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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)

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Associated Press
State tribes battling a devastating opioid crisis

Auburn Reporter
‘When services decline, it’s the kids who pay the price’ (Senn)

Capital Press
Researchers ‘close’ on falling numbers rapid test to manage wheat damage

Columbian
More Washington companies offer doula services in health benefits
Measure targets AI porn loophole; Under current Wash. law, ‘deepfake’ victims have no legal recourse (Orwall, Mullet)
Nonprofit to save land along Washougal River; Columbia Land Trust to secure 300 acres on West Fork

Everett Herald
‘I did get better’: Program helped Everett mother reunite her family
As homelessness rises, Everett programs aims to help struggling moms
‘A kinder, gentler interview room’ at Mountlake Terrace’s police station
Comment: Federal law making heart medications affordable
Comment: Legislation could harm a recycling success story
Letter: Reduce plastic litter with ReWRAP Act
Editorial: Cap on rent can keep more people in their homes (Peterson)

News Tribune
This gateway park to Tacoma is an ‘embarrassment’ and ‘painful to see.’ Is there a solution? (Fey)
Are WA housing affordability and climate change on a collision course? Some think they are (Duerr)
Opinion: Why a dancer with Tacoma ties is fighting for WA’s ‘Stripper Bill of Rights’

Olympian
My child’s mother was murdered. And I’ve been to prison. I know what justice is

Peninsula Daily News
Chapman explains votes (Chapman, Tharinger, Van De Wege)

Puget Sound Business Journal
Harrell administration touts progress on homelessness
Amazon gives $9M to Seattle-area groups that provide homeless services

Seattle Times
Lawmakers won’t act on WA long-term care ballot initiative (Billig, Jinkins)
Asylum-seekers with shelter in WA face ticking clock to stay inside
Redmond picks up Kenmore’s canceled affordable-housing project
Seattle-area schools see spike in students caught with guns on campus
Some bills survive, others don’t after WA Legislature chamber deadline (Jinkins, Nguyen, Doglio, Shewmake, Peterson, Farivar, Alvarado, Keiser, Callan, Mullet)
Judge orders breach of dam at hydroelectric project on Puyallup River
Will a multimillion-dollar funding measure help WA tribes battle opioids?
For WA patients with serious mental illness, this little-known right may get stronger
State governments looking to protect health-related data as it’s used in abortion battle (Slatter)
Opinion: From Venezuela to Seattle: A story of how immigration makes us better
Opinion: Pedestrians have to be miles ahead of drivers when it comes to safety
Opinion: Fentanyl, mental health, homelessness: They intersect in the ER
Opinion: On Remembrance Day, call for end to immigrant detention

Spokesman Review
Pollinator legislation proposed by Mt. Spokane senior buzzes through the Senate
Bill that would regulate hospital mergers in Washington passes House, may join other legislation protecting abortion access (Randall, Mullet, Riccelli)
Failing our troubled teens: As Washington’s shortage of inpatient drug beds persists, one family sues the facility they hoped would help their daughter
Opinion: Spokane must seize opportunity to treat opioid abuse disorder
Opinion: FAFSA opens doors for many students, their families

Tri-City Herald
Rent prices have soared in Tri-Cities so WA is giving $8.5M for 2 new housing projects
Most Tri-Cities students still half year behind in math, reading. How 2 schools caught up
Senate unveils $1.3 billion supplemental capital budget plan focused on schools, housing (Mullet, Trudeau)

Walla Walla Union Bulletin
Gov. Inslee talks fentanyl, clean energy in Walla Walla

Washington Post
Sinclair’s recipe for TV news: Crime, homelessness, illegal drugs
Opinion: Why not pay public school teachers $100,000 a year?

WA State Standard
Washington tribes look to Iceland for help getting teens off drugs
Citizen initiatives score public hearings. Will Democrats make them law? (Billig, Jinkins)
Republicans in Washington Legislature bristle over collapse of rural housing bills (Fitzgibbon, Peterson)

Wenatchee World
‘Our Voices are not being heard in Olympia’: Red Apple Orchards shutters due to rising costs
Chelan Douglas Regional Port Authority signs MOU with Washington Army National Guard on land deal.

Broadcast

KING 5 TV (NBC)
Washington State Patrol trooper shot by DUI suspect in Kent
61 firearms surrendered in under an hour at Mukilteo gun buyback event
Southern resident orcas now considered an endangered species in Oregon

KIRO 7 TV (CBS)
Police say U-District attack on Muslim woman was hate crime

KOMO 4 TV (ABC)
New WA bill would crack down on sexually explicit, fabricated photos of minors (Orwall, Ramos, Mullet)
Washington tribes are battling an opioid crisis. Will a multimillion-dollar bill help?

KNKX Public Radio
Bill swap, money talks, and initiative hints: A look at week 6 of WA’s legislative session (Liias, Ormsby, Billig, Jinkins)

KUOW Public Radio
Washington’s ferry system has a trust problem (Nance)
Week in Review: crime prevention, fentanyl, and kids
Dissolving library districts is a hot topic, WA bill could make it harder to do
Curriculum about fentanyl, other opioids could come to WA junior high classrooms
King County says its contractor failed to pay $1.1 million to child care providers in subsidy program
Balancing the books: Financial education could become a graduation requirement in WA schools
Letter: More passenger-only ferries could be among solutions to Washington ferry woes

KXLY (ABC)
Spokane aims for zero roadway deaths in next decade, research fuels funding request

Web

Cascadia Daily News
Salmon management 50 years after the Boldt Decision focuses on survival
State lawmaker addresses tenant protections, fentanyl in wide-ranging town hall (Rule, Shewmake, Timmons)
‘There’s a chance to take back your life’: Mental Health Court provides alternative to jail

Crosscut
Washington patients fear losing access to care as hospitals merge (Randall)

The Urbanist
What’s in the Transit-Oriented Development Bill the WA House Just Passed (Chapman, Lovelett)

West Seattle Blog
Fewer tents, faster responses, and what else the city says its homelessness response is accomplishing

Friday, February 16

Washington lawmakers consider more modest set of gun restrictions
Washington lawmakers last year passed a sweeping package of gun laws, including a 10-day waiting period for firearm purchases and a ban on the sale of AR-15s and similar semi-automatic rifles often used in the nation’s worst mass shootings. This session, by comparison, the Legislature is taking a small-ball approach. While lawmakers are considering a few additional restrictions on gun owners and dealers, some more ambitious laws, such as a permit requirement, had apparently stalled as a key legislative deadline ticked by this week. Continue reading at Seattle Times. (Jacquelyn Jimenez Romero)

Washington lawmakers again look to increase special education funding
Washington House lawmakers on Tuesday unanimously passed a bill to increase special education funding by another $185 million in the coming years. House Bill 2180 will allow up to 17.25% of a district’s population to receive funding for support services like speech therapy and instructional aides. The Legislature increased that cap from 13.5% to 15% last year. In other words, if 20% of a district’s population requires special education services, the district cannot get additional money for the remaining 5%. Democratic Rep. Gerry Pollet of Seattle, chief sponsor of HB 2180, said “it’s unconscionable and probably unconstitutional” that Washington does not fund special education for every child who needs it. Continue reading at WA State Standard. (Getty Images)

With new revenue report, Washington lawmakers prep for their budget reveal
A state revenue forecast released Wednesday gives Democratic budget writers in the House and Senate a little more money to spend than anticipated. Washington’s economy is projected to generate $67 billion for the two-year budget cycle that began July 1, up $122 million from the last forecast in November. Overall, collections are now up $1.3 billion since lawmakers adopted the budget in the 2023 session. The forecast provides the final piece of data each chamber needs to complete a supplemental operating budget proposal, making adjustments to the two-year plan now in place. Continue reading at The Columbian. (Lindsey Wasson)

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Aberdeen Daily World
Port touts banner year for exports, development

Axios
Seattle air quality predicted to worsen due to wildfire smoke

Bellingham Herald
Whatcom County 13-year-old accidentally shoots younger sibling with handgun
Study finds marijuana can kill skin cancer cells — but there are some big caveats
Land trust ready to launch permanently affordable homeownership project in Bellingham

Capital Press
Washington cattle groups agree on hiking beef checkoff (Chapman)

Columbian
Hold on. ‘The Evergreen State’ isn’t Washington’s nickname?
With new revenue report, Washington lawmakers prep for their budget reveal (Ormsby)
Impact on Southwest Washington: Clark County lawmakers have key bills still alive in Legislature (Cleveland)

Everett Herald
Bill seeks to improve ferry reliability with a work group (Nance, Peterson, Shavers, Donaghy)

International Examiner
Community safety forum highlights specific concerns in the Chinatown-ID

Islands’ Weekly
Governor proclaims Invasive Species Awareness Week

News Tribune
Housing authority that lost nearly $7M to fraud slow to improve controls, state says
WA’s housing crisis has rocked Tacoma. We’re doing what we can — but we need help
Japanese Americans join activists Sunday to call for closure of Tacoma immigration jail

Olympian
Washington state House lawmakers vote to regulate rent increases (Alvarado, Stonier, Peterson, Cleveland)
WA state Democrats preparing to hold hearings for 4 of 6 ballot initiatives (Billig, Shewmake, Bateman, Kuderer, Fosse)

Puget Sound Business Journal
Deadline nears for tax credit that could mean serious money

Seattle Times
Washington lawmakers consider more modest set of gun restrictions (Berry)
WA woman’s lawsuit over Pierce County officer’s K-9 use heads to trial
Opinion: Why Plymouth Housing project didn’t work in Kenmore

Snoqualmie Valley Record
Valley’s housing market stays quiet so far in 2024

Spokesman Review
Spokane Airport receiving $2 million for improvements
Police officers who fired at 35-year-old man in downtown Spokane identified
New PFAS blood test for sale for West Plains residents affected by the dangerous chemical
‘Welcome to the newest town in the state of Washington’: Malden gets new post office, town hall, fire building after devastating wildfires

Walla Walla Union Bulletin
Warming center opens in Walla Walla for two days

Washington Post
Black history is ‘being attacked.’ These parents found alternatives.
Most people agree on what ‘middle class’ means — but underestimate how much income it takes

WA State Standard
Washington lawmakers again look to increase special education funding (Pollet, Billig)
WA Senate pitches new spending for school construction, housing and 2026 World Cup (Mullet)

Wenatchee World
State secures $1.3 million in Senate budget for Leavenworth affordable housing project
Chelan County Commissioners ‘begrudgingly’ approves Leavenworth urban growth changes

Yakima Herald-Republic
Parents raise concerns about response to student fight in Sunnyside

Broadcast

KING 5 TV (NBC)
Federal Way police chief calls state’s vehicular pursuit law unacceptable (Taylor)
Neighbors question proposal to build four 15-story tall apartment towers in Everett
15-year-old killed in Burien the fourth Highline High School student to die this school year
Bleeding control, defibrillator equipment would be required in schools under proposed bill

KIRO 7 TV (CBS)
Lawmakers struggle to solve fentanyl crisis as drug debate rages on
Proposed pallet village continues to draw pushback from Burien neighbors
Crippling consequences over shortage of diabetes drug used for weight loss
‘It’s egregious’: Seattle officers spark controversy after delayed shooting response

KOMO 4 TV (ABC)
Get ready for the 2 Line: Eastside Link light rail set to open in April
Seattle fire chief details staffing struggles, says public safety changes are needed
Lawmakers urge Inslee to declare state of emergency for Washington State Ferries
Bellingham takes legal action to begin clearing massive homeless camp near Walmart

KUOW Public Radio
In ‘vexing’ trend, traffic fatalities in Washington state continue to rise
Washington grocery workers hope for protections if Kroger-Albertsons merger goes through (Conway)
Does Washington state need an independent prosecutor to charge police with misusing deadly force?

KXLY (ABC)
Rebuilding Malden: Nearly 4 years later, the first public building has been built

Web

Cascadia Daily News
Mount Vernon increases police chief salary amid hiring woes, looming retirement

Thursday, February 15

With new revenue report, WA lawmakers prep for their budget reveal
A state revenue forecast released Wednesday gives Democratic budget writers in the House and Senate a little more money to spend than anticipated. Washington’s economy is projected to generate $67 billion for the two-year budget cycle that began July 1, up $122 million from the last forecast in November. Overall, collections are now up $1.3 billion since lawmakers adopted the budget in the 2023 session. The forecast provides the final piece of data each chamber needs to complete a supplemental operating budget proposal, making adjustments to the two-year plan now in place. Continue reading at Washington State Standard. (LSS)

As demand for behavioral health treatment outpaces supply, Washington lawmakers consider loosening restrictions for practicing psychologists
As behavioral health staffing shortages take a severe toll on Washington residents who need care, state officials are searching for ways to encourage psychologists to stick around. On Monday, the state House of Representatives voted 97-0 in favor of a bill that would create an associate-level license for psychologists in the state. If passed, the bill would also allow associate psychology providers to work while their license applications are pending. People in training to become psychologists would be able to practice and have patients with certain restrictions under the proposal. The bill was sponsored by Rep. Jessica Bateman, D-Olympia, who serves as the vice chair of the House Health Care and Wellness Committee. Continue reading at The Spokesman-Review. (WA House Democrats)

WA Legislature keeps most of its priority bills alive — so far
The Washington Legislature is halfway through its 2024 session, with many bills traveling toward the governor’s desk. Some significant bills, many covering the priorities lawmakers expressed before the session began in early January, appear to be making their way toward passage. Others appear to be dead. A lot of the biggest issues, including more spending on behavioral health and housing, will likely be decided as part of budget negotiations. The next big hurdle for legislation is a Feb. 21 deadline to make it out of policy committees in the opposite house, or Feb. 26 for budget bills to make it out of a fiscal committee. Continue reading at Crosscut. (Jovelle Tamayo)