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Friday, February 17

Bipartisan bill to rollback WA vehicular pursuit laws advances
Laws regarding vehicular pursuits in Washington state could again get a makeover under legislation that passed out of committee on Thursday. The House Community Safety, Justice, and Reentry Committee voted nearly unanimously to pass the measure. Sponsored by Rep. Alicia Rule, D-Blaine, and Rep. Eric Robertson, R-Sumner, the substitute version of House Bill 1363 would restore the reasonable suspicion threshold for police to pursue drivers they believe have committed one of six particular crimes. Officers could also engage in pursuits if the suspect poses a “serious risk of harm to others” under the proposal. Continue reading at The Olympian. (Getty Images)

Should rent be stabilized? Washington lawmakers hear the pros and cons
A pair of rent stabilization bills are making their way through the Washington state Legislature. Rent stabilization is very different from rent control. Rent stabilization permits landlords to set the rent at any level that they want, before the renter rents from them. Rent stabilization allows landlords to raise the rent to whatever they want after a renter leaves a unit. While the renter occupies the unit, however, rent increases would be capped at 3% to 7% per year. The idea aims to guard against massive rent increases. Continue reading at KUOW. (Chris Robert)

Washington Students May Get Free Breakfast and Lunch
Democratic State Representative Marcus Riccelli of Spokane introduced House Bill 1238 which would provide meals to all requesting students without charge. In Washington, the House Committee on Education has advanced HB 1238, and it has been referred to the Appropriations Committee. After the House Appropriations Committee, it can head to the floor for a vote. The state constitution says providing basic education to all students is a primary duty of the Legislature. HB 1238 would include free meals for all in the legal definition of basic education. Continue reading at Seattle Medium.

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Associated Press
Starbucks’ CEO declines appearance before Senate on anti-union efforts

Axios
State looks to tame poorly regulated pet insurance (Walen)
Exhibit spotlights Japanese Americans’ resistance to incarceration

Bellingham Herald
This Whatcom city is gifting the first 10 residents that build ADUs on their property

Capital Press
Solar company forges ahead in Washington counties with moratoriums

The Daily News
Inmate dies awaiting trial in Cowlitz County Jail

Everett Herald
House committee steers controversial vehicle pursuit bill forward (Fosse, Lovick, Goodman, Farivar)

News Tribune
Third jury – first with Black jurors – weighs if alleged ‘Lakewood 4’ driver aided killer
Puyallup Tribe plans entertainment district on site of former Tacoma casino, records show

Olympian
Right turns on red would be limited in WA under bill (Saldana, Liias)
Bipartisan bill to rollback WA vehicular pursuit laws advances (Farivar, Rule, Simmons, Dhingra)

Peninsula Daily News
Housing shortage top priority for Clallam County

Puget Sound Business Journal
Hundreds of unhoused people in downtown Seattle moved into apartments
When it comes to federal contracting, the rich are getting richer
Industrial construction costs in Seattle outpace most other US metros

Seattle Medium
Washington Students May Get Free Breakfast and Lunch (Riccelli)
WA State Bill Proposes Fairer Tax (Frame)
Jaywalking Citations Target Minorities (Alvarado, Street, Reed, Fitzgibbon, Simmons, Berry, Bateman, Mena, Ramel, and Macri)

Seattle Times
WA lawmakers could make Lunar New Year an official state holiday (Thai, Mena)
Making the case in Olympia for ending information sharing from WA prison officials to ICE (Saldaña)
Editorial: Mandate that WA clergy report child abuse, without exceptions
Sen. Claire Wilson: WA cannot neglect sex trafficking victims

The Skanner
New Research Shows Cost of Sickness is 25% Higher for Elders of Color than for White Americans

Spokesman Review
‘Black is powerful’: Spokane high school students use poems, drawings to share their Black experiences
Police pursuit legislation making chases easier passes key House committee (Goodman, Dhingra)

Broadcast

KIRO 7 TV (CBS)
Lawmakers in Olympia narrowing down which bills will move forward
Lawmakers consider scaling back law limiting police chases in Washington (Fosse)

KOMO 4 TV (ABC)
Washington bill aims to help businesses impacted by retail theft (Keiser)
Could right turns on red lights be banned in Washington state? (Lovick)

KUOW Public Radio
Bill to loosen some restrictions on WA police vehicle pursuits clears House committee (Goodman, Simmons, Farivar, Dhingra)
Should rent be stabilized? Washington lawmakers hear the pros and cons

KXLY (ABC)
Spokane County looking to start regional effort to address homelessness

Q13 TV (FOX)
First responders seeing overdoses daily warn teens of the risks, help parents spot signs of substance misuse

Web

Crosscut
How a Texas ruling on abortion pills would affect Washington
Push to decriminalize fades as WA Senate considers new drug law (Robinson, Taylor, Jinkins, Dhingra, Salomon)

Thursday, February 16

WA is poised to model a major culture shift in gun laws
When campus officials at Michigan State University began tweeting “Run, Hide, Fight” as guidance to students for how to handle a gunman actively shooting on campus earlier this week, they were essentially saying: Sorry, we are out of ideas. Formulated by the Department of Homeland Security, it is widely dispersed. In Washington, even the tiny Shelton School District posts videos advocating the approach. It may be practical in the moment. But “Run, Hide, Fight” is not an adequate response. It is a concession that the feds, at least, have nothing more concrete to offer on public safety. Washington state gun policy, however, has been moving in a more constructive direction for nearly a decade. With ever more citizens shattered by gun violence, and a majority of legislators endorsing new muscle in combating it, Washington is poised to model a major culture shift, rejecting the belief that there are no answers. Continue reading at Seattle Times. (Paul Sancya)

‘These are not detention centers, these are prisons’: Hunger strike highlights poor conditions at NWDC
On Feb 1, undocumented immigrants detained at the Northwest Detention Center (NWDC) in Tacoma went on a hunger strike to protest poor living conditions. Grassroots advocacy group La Resistencia reported that more than 115 detainees joined the protest, sparking a crackdown by detention center personnel, including alleged use of tear gas within the facility. State Rep. Lillian Ortiz-Self (D-Edmonds), the sponsor of HB 1470, said that the state has a responsibility to look out for people within NWDC. “The people that are in that facility are very vulnerable,” Ortiz-Self said. “They can’t be ignored; you can’t just pretend we don’t hear this. And I think all of us as Washingtonians, when we hear that people are going through hunger strikes or being abused or going without basic needs, and the organization’s refusing transparency, refusing to prove that they’re wrong — they just deny it — I think we need an outcry that says, ‘Not in our Washington.’ You don’t get to come into our Washington and treat people inhumanely.” Continue reading at Real Change News. (Flickr)

Seattle’s Black-white homeownership divide widened in the last decade, report says
One hundred years ago, Seattle passed its first zoning ordinance, which allowed neighborhoods to be restricted to single-family developments. The same year, the city’s first racially restrictive housing parcel covenant was written. Data shows the effects of these exclusionary actions still linger today. The rate of Black homeownership in Seattle has worsened in recent years, according to a recent report by Today’s Homeowner that analyzed U.S. Census Bureau data. Along with Seattle, the homeownership gap worsened in Tacoma, Renton, Federal Way and Kent. Those four Washington cities had a homeownership gap larger than the national average of 29.4%. A September 2022 Washington Department of Commerce report on housing disparity said more than 143,000 people of color would need to become homeowners to equal the white homeownership rate in the state. “The Black-white homeownership gap is worse today than it was in the 1960s when racial discrimination in housing was legal,” the report stated. Continue reading at Puget Sound Business Journal. (Getty Images)

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Aberdeen Daily World
Voters reject Elma bond, approve Ocosta levy

Bellingham Herald
Senate introduces bill to ban encampments near Washington state schools (Billig)
New bill would issue ‘Hope Cards’ to WA domestic violence survivors. Here’s how they work (Davis)

Columbian
Editorial: In Our View: Advisory votes waste taxpayer money, time (Kuderer, Walen)

The Daily News
Inslee talks through mental health, housing, treatment options in Cowlitz County

Everett Herald
Vehicle pursuit, marriage equality, and giving students a say on recess (Billig)
Letter: Legislation for carbon offsets from public lands a win-win

The Inlander
As federal funding dwindles, Washington groups that work with survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault urge state lawmakers to step up
NEWS BRIEFS: Riccelli proposes free school meals for all students and more (Riccelli)

News Tribune
How are chemical agents used at the immigration detention center on the Tacoma Tideflats?
‘We made a reduction.’ Tacoma police chief says plan to reduce violence needs patience
Editorial: He was in crisis when a Pierce County deputy shot him. It was a preventable tragedy
Editorial: As WA police rethink hogtying, Pierce County’s sheriff stubbornly refuses to evolve

New York Times
Higher Bills Are Leading Americans to Delay Medical Care

Olympian
Olympia schools superintendent says $17M budget deficit is result of ‘perfect storm’
Olympia school board responds after parents say BIPOC program amounts to segregation
Thurston County is ending its plastic foam recycling program. Here’s why

Puget Sound Business Journal
Seattle’s Black-white homeownership divide widens

Real Change News
‘These are not detention centers, these are prisons’: Hunger strike highlights poor conditions at NWDC (Ortiz-Self)

Seattle Medium
King County And The Gathering Collaborative Launch $25 Million Initiative To Tackle Racism As A Public Health Crisis
Sports Betting In Washington State (Liias)

Seattle Times
Right turns on red would be limited in WA under bill (Saldana, Liias)
WA Legislature aims to lower insulin costs, amid federal inaction (Keiser)
WA lawmakers could look, again, at automatic retirement savings plan (Mullet, Reeves)
Editorial: WA is poised to model a major culture shift in gun laws

Sequim Gazette
Letter: Kudos for support of WA Cares program (Van De Wege, Chapman, Tharinger)

Skagit Valley Herald
Snowpack, precipitation lower than normal in Skagit River watershed

Spokesman Review
Eastern Washington could get its own landscape feature on Capitol Campus (Ramos)
Washington Senate backs reduction in building requirements for smaller condo projects in bid to lower costs (Dhingra)
Opinion: When will Washington stop holding back underprivileged students?

Broadcast

KING 5 TV (NBC)
LGBTQ+ ‘safe space’ and clothing store closes after less than 1 month in business after string of attacks
Washington leaders warn of impending food crisis as federal SNAP funding ends
(Gregerson)
FDA panel unanimously backs moving opioid antidote over the counter
‘Men are in despair’: Advocates in Washington push for commission to help men, boys (Fitzgibbon)

KUOW Public Radio
WA legislators weigh mandating nurse-to-patient ratios in hospitals
Washington state starts capping climate pollution from its biggest sources

Q13 TV (FOX)
Washington lawmakers approaching deadline on bill to change police vehicle pursuit laws (Rule)

Web

Crosscut
Push to decriminalize fades as WA Senate considers new drug law (Robinson, Taylor, Dhingra, Salomon)

MyNorthwest
Lightning strike causes 100,000 gallons of waste to flow into Puget Sound

Wednesday, February 15

Washington lawmakers highlight bills to address domestic violence, missing and murdered Indigenous people
Police could call judges at a domestic violence crime scene to issue no-contact orders, and a cold case unit would be formed to examine cold cases involving missing and murdered Indigenous women under several bills under consideration by Washington legislators. Lawmakers held a bipartisan news conference Tuesday to highlight a collection of domestic violence-related bills. In Washington, around 41% of women and 32% of men experience intimate partner violence, rape or stalking in their lifetime, according to a 2021 report by the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence. In 2021, there were 29 homicides connected to domestic violence in Washington, according to the Washington State Coalition Against Domestic Violence. “Research indicates that these murders follow consistent patterns and are highly predictable and yet, dozens of women are killed in this state every year by men they once loved,” Rep. Lauren Davis, D-Shoreline, said. “This is unacceptable.” Continue reading at Spokesman Review. (Elena Perry)

Lawmakers consider ban on foreign entities buying farmland
Legislators in Washington state are joining more than a dozen other states that are considering whether to restrict or ban foreign entities from buying farmland. The initial hearing on Olympia’s version of the foreign ownership restrictions however drew more criticism than support on Tuesday. The bill sponsor, state Rep. Clyde Shavers (D-Oak Harbor), represents part of the fertile Skagit Valley. He asserted that foreign ownership of agricultural land threatens water supplies and the state’s food security. “Buying and investing in water rights leaves a pathway for foreign entities to gradually deplete local water supplies from our local farmers,” Shavers told the state House Civil Rights and Judiciary Committee as he presented his proposal. As drafted, the legislation would bar foreign companies, governments and foreign-controlled American subsidiaries from purchasing land in Washington used for farming, ranching or timber production. Beginning in 2024, the state Department of Agriculture would have to review every transaction involving commercial timber or farm land to confirm the buyer was legal before property could change hands. Existing foreign ownership of land would not be affected. Continue reading at KNKX. (Tom Banse)

49% of Washington healthcare workers say they plan to leave profession in a few years
A majority of healthcare workers in Washington state are burned out. In a new poll from the Washington Safe and Healthy Coalition, some of the key findings include that 79% of the 1,200 healthcare workers surveyed said they feel somewhat or very burned out. The poll found that 49% of nurses said they are likely to leave the healthcare profession in the next few years. Short staffing was one of the top reasons why people plan to leave. And 94% of the healthcare workers support establishing minimum staffing standards and limiting the number of patients one nurse or healthcare worker can take care of at a time. State Sen. Karen Keiser, D-Des Moines, released a statement in response to the poll results. “It is still shocking to learn, as this poll shows, that half of healthcare workers in our state plan to leave the profession in the next few years”, said Keiser. “And 80 percent of healthcare workers report they are burned out. That’s not safe for them, and it’s not safe for patients. How can we expect healthcare workers to continue their superhuman pandemic-era effort indefinitely?” Continue reading at KING5.

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Associated Press
Court Upholds Washington Residency Requirement For Pot Industry

Aberdeen Daily World
Hoquiam gets needed funding for levee project

The Daily News
Washington Governor Jay Inslee tours Longview homeless, behavioral health programs Tuesday

Everett Herald
Lynnwood council OKs new fees for traffic photo, school zone tickets
Shortage of skilled airplane workers slows aerospace recovery
Letter: State should pass bill to ban octopus farming here
Editorial: Don’t let oil industry skate on leaking tanks’ costs

Peninsula Daily News
Affordable housing a major concern

Puget Sound Business Journal
The right-to-repair battle is raging. Here’s what to expect in 2023.

Seattle Times
News industry collapse paves way for special interests (Jinkins)
Where WA schoolchildren walk next to busy traffic
Editorial: Ban at-home rape kits in WA to help ensure justice for survivors
Opinion: Art speaks to the power of Black resistance, resilience and joy

Skagit Valley Herald
Skagit County seeks state funding to expand behavioral health facility
North Cascades National Park awarded $114,000 in grant funding

Spokesman Review
How prepared are Washington’s buildings for a big earthquake?
Washington lawmakers highlight bills to address domestic violence, missing and murdered Indigenous people (Davis, Salomon)

Wenatchee World
Hawkins seeks guidance on school bond threshold as legislature considers lowering requirement (Billig, Randall, Stonier)

Yakima Herald-Republic
Hearing planned on Hop Hill solar farm just east of Sunnyside in Benton County
Editorial: Solution to Yakima Valley nursing shortage is right in our backyard

Broadcast

KING 5 TV (NBC)
49% of Washington healthcare workers say they plan to leave profession in a few years (Keiser)

KOMO 4 TV (ABC)
Thousands of nurses in Washington support staffing standards in hospitals

KNKX Public Radio
Lawmakers consider ban on foreign entities buying farmland (Shavers)

KUOW Public Radio
Bill would raise threshold for farmworker overtime (Keiser)
What’s behind skyrocketing rents in Eastern Washington?
WA lawmakers consider options to make drivers ed more equitable
Washington state has a new carbon credit market. What does that mean?

Web

GeekWire
Seattle-area police use adhesive GPS trackers to catch fleeing suspects, prevent high-speed chases (Rule, Dhingra)

MyNorthwest
Amazon, local government work in tandem to create more affordable housing
Nearly 70% of fatal crashes on US 101 in WA involved DUI, speeding

Newsbreak
Washington State Lawmakers Hold Bipartisan Press Conference to Address Domestic Violence Legislation (Dhingra, Walen, Davis, Thai, Lekanoff)

Tuesday, February 14

WA lawmakers want to beef up state aid for college students
Several legislative bills are designed to beef up the Washington College Grant by extending the timeline or expanding money to provide further support for college students. In the 2021-22 academic year, the state grant gave more than 94,000 students a total of $400 million, making Washington’s grant program one of the most generous state financial aid programs in the nation. Senate Bill 5703, sponsored by Sen. Emily Randall, D-Bremerton, increases the maximum award eligibility from 60% to 70% of median family income. Senate Bill 5554, introduced by Sen. Joe Nguyen, D-White Center, would require the college grant to increase each year based on tuition growth. These bills would allow more students to qualify for financial aid, and ensure that the grant would cover tuition increases. “We want to make sure that we’re opening up as many doorways of opportunity to students and to employers that need a well-trained workforce,” Randall said. Continue reading at Seattle Times. (Karen Ducey)

Lunar New Year proposed as Washington’s next state holiday
There are 11 paid state legal holidays. Among them are New Year’s Day, Christmas, Thanksgiving, Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Juneteenth. The Lunar New Year would be added to the list under House Bill 1516. It would designate the Saturday before the beginning of the Lunar New Year as the legal holiday. It would be treated a little differently than other state holidays. Typically, when one falls on a Saturday, it is observed on the preceding Friday. Lunar New Year would be an exception and observed only on Saturday, per the bill. Rep. My-Linh Thai, D-Bellevue, a native of Vietnam, is the prime sponsor. She said she introduced it to recognize the broad contributions of the state’s growing Asian-American community. The celebration is about “making sure the people feel they belong,” she said. The House State Government and Tribal Relations Committee may vote on the bill Wednesday afternoon. Continue reading at Everett Herald. (Ryan Berry)

WA Dept. of Natural Resources pushes bill to sell carbon credits
In the eyes of the Washington State Department of Natural Resources, one big thing is missing from the state’s climate policies. Recent laws don’t allow the state agency to sell carbon credits, an act officials said would help slow climate change and generate millions of dollars for public schools, counties and fire departments. That’s why DNR is pushing legislation that would add the state agency to the list of private businesses and non-profit organizations that can freely sell carbon credits and create carbon offset projects, which reduce or remove greenhouse gasses from the atmosphere. Bill co-sponsor Sen. Joe Nguyen, D-West Seattle, said the state needs thoughtful, innovative carbon offset projects to get off the ground. “Goals are not enough. We have to have a plan, and this is a significant step to make it all work,” Nguyen said at the Thursday news conference. Continue reading at KNKX. (NW News)

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Axios
A new vision for walkable, bikeable Aurora Avenue North
Seattle police stop using AI system to analyze bodycam footage

Bellingham Herald
COVID shots now on CDC list of routine vaccines for kids, adults. What does that mean?

Capital Press
Senate gives Washington Farm OT bill an airing

Columbian
Law offers free ID cards for unhoused Washingtonians (Cleveland)

Everett Herald
To protect salmon, DNR pulls toxic pilings from Steamboat Slough
Push is on to tax the super rich and legalize jaywalking (Van De Wege)
Lunar New Year proposed as Washington’s next state holiday (Thai)
Editorial: Keep eyes on road and laws to limit traffic deaths (Lovick, Liias)

Olympian
Oakley Carlson Act gathering to occur Friday at WA Capitol
Washington State Department of Commerce Director Lisa Brown to step down in March

Puget Sound Business Journal
Amazon pledges $25M toward transit-oriented housing in Washington
Aerospace suppliers, faced with rising costs, seek more defense work

Seattle Times
WA Legislature considers ban on at-home sexual assault evidence kits
WA considers new way to address legacy of racist property covenants (Taylor)
WA lawmakers want to beef up state aid for college students (Randall, Lovick, Pedersen, Billig, Nguyen, Slatter)
Editorial: Pass bill to redress historic housing discrimination in WA (Taylor)
Opinion: Use every available tool to stop traffic fatalities

Skagit Valley Herald
Guemes Island ferry workers reject county’s contract offer
Skagit County Extension staffer looks at how diet impacts climate change

Spokesman Review
Opinion: Tax code needs to change for spirits-based canned drinks

Washington State Journal
Legalizing fentanyl test strips proposed (Orwall)
Legislature moving on tighter drunk driving laws (Lovick)

Broadcast

KING 5 TV (NBC)
49% of Washington healthcare workers say they plan to leave profession in a few years (Keiser)
Pierce County Sheriffs Department expanding mental health response program
The hope and the dream: Sharing the Black experience in the Pacific Northwest

KIRO 7 TV (CBS)
‘We’ve outgrown this airport’: Is solution to Sea-Tac’s struggles with long lines on the way?

KNKX Public Radio
Northwest lawmakers, courts weigh new rules on gun sales
WA Dept. of Natural Resources pushes bill to sell carbon credits (Nguyen, Lovelett)

KUOW Public Radio
Grade schoolers would get 45 minutes of recess under bill in Olympia (Nobles, Wilson, Pedersen)

NW Public Radio
New federal funds will boost broadband expansion in Washington, Idaho

Web

Crosscut
First Samish housing project breaks ground in Anacortes

MyNorthwest
WA bill hopes to make roads safer by requiring Drivers Ed

The Stranger
Opinion: Washington Needs Ranked-Choice Voting for Presidential Primaries

Yahoo News
Cannabis-related bills work through Wash. legislature (Stanford, Reeves)

Monday, February 13

All former WA prisoners can now vote. So far, few have
Cyril Walrond used his first full day as a free man to vote for the first time ever because of a new law that took effect last year that automatically restores voting rights to those with felony convictions the moment they exit prison – a change that expanded the franchise to more than 12,000 Washingtonians on probation and parole, along with an indeterminate number who owe court fines. But of more than 24,000 state residents with past felony convictions now eligible, just 414 cast ballots in the midterms, according to the Office of the Secretary of State. In new legislation this session, Simmons and others are calling for jails and prisons to offer voter registration drives and provide information on voting to current detainees, an idea that has run up against opposition from some local officials. Without more proactive engagement efforts, advocates warn that the voices of former prisoners could continue to be left out. Continue reading at Crosscut. (Amanda Snyder)

Washington Legislature considers bill to eliminate fines, fees and restitution in juvenile court
At the age of 14, Nuu Leae was charged with a crime and received a one-year sentence and a bill for restitution totaling $12,000. After serving his time, Leae – then 15 – was saddled with debt and felt unprepared to re-enter society. With a criminal record, he struggled to find employment to earn money and pay back his debt. The Legislature is considering a bill seeking to eliminate legal financial obligations in juvenile court, including fines, fees and restitution. In lieu of charging juvenile offenders restitution, the bill would establish a Community Compensation Program to pay victims of crimes committed by juveniles. Bill sponsor Rep. Darya Farivar, D-Seattle, said court fines and fees are “causing great harm in our systems” and holding back youth after they’ve served their time. “At the end of the day, I also want to make sure that those folks who are harmed are also getting the services and support that they need, which is going to be paid for out of this compensation fund, and that’s not happening right now.” Continue reading at Spokesman Review. (Jesse Tinsley)

Washington bill would make it easier, less stressful to score concert tickets
Washington state lawmakers are now responding to the frustration of the Ticketmaster meltdown when the site crashed during the Taylor Swift ticket sale. “Whether you’re going to see a popular artist like Taylor Swift or you’re experiencing a local Seattle artist, folks are feeling the crunch of not being able to get access to their favorite artists through these ticket seller markets,” said House Rep. Kristine Reeves. Reeves is backing the Ticket Sales Warrant Integrity Fairness and Transparency Act, which also happens to stand for TSWIFT. The bill focuses on addressing bots, cracking down on fake sales, hidden fees and requiring sellers to be upfront about ticket prices. Reeves said lawmakers have taken feedback from consumers and experts in the industry to create the best consumer protections possible. House Bill 1648 goes to a vote Wednesday to move out of committee. Continue reading at KING5. (KING)