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Friday, May 26

$8M in behavioral health grants to benefit children, youth, families
A new Evergreen Manor Family Center will offer housing and services for over 200 “opioid-dependent” pregnant women, parents and their children each year in Everett’s Riverside neighborhood. It’s an expansion made possible through one of five grants Snohomish County announced this week for projects to boost behavioral health capacity, with a total investment of $8 million in Edmonds, Everett, Lynnwood and Mountlake Terrace. The grants are part of the county’s federal American Rescue Plan Act allocation, and they will support buildings and programs to serve 440 more children and adults each year. Continue reading at Everett Herald. (Olivia Vanni)

WA’s new capital gains tax brings in far more than expected
Early figures suggest Washington could bring in $849 million in its first year of collecting the state’s new capital gains tax, potentially sending hundreds of millions more than expected to schools across the state. State lawmakers passed the 7% tax on the sale or exchange of stocks, bonds and certain other assets above $250,000 in 2021. It has faced legal challenges, but got the go-ahead from the state Supreme Court in March. The Legislature passed a budget based on earlier projections indicating Washington could collect $248 million in capital gains tax payments in the 2023 fiscal year, which ends July 1. Instead, as of May 9, the state has collected $601 million more. Continue reading at Seattle Times.

Sen. Murray pledges work to invest in South Park flooding prevention, climate resilience
United States Sen. Patty Murray met with community members and local officials Thursday to discuss federal investments in climate resilience and progress on preventing flooding in Seattle’s South Park neighborhood. Murray said she is working to direct $3 million in funding toward drainage improvements and storm water management. “What I’m focused on is helping the community get resiliency so when they get floods, when they get king tides, when we get those extreme storms, that there is drainage for the water to flow out,” Murray said. “That’s one of the reasons there were so many problems last December, when the huge storm came through.” South Park has faced routine flooding during heavy storms for years, but December’s king tide prompted extensive damage to homes and businesses. Continue reading at KING5.

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Axios
Spokane’s a better place for new grads than Seattle, index finds

Everett Herald
Monroe health care workers picket for new contract
$8M in behavioral health grants to benefit children, youth, families

News Tribune
Another Pierce County farmers market opens soon with 70 vendors. Here’s what to expect
‘Unsafe’ fishing pier in NE Tacoma has been closed since 2021. Will it ever reopen?

Olympian
Tumwater School District suspends its virtual academy. Here’s what happened
Timberland library trustee urges protecting branches after comments about Amanda Park site

Puget Sound Business Journal
WA council taps brakes on natural gas ban in new buildings
Many companies are slashing DEI — but it might be time to double down

Seattle Times
WA’s new capital gains tax brings in far more than expected (Rolfes, Mullet)
Wetlands bridge adds delay and $72 million to light-rail project
Seattle police killings rose under federal oversight, according to data analysis
Opinion: Collaboration with Indigenous communities is critical for climate resilience

Spokesman Review
House passes bill backed by McMorris Rodgers, Biden to crack down on fentanyl
‘Don’t be the spark:’ Early predictions point to a manageable fire season, but you should still remain cautious

Washington Post
Debt ceiling negotiators race to cement final deal before deadline

Wenatchee World
Legislative priorities largely met for Chelan Douglas Regional Port Authority

Yakima Herald-Republic
Nelson Dam removal provides new start on the Naches River
Editorial: Slow down in WSDOT work zones — or smile for the cameras

Broadcast

KING 5 TV (NBC)
Tacoma city officials discuss updates to Rental Housing Code
Sen. Murray pledges work to invest in South Park flooding prevention, climate resilience
Public Health Seattle and King County host conference focused on combating gun violence

KOMO 4 TV (ABC)
Everett police see increase in 911 hang-up calls
2 arrested, thousands of fentanyl pills seized during western Washington investigation

KUOW Public Radio
Renton grants help high school grads who can’t afford college (Bergquist)
Students chain selves to smokestack to light climate fire under UW
‘Real people being represented’: Seattle’s social housing board is just getting started

Web

Cascadia Daily News
Regionalization is another headache in school funding (Bergquist, Timmons)

Thursday, May 25

WA food bank lines grow as COVID-era benefits end, grocery prices rise
Food banks throughout the greater Seattle area and across the country have seen swelling demand, as people, including working families and those on fixed incomes, seek help to stock their fridges and pantries. About 522,200 households in Washington state — or about 921,000 people — rely on SNAP benefits, referred to as Basic Food in the state and colloquially known as food stamps. Normally, food assistance amounts are based on annual income and household size. But during the pandemic, all households received the maximum amount they were eligible for based on size alone, meaning an extra $95 or more per month. With the end of emergency allotments, households saw, on average, a reduction of about $105 per person in March, according to the state Department of Social and Health Services. Continue reading at Seattle Times. (Erika Schultz)

WA Cares paycheck deductions begin July 1
Beginning July 1, employers in Washington state will start deducting premiums from paychecks for the WA Cares Fund, the state’s new long-term care insurance program. Workers will pay 0.58% of every $100 earned to fund the program. Some workers are eligible to receive an exemption from the paycheck deductions, like workers who are unlikely to be able to use the benefits. The WA Cares Fund will eventually be used to help Washingtonians access a $36,500 benefit – adjusted annually for inflation – for long-term care insurance. Benefits will become available for qualified individuals in July 2026. Continue reading at KING5. (KING5 Staff)

State taking input on new rules for working outdoors in wildfire smoke
The state is taking comments on new permanent rules for working outdoors in wildfire smoke. The issue has become more important in recent years as large wildfires affect air quality in Central Washington for days or weeks at a time. The Washington Department of Labor and Industries implemented emergency rules in 2021 and 2022, and now wants to make them permanent. The new rules could require employers to create wildfire smoke plans, monitor air conditions and implement safety protocols based on the level of air pollution. Advocates for agricultural employers and employees noted the importance of the rules for maintaining health and safety but are preparing to share feedback and concerns at a series of public hearings L&I is hosting in July, one of which will be in Yakima on July 27. Continue reading at Yakima Herald. (Evan Abell)

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Axios
It’s time to prep for summer weather extremes, Seattle

Bellingham Herald
Whatcom County reverses decision, agrees to provide federal funds to Lighthouse Mission

Capital Press
Washington counties get second chance at farm preservation

Columbian
Team hikes to retrieve supplies from Mount St. Helens observatory closed by landslide
Editorial: In Our View: Social media worries click with government (Liias)

Everett Herald
3 guns caught by TSA at Paine Field this month — all loaded
Comment: Spike in childhood mortality needs nation’s attention

The Inlander
Pride flags in Spokane’s Garland District divide businesses and property owners

News Tribune
Supporters pack council meeting. Now Pride flag will fly over this Pierce County city
At 16, she took a bullet to the head. Now Tacoma teen wants to help young people heal
Comment: An incarcerated writer slammed conditions at the Pierce County Jail. We should listen

New York Times
Supreme Court Limits E.P.A.’s Power to Address Water Pollution
Microsoft Calls for A.I. Rules to Minimize the Technology’s Risks
Biden Unveils a National Plan to Fight an Ancient Hatred

Olympian
Governor’s Office fires equity office director over leadership, management
Look for improvement projects at Tenino City Park, athletic fields, thanks to state money

Peninsula Daily News
Grant would fund childcare facility

Port Townsend Leader
Jefferson County Public Utility District receives $6 million state broadband grant

Puget Sound Business Journal
Council member: Lagging Seattle cop hiring effort ‘really distressing’

Seattle Medium
Seatac Airport A Better Neighbor Now In Spite Of Embattled Past, Former Adversaries Say
Workers Urged To Apply For Exemption From WA Cares Fund To Avoid Paycheck Deductions

Seattle Times
WA food bank lines grow as COVID-era benefits end, grocery prices rise
Amazon investors reject proposals on worker safety, climate impact
Seattle’s first carbon-positive hotel coming to Pioneer Square in 2024
Opinion: Students make the case: Local news critical for democracy

Spokesman Review
VA secretary says Spokane VA’s budget won’t suffer as result of flawed records system

Tri-City Herald
E. Washington astronomers chalk up new black hole discovery that sent ripples through time

Washington Post
Supreme Court weakens EPA power to enforce Clean Water Act
6 key takeaways from the Post-KFF survey of transgender Americans

WA State Standard
Washington’s heat pump push hits a snag
‘There is NO lahar’: Volcano warning was false alarm
State looks to dump leased real estate as remote work leaves offices empty

Wenatchee World
Wenatchee Pride Festival banner torn outside Memorial Park
Wenatchee School Board hears opposition to book bans

Yakima Herald-Republic
State taking input on new rules for working outdoors in wildfire smoke

Broadcast

KING 5 TV (NBC)
WA Cares paycheck deductions begin July 1
Bellevue says it’s been a challenge to find a Safe Parking Program operator
Fircrest welcomes all: City council votes to raise pride flag in June
A piece of wildfire safety gear that works every time, isn’t mandatory in Washington state

KOMO 4 TV (ABC)
Rep. Newhouse launches Central Washington Fentanyl Task Force

KXLY (ABC)
Spokane Arts Executive Director leaving role this summer
Family saved from fire thanks first responders who rescued them

NW Public Radio
Dead salmon prompt Army Corps of Engineers to repair Skagit River jetty

Q13 TV (FOX)
Washington’s nonstop battle to keep parks, forests green begins with insect traps

TVW
The Impact: Framework & Implementation of 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline (Orwall)

Web

Cascadia Daily News
Cleanup process underway at two Blaine sites

Crosscut
A new WA law may not cure hospital staff shortages, nurses say (Robinson)
Housing restrictions are leaving more PNW sex offenders homeless

Wednesday, May 24

‘Not tools of self-defense’: Ferguson makes case for Washington’s new semiautomatic rifle ban
Courthouse sparring is ramping up in a case that could eventually decide whether Washington’s newly adopted ban on the sale of semiautomatic rifles is constitutional. Gun rights advocates filed the lawsuit in federal district court in Tacoma on April 25, the same day Gov. Jay Inslee signed the legislation. On Monday, Attorney General Bob Ferguson registered his opposition to the challengers’ request for a preliminary injunction to block the law’s enforcement while the litigation unfolds. “Just like bazookas, machine guns, and grenade launchers, assault weapons are not covered by the Second Amendment because they are not tools of self-defense; rather, they are designed to injure and kill as many people as possible as quickly as possible,” his brief says. “Moreover,” it adds, “Washington’s regulation of assault weapons fits comfortably within the long historical tradition of regulating dangerous and unusual weapons.”
Continue reading at WA State Standard. (Bill Lucia)

Editorial: New WA laws expand voting access and convenience
The state Legislature created new laws to help ensure the integrity of elections and increase access to the ballot. All were enacted at the request of Secretary of State Steve Hobbs. One measure allows for online voter registration with the last four digits of a Social Security number instead of a driver’s license or state ID number. Another makes voter registration automatic for people who have proved their citizenship while applying for an enhanced driver’s license or enhanced state ID card. Still another bill prohibits political campaigns from using false images, videos or audio without a disclosure that the material has been manipulated. All of these changes are reasonable and welcome, and come at a time when trust in our voting system has been challenged. These new measures help safeguard voting just in time for this year’s elections and beyond. Continue reading at Seattle Times. (Ted S. Warren)

Editorial: State’s mental health care office holds promise
In Washington, an Office of Behavioral Health Advocacy was launched in October as a result of House Bill 1086, which the Legislature unanimously passed in 2021. Sponsor Tarra Simmons, D-Bremerton, said at the time that the idea was to “identify systemic issues that are going on in our behavioral health system.” The new office is part of a continuing strategy to rethink mental health services in Washington. The 2023-25 budget passed last month by the Legislature includes $957 million in behavioral health investments, including efforts to improve crisis response, prevent crises from occurring and increase the mental health workforce. It also increases funding for the 988 crisis line that was launched last year. Continue reading at Columbian.

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Bellingham Herald
New Whatcom County Jail could cost over $200 million. Here’s where it may go

Columbian
Shahala Middle School students protest schedule changes, budget cuts
Vancouver City Council awards $4.23M to organizations that support affordable housing
Editorial: State’s mental health care office holds promise (Simmons, Dhingra)

Everett Herald
$30M affordable housing project to start construction soon in Edmonds
Comment: What’s the health threat from wildfire season’s smoke

Olympian
Future uncertain for the WA State Sunshine Committee’s oversight of public records (Springer)

Peninsula Daily News
LGBTQ care politicized, area health officer says
State funding for Simdars Road bypass moves up

Seattle Medium
Tacoma Takes Urgent Action Against Youth Violence
Tacoma Police Department Provides Mid-Year Analysis Of Crime Reduction Plan
Some King County Residents May Lose Health Coverage June 1

Seattle Times
Fentanyl has devastated King County’s homeless population, and the toll is getting worse
Snohomish County announces $8 million to boost mental and behavioral health treatment
Tribes ramp up pressure on WA over gas prices as climate laws’ effects take hold (Mullet, Nguyen)
Editorial: New WA laws expand voting access and convenience

Spokesman Review
Spokane police to get new full-body restraints to more safely detain suspects

Tri-City Herald
Safety record, leadership criticized for new $45B Hanford radioactive waste contractor
Opinion: Here’s how you can help a teen suffering with a mental health disorder

Washington Post
Trans kids crave acceptance at school in a nation that often resists it

WA State Standard
‘Ready for its close-up, Washington sees moviemaking rebound
Not tools of self-defense’: Ferguson makes case for Washington’s new semiautomatic rifle ban

Yakima Herald-Republic
More known about boarding school for Native students in what was North Yakima, but specific information is still scarce
Opinion: Higher reimbursement rates should sustain Toppenish hospital

Broadcast

KING 5 TV (NBC)
First affordable high-rise in more than 50 years opens in Seattle
Tacoma City Council approves $3.1 million settlement for wrongful death of Bennie Branch
WSP sergeant reassigned after citing innocent driver in crash involving fellow trooper
‘The Super Bowl for the ferry system’: Washington State Ferries getting ready for summer season

KIRO 7 TV (CBS)
Geologists mapping out Mount St. Helens mudslide to assess damage, needed repairs

KOMO 4 TV (ABC)
Fentanyl crisis disproportionately impacting Native Americans in King County
Seattle police recruitment effort lagging, response to calls for service grows

KUOW Public Radio
Rail workers call for safety improvements in Washington state
Bellevue struggles to open safe parking lot for people living in cars
Seattle introduces legislation to protect gig workers from abrupt termination

KXLY (ABC)
New report details economic, mental health struggles facing women and girls in Spokane County
The State of Women in Spokane County: An inside look at the childcare crisis, impacts on working families

Web

Cascadia Daily News
Is Northwest Washington prepared for a train disaster?
Whatcom flood recovery pushing forward 18 months later
Western breaks ground on new ‘zero energy’ building

Tuesday, May 23

Editorial: Shrink WA foster care safely with investment in social safety net
True change in a government system doesn’t happen often. It’s even rarer when it occurs in just a few years. But that is exactly what’s going on in the under-examined world of foster care. Today, there are about 6,130 children being raised by state-supported caregivers who are not their parents, one of the lowest numbers in 40 years. That is no accident. The drumbeat behind this change has been accelerating, in Washington and nationally, because the adult-life outcomes of foster youth — increased likelihood of incarceration, poverty and homelessness — are generally miserable. And they are visited disproportionately on Black and Indigenous children. So it’s long past time to step back and reassess just who goes into the system and why. A new state law taking effect this summer will likely push the numbers even lower. But its success depends on the availability of a robust, responsive safety net of high-quality services. That’s the rub. Continue reading at Seattle Times. (Donna Grethen)

$121 million awarded to broadband projects across Washington
Nineteen construction projects that will expand access to broadband internet in Washington are set to receive federal funding from the State Broadband Office. The office announced more than $121 million in grants to projects that will help deliver high-speed internet to communities across the state where it’s nonexistent or lacking. Though about 91% of households in Washington have a broadband subscription, the state estimates that about 248,000 households currently do not use broadband services. State law lays out goals that the State Broadband Office must meet to get all Washington businesses and residences access to broadband services with at least 150 megabits per-second download and upload speeds by 2028. For this round of funding, Commerce said demand exceeded what was available by 261%, with 50 different project sponsors requesting more than $316 million. Continue reading at WA State Standard. (Michael Bocchieri)

Washington slates $50M for trees to shade salmon streams
Washington state is putting more money into a low-tech approach to help salmon thrive. State officials are hoping to plant millions of dollars’ worth of trees along rivers and streams to cool the water and protect the fish. Gov. Jay Inslee and Democratic and Republican lawmakers wanted to tackle warming streams this past legislative session as a way to combat some of the effects of global warming. Inslee’s office and the Ecology and Fish and Wildlife departments met with farming groups, business interests, environmental organizations and several tribes to come up with a system to address the problem. Originally, Rep. Mike Chapman, D-Port Angeles and chairman of the House Agriculture & Natural Resources Committee, introduced two similar bills — House Bills 1215 and 1720 — to create two grant programs to provide money for rivershore and creekside tree plantings and other riparian improvements. But the heavy lifting happened during budget negotiations. Continue reading at Gazette Tribune. (Grant Hindsley)

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Axios
U.S. lawmakers OK’d more pro-gun bills than safety measures since Uvalde

Capital Press
Horse Heaven solar, wind project foes seek report before hearings

Columbian
Expect more bridge lifts on Interstate 5
Vancouver Police Department boosts hiring efforts
Vancouver Police Department vacancies impact response to 911 calls
Editorial: Airport siting speaks to infrastructure concerns

The Daily News
Cowlitz County expects drug court to remain stable as district court plans to start its version

Everett Herald
Letter: Expand the SNAP food aid program

Gazette Tribune
Washington slates $50M for trees to shade salmon streams (Chapman, Tharinger)

News Tribune
Professor touted racist theories. Now Tacoma university will remove his name from museum

Olympian
Port of Olympia didn’t have a signed contract to bring large ship here, commissioner says
WA lawmaker rejoins Republican caucus after ‘issues’ with leadership caused her to leave

Peninsula Daily News
Grant would fund childcare

Seattle Medium
Non-Profit Farms Support Food Insecure Communities In Long-Term Ways

Seattle Times
Seattle Amazon workers plan walkout over return to office, layoffs
Proposed pumped-storage energy project on sacred Yakama Nation site gets key permit
Editorial: Shrink WA foster care safely with investment in social safety net
Opinion: Renew regional commitment to preventing homelessness

Vancouver Business Journal
Housing bill signed by Inslee will create more housing (Bateman)

WA State Standard
$121 million awarded to broadband projects across Washington
Western states agree to Colorado River water-sharing agreement
State roads chief: Transportation system is on ‘glidepath to failure’ (Liias)
Disaster aid has arrived, but Western Alaska’s salmon and crab problems continue

Broadcast

KING 5 TV (NBC)
‘Cottage housing’ proposal to be considered by Shoreline City Council
Train derailments in Washington have more than doubled in the last ten years

KIRO 7 TV (CBS)
State tribal leaders address escalating opioid crisis

KUOW Public Radio
Washington is about to dive deeper into the world of psychedelic research

KXLY (ABC)
Spokane sermon goes viral for violent anti–trans message
Gov. Inslee appoints Breean Beggs to Spokane County Superior Court
Liberty Lake Mayor vetoes contentious library ordinance
Is it time to add fluoride to Spokane’s drinking water?

Web

Crosscut
Within the Salish Sea, Samish divers research kelp forests
Mushroom farm to pay $3.4M settlement in WA discrimination case (Orwall, Wilson, C.)

Monday, May 22

Residents with contaminated water near Yakima Training Center still waiting for solutions
In total, more than 80 households in East Selah were informed by the U.S. Army over the last two years that their private water wells were contaminated with dangerous levels of PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances. Commonly referred to as forever chemicals because of their ability to remain in human bodies for decades, PFAS were one of the main components in a firefighting foam used in the nearby Yakima Training Center for decades during firefighting exercises. Continue reading at The Yakima Herald. (Emree Weaver)

Washington state now has the nation’s strongest law against toxic cosmetics
The Washington state Legislature has passed some of the country’s strongest legislation to protect residents from hazardous chemicals in cosmetic products. Starting in 2025, the Toxics-Free Cosmetics Act will ban the manufacture, sale, and distribution of cosmetics containing nine chemicals and chemical classes, including formaldehyde and “forever chemicals.” Continue reading at KNKX. (Getty Images)

Here’s how the new drug possession law in Washington is different than what was on the books
Changes to the state’s drug possession laws, prompted by a state Supreme Court ruling, tied the Legislature in knots during its regular session. Negotiators on a special committee proposed a compromise that failed in the House on the final day of the session and never came up for a vote in the Senate. After a three-week break during which members of both parties in the House and Senate negotiated changes, a special session untied the knot in a matter of hours. Continue reading at The Spokesman-Review. (Jim Camden)