senate companion stalled earlier this session. Continue reading at KUOW. (NW News Network)

What’s in the Transit-Oriented Development Bill the WA House Just Passed
On Tuesday, the Washington State House of Representatives passed a bill intended to open up new development capacity around the state’s most robust public transit infrastructure. House Bill 2160 would require cities to allow larger buildings within a fairly wide area directly around light rail, commuter rail, and streetcar stops, and slightly smaller buildings in areas directly around stops on bus rapid transit (BRT) lines. It also allows affordable housing developers to build taller if they include more units in their buildings that remain dedicated for low-income residents. Continue reading at The Urbanist. (Ryan Packer)

Measure targets AI porn loophole; Under current Wash. law, ‘deepfake’ victims have no legal recourse
Under current Washington law, if someone’s face is used to make pornographic content without their consent, the victim has no legal recourse. A proposal in the Washington Legislature, House Bill 1999, would address this loophole. It would expand criminal penalties under current child pornography laws to include instances in which an identifiable minor’s image was used to digitally fabricate explicit content. The bill would also provide a civil cause of action for adult victims by expanding the Uniform Civil Remedies for the Unauthorized Disclosure of Intimate Images Act. Though the bill addresses only deepfakes in which the victim is identifiable, prime sponsor Tina Orwall, D-Des Moines, says she can see potential for expansion to include non-identifiable victims. Continue reading at The Columbian. (Amanda Snyder)