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Friday, February 10

Washington Senate panel approves bill to make drug possession gross misdemeanor
The Legislature is moving forward with a proposal to fix the state’s drug possession laws after a Senate panel on Thursday approved a bill with a larger focus on treating addiction. The bill has 15 co-sponsors, including Senate Majority Leader Andy Billig, D-Spokane. “What has been really fascinating when trying to deal with the Blake issue is really the fact that everyone is coming to this work with the intention of getting people treatment and helping them on their journey to recovery,” said Sen. Manka Dhingra, D-Redmond, chair of the Law and Justice Committee. An amended bill that passed a Senate committee on Thursday would make possession a gross misdemeanor and incorporate the treatment options recommended by the Substance Use Recovery Services Advisory Committee, a bipartisan committee that has met over the last two years to discuss the state’s drug possession law. Continue reading at Spokesman Review. (Jim Camden)

WA Democrats claim some Republicans privately support — but may not vote for — abortion protections
Washington state Democrats want to add abortion rights to the state’s Constitution, but they need Republican votes to make that happen. A resolution to amend the state Constitution is currently winding its way through committees in Olympia. The resolution would need to win a two-thirds vote in both the state Senate and House before it can be put on a ballot for voters. The problem for Democrats is, they don’t have that two-thirds vote in either body in Olympia. But some lawmakers told KUOW they still have hope for Senate and House joint resolution bills, claiming that a few Republicans privately back abortion rights and might be convinced to vote with Democrats, eventually. “We’ll see what happens. It takes time to build pressure. It takes time to build attention,” Keiser said. Continue reading at KUOW. (NW News Network)

Students of color are now the majority in WA public schools
For the first time ever, kids of color make up the majority of students enrolled in Washington public schools. It’s a slim majority, at 50.6%, but the growth in recent years has been rapid. Between 2009 and 2022, the percentage of kids identifying as a race other than white increased by nearly 50%. The milestone was always inevitable; it’s just a question of timing. National estimates say that net U.S. population growth in the past several years has been from people of color, and public schools are generally more racially diverse than the adult population. Washington state’s total population is around 66% white. But the pandemic may have tipped the scale here. Kids of color weren’t the majority until last fall, according to state data. In 2020, they were still in the minority. The number is yet another sign that public schools are undergoing a major shift — and not just in the parts of the state where students of color make up the majority, such as in the Seattle area. Almost every school district in the state has seen its share of students of color zoom up. In a system that has long been criticized as being modeled on what works for a middle-class white kid, white kids are no longer the most common customer. Continue reading at Seattle Times.

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Bellingham Herald
WA gun buyers would need a permit to purchase firearms under bills before the Legislature (Berry, Liias)

Columbian
Southwest Washington lawmakers back bill to help bars fill job ranks (Stonier)
Columbian white-tailed deer make gains, but still face threats, challenges

The Daily News
Death of Castle Rock teen highlights need for access to mental health in schools

News Tribune
Op-Ed: Congress is divided, but this bipartisan issue can unite lawmakers — and Tacoma
Opinion: Memphis police killed Tyre Nichols. It’s trauma that’s familiar in Tacoma, too
Opinion: Lowering the legal blood alcohol limit for WA drivers will backfire. Here’s why

Northwest Asian Weekly
Inslee meet with CID community leaders, gives update on encampments

Olympian
Olympia is forming a Youth Council. Lacey Youth Council members weigh in on why that’s good

Peninsula Daily News
Zoning proposals prompt concerns
Supreme Court: State law preempts city gun ordinance

Puget Sound Business Journal
WA bill would provide tax credits to producers of green jet fuel
SBA finalizing expansion of one of its most popular lending programs

Seattle Medium
Case Denied Against Government In Woman Crippled In Police Pursuit

Seattle Times
DNR wants in on WA’s emerging carbon-credit market (Lovelett, Nguyen)
Students of color are now the majority in WA public schools
Editorial: WA Legislature must act on high-potency cannabis (Davis)

Spokesman Review
Fraternity at EWU punished for hazing, bullying violations
Washington Senate panel approves bill to make drug possession gross misdemeanor (Billig, Dhingra, Jinkins)

Tri-City Herald
Tri-Cities teen authors WA bill to promote teaching more diversity and inclusion (Wilson)

Wenatchee World
Opinion: Healthcare Workforce Issues Continue, but the Legislature is Considering Remedies

Yakima Herald-Republic
Washington lawmakers consider bill to lower blood alcohol limit to 0.05% (Lovick)
State officials ready to recommend approval of two Yakima County solar projects

Broadcast

KING 5 TV (NBC)
Bill would require turn signals to exit roundabouts (Doglio)
Lawmakers seek to ban some utility shut offs during extreme heat (Mena)
‘Fair Repair Act’ passes through House Committee in Olympia
Microsoft announces another round of layoffs impacting Washington workers
3 elementary schools recommended for consolidation in Bellevue

KNKX Public Radio
Lunar New Year could be Washington’s newest state holiday (Thai)

KUOW Public Radio
WA Democrats claim some Republicans privately support — but may not vote for — abortion protections (Keiser)
Police pursuit debate in WA Legislature involves dueling data sets (Dhingra)
Legalizing jaywalking to reduce enforcement inequities considered at Washington statehouse (Saldaña, Alvarado, Liias)
Sen. Maria Cantwell questions Southwest over holiday cancellations

Web

Geekwire
‘Baby bond’ legislation aims to address wealth gaps in Washington state

MyNorthwest
Washington Senate moves to eliminate advisory votes on tax increases (Kuderer)

Thursday, February 9

Rep. Mena & Sen. Trudeau: Don’t believe the smears. A fact-based police pursuit law makes Washington safer
We have a duty to put people over politics and make fact-based decisions. The fact is that high-speed chases are inherently dangerous to everyone involved, including police officers, suspects and passengers, but most importantly the public. This is why, in 2021, the Washington Legislature passed House Bill 1054, creating uniform standards for pursuits. The safety of every person, in every neighborhood, must be at the center of each decision. However, we continue to hear a false narrative, meant to instill fear and provide a simple solution to a complex problem. Changes in Washington’s pursuit law are being blamed as solely responsible for the national spike in crime, auto theft, and the overall safety of our communities. Here are the facts. Continue reading at Bellingham Herald. (Legislative Support Services)

A WA bill would lower the legal driving limit to .05% BAC
SB 5002 got off to a quick start, getting a public hearing and a bipartisan vote out of the Senate Law & Justice Committee at the start of the session. It then got its public hearing in the Senate Transportation Committee, and awaits a vote there before it could go to a vote of the full Senate. The bill is a unique concept in the United States – only Utah has made blood alcohol levels above 0.05% illegal. Washington experienced 745 highway fatalities in 2022, with alcohol or drug impairment playing a role in more than half, according to the Washington Traffic Safety Commission. Sen. John Lovick, a former state trooper and SB 5002’s primary sponsor, believes people should not only be safe, they should feel safe. Continue reading at Crosscut. (Taija Perry Cook)

‘Nothing about us without us’ act would require more representation on legislative task forces, workgroups
A new bill being championed by self-advocates with disabilities and other marginalized groups would require more representation in legislative workgroups and task forces. House Bill 1541 would create the “Nothing About Us Without Us” Act. When a legislative workgroup or task force is working on an issue that “directly and tangibly” affects an underrepresented population, the legislature would be required to appoint a representative from that population to the workgroup. The bill’s sponsor, Rep. Darya Farivar, D- Seattle, is optimistic it will pass. “If you’re living it and are experiencing it every single day you have valid lived experiences and I would argue the expertise that needs to be included,” she said. Continue reading at KING5.

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Associated Press
AG’s Office defends lawmaker use of ‘legislative privilege’

Aberdeen Daily World
Aquatic plant plan in works

Bellingham Herald
Rep. Mena & Sen. Trudeau: Don’t believe the smears. A fact-based police pursuit law makes Washington safer.

Capital Press
Washington lawmaker rejects WDFW testimony on wolf bill (Chapman)

Columbian
Zoning key piece of housing puzzle in Clark County, Vancouver
Vancouver seeks comment on American Rescue Plan grant proposals

Everett Herald
Democratic Latinos form a caucus, hospital staffing bill clears a hurdle (Robinson, Ortiz-Self, Davis, Ramos, Saldana, Valdez, Randall, Stonier, Alvarado, Mena, Reeves, Cortes, Simmons)
Editorial: Lawmakers shouldn’t weaken state Public Records Act (Walen, Pollet)

The Inlander
Debate over the lower Snake River dams’ removal has gone on for decades. What will it take to protect the river’s health?

News Tribune
Hogtying is banned in much of WA state. Why is Pierce County’s sheriff OK with the risk?

The Northern Light
Bill in state legislature aims to stop female genital mutilation (Keiser)

Olympian
Senate passes legislation to eliminate advisory votes from ballots (Kuderer)
Olympia is closing its city jail and laying off workers. Here’s what you should know

Puget Sound Business Journal
Washington state has No. 1 aerospace business environment, study finds

Seattle Medium
Opinion: Black Students Deserve Equitable Access To Arts Education

Seattle Times
As traffic death toll mounts, WA looks to help teens with driver’s ed (Liias, Lovick)
Seattle Schools students seek funding for ethnic studies, counselors
Editorial: WA charter school funding perpetuates systemic inequality (Mullet, Wellman)
Opinion: Update WA Medicaid rates to ease long-term care staffing crisis

Spokesman Review
Tax incentives for sustainable jet fuel could soon be coming to Washington (Billig)
Agriculture economist forecasts Washington’s crop outlook

Broadcast

KING 5 TV (NBC)
Pay up to light up: High-potency THC products at risk of higher taxation (Davis)
‘Nothing about us without us’ act would require more representation on legislative task forces, workgroups (Farivar)

KUOW Public Radio
WA will need more clean energy from other states by 2050
WA geographical sites renamed after Black homesteaders

KXLY (ABC)
Some lawmakers want to change requirements for minor sex offenders (Frame)

Q13 TV (FOX)
Lawmakers consider banning octopus farms in Washington (Peterson)

Web

Crosscut
A WA bill would lower the legal driving limit to .05% BAC (Lovick, Liias, Saldana)

MyNorthwest
Bill forcing Washington residents to vote advances from committee
Seattle Schools weighs consolidation as enrollment plummets

Wednesday, February 8

Middle housing proposal passes House panel with changes
A proposal to legalize denser zoning laws statewide has cleared its first hurdle in the Legislature but looks a little different from its initial draft. The bill, sponsored by Olympia Democrat Rep. Jessica Bateman, would require cities to expand what types of housing can be built on residential lots. In the amended version, Bateman told the House Housing committee on Tuesday that the changes make the bill easier for cities to adopt. “It enables private property owners to choose whether they want to build middle housing,” she said. The proposal has bipartisan support in both chambers as the Legislature looks to tackle the growing need for housing across the state. Continue reading at Spokesman Review. (Jesse Tinsley)

Rising rents are drowning Washington’s smaller cities
While Seattle may have the highest rents statewide, the most drastic percentage increases over the past four to five years are in smaller cities and rural areas. And affordability is not an issue just for the poor but across different income levels: Even college-educated professionals are feeling the pinch of rapidly rising prices. A survey of 18 Washington counties from the Washington Center for Real Estate Research at the University of Washington shows average rent increases for a one-bedroom apartment of between 10% and 53.3% from 2018 to 2021, when comparable data was available. Continue reading at Crosscut. (Amanda Snyder)

Bill would protect runaway youth seeking gender-affirming care
If a teenager runs away from home, and ends up in a shelter, are shelter staff required to inform parents? In Washington state, the answer is yes. But a bill now before the state Legislature would make a few exceptions to this rule, including if the child has run away to seek gender-affirming care. State Sen. Marko Liias is one sponsor of SB 5599, which is currently working its way through the Senate Committee on Human Services. He says the measure would allow transgender kids who are not being supported at home to find safe accommodation. “We know when people don’t have access to gender affirming care it leads to life-long challenges in terms of mental health,” Liias said. Continue reading at KUOW. (Ted S. Warren)

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Associated Press
Boeing plans to cut about 2,000 finance and HR jobs in 2023

Axios
Seattle will get $25.6 million for safer streets

Capital Press
Washington buffer bill gains wide support; Inslee holds out (Chapman)

Columbian
Editorial: In Our view: Smart legislation can help ease labor shortage

Everett Herald
Snohomish County greenhouse emissions up, largely due to cars
A holiday for Lunar New Year, a return of green and white license plates (Santos)

News Tribune
Opinion: Washington must fix this ‘superpredator’ era sentencing law. Take it from a judge
Op-Ed: WA doesn’t doesn’t need more apartments and ADUs — it needs affordable starter homes

Northwest Asian Weekly
Opinion: No promises from Sound Transit about following its own plans

Olympian
WA Attorney General’s Office defends use of ‘legislative privilege’ by state lawmakers
Could new commission restart WA airport process? Here’s what we know about new bill (Fey)
Pierce County adopts anti-airport resolution. Here’s what the Council wants to happen

Peninsula Daily News
$25.7 million asked for center in Sequim (Tharinger, Chapman, Van De Wege)

Puget Sound Business Journal
Inflation hits 40-year high in Seattle, but many consumers are unfazed

Seattle Medium
Berg Promotes Water Safety and Drowning Prevention With House Bill 1750 (Berg)

Seattle Times
Red tape keeps WA psychologists waiting for months to enter workforce
‘Silly’ little WA scandal is another step in something big (Pollet)
Opinion: To keep WA competitive, lawmakers must invest in our ports

Skagit Valley Herald
State aims to fix section of Highway 20, help salmon

Spokesman Review
Spokane County Commission picks Spink for airport board after drawn-out selection process
Middle housing proposal passes House panel with changes (Bateman, Fitzgibbon)
Opinion: Denisse Guerrero: Capital gains tax helps right wrongs of state code

Wenatchee World
Senate bill would mandate zero emission school bus purchases by 2035
Legislation to prohibit power shutoffs in high temps draws concern from local utilities (Nguyễn, Mena)

Yakima Herald-Republic
Lucian Act would provide more tools to find missing people in WA

Broadcast

KING 5 TV (NBC)
Study: Washington is the most competitive in the country for engineering, manufacturing planes
‘We’ve literally hit bottom:’ Jails across Washington are overwhelmed by mentally ill inmates, sheriff says (Dhingra)

KIRO 7 TV (CBS)
Western Washington city named one of the safest in the country

KUOW Public Radio
Bill would protect runaway youth seeking gender-affirming care (Liias)
With rulings against racial bias, WA Supreme Court starts ‘hard discussions’

NW Public Radio
Obtained documents reveal years of unsanitary conditions at the Northwest Detention Center (Ortiz-Self)

Q13 TV (FOX)
Bill under consideration would increase tax on high-potency cannabis in Washington (Davis)

Web

Crosscut
Rising rents are drowning Washington’s smaller cities (Trudeau)
‘Haphazard and unorganized’: GOP lawmakers react to Dems’ secrecy (Billig, Jinkins, Valdez, Pedersen, Kaiser, Randall, Trudeau)

MyNorthwest
Washington wetlands are renamed to honor Black, Indigenous history
Federal Way mayor in full support of bills re-criminalizing drug possession (Robinson, Salomon)

Tuesday, February 7

WA schools still restrain, isolate students often despite state laws, report says
A watchdog report by disability rights advocates found that restraint and isolation have been excessively and improperly used on Washington school students, and disproportionately used on those with disabilities. Disability Rights Washington and the ACLU of Washington released the report Monday, as lawmakers considered a bill that would ban isolation and limit restraints in Washington schools. Washington law bars schools from restraining or isolating students unless there is an “imminent likelihood of serious harm,” a high bar that educators often fail to meet, the advocates reported. The report, drawing on research studies, emphasizes that the practices “have no academic or therapeutic benefit.” Continue reading at Seattle Times. (Kylie Cooper)

What WA plans for the largest remaining source of lead pollution threatening kids
Airports and pilots are eager to get rid of leaded aviation fuel, but some worry that a new Washington bill is putting the cart before the horse. The Federal Aviation Administration already has a plan to phase out 100-octane “low lead” aviation fuel that’s commonly used in small planes seating 2 to 10 people. The Environmental Protection Agency has called it the largest remaining source of lead pollution in the air and can endanger young children’s health and others. The FAA’s target to phase out leaded fuel is 2030, but House Bill 1554 introduced in Washington this legislative session would put a state deadline to begin the transition in 2026. Continue reading at Tri-City Herald. (Tri-City Herald)

Racist covenants kept families of color from building generational wealth. This bill aims to offset that
For decades in the 20th century, developers could restrict who could live in neighborhoods. Phrases barring owners “other than the white race… except servants” were commonly placed in homeowner covenants. While that practice was outlawed in 1968, Lt. Gov. Denny Heck said the impact of the racist policies are still felt today. Rep. Jamila Taylor, (D-Dist. 30), is the prime sponsor of House Bill 1474. ”We’ve seen the compounding of all these practices, policies, and laws, have led to where we are right now and we are not making traction,” said Taylor. Realtors and developers testified in favor of the bill in Olympia Monday afternoon. Continue reading at KING5.

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Associated Press
Proposed bill would pay incarcerated workers minimum wage (Simmons)

Bellingham Herald
Whatcom County led the state in fatal fires in 2022. Here’s why
Opinion: Want to fix WA’s housing crisis? Allow denser development in these single-family areas

Columbian
Vancouver rental rates outpace national growth
Editorial: In Our View: WSU program brings attention to rural health care
Editorial: In Our View: Wildfire preparation can protect health, lives (Springer)

Everett Herald
Lawsuit: Housing authority took Lynnwood domestic violence survivor off voucher
Editorial: Voting’s a duty, but should it be mandatory? (Hunt)

News Tribune
Could a $4K ‘baby bond’ help break the cycle of poverty in WA? Tacoma senator thinks so (Trudeau, Stonier)

Olympian
Public records shed new light on how WA state lawmakers are avoiding releasing information (Frame, Petersen, Riccelli, Ryu, Jinkins, Pollet)

Peninsula Daily News
COVID, flu claim 3 lives in Clallam County

ProPublica
New Legislation Takes Aim at Hidden Foster Care (Ortiz-Self)

Puget Sound Business Journal
Violent crime in Seattle hits 15-year high

Seattle Times
WA schools still restrain, isolate students often despite state laws, report says (Wilson)
Seattle mother-daughter pair to attend State of the Union
Op-Ed: WA Democrats must fix police-pursuit mistake this session (Dhingra)
Editorial: Community colleges are among the state’s greatest assets

Spokesman Review
Washington Legislature addresses need for media literacy education in proposed bill (Liias)
‘We have to do more’: Spokane activists plead, march to end police violence after Nichols’ death
After blocking plan that would have downsized Northwest VA hospitals, senators propose new path to modernizing VA infrastructure

Tri-City Herald
What WA plans for the largest remaining source of lead pollution threatening kids

Broadcast

KING 5 TV (NBC)
Big companies must share efforts to stop human trafficking under bill (Dhingra)
Pot shops now eligible for free security assessments after uptick in violent break-ins
Why Washington needs more Black teachers
Racist covenants kept families of color from building generational wealth. This bill aims to offset that (Taylor)
Declining enrollment, funding formulas causing budget woes for several Washington school districts
New homeless shelters open on Tulalip reservation

KOMO 4 TV (ABC)
Washington Rep. Rick Larsen on where common ground can be found in Congress
Lawmakers consider options to change Washington drug laws and require rehab for offenders (Salomon)

KPVI (NBC)
Washington educator workforce bill draws support at House Education Committee public hearing (Ortiz-Self)

KUOW Public Radio
Seattle, King County drop Covid vaccine requirement for employees

KXLY (ABC)
WA legislators considering bill that could limit right turns on a red light

NW Public Radio
‘Native and Strong’ provides culturally-informed crisis support to Washington callers

Web

Crosscut
What’s in the redacted records hidden by WA Democrats? (Billig, Heck, Jinkins, Robinson, Rolfes, Pederson, Valdez, Salomon, Nguyen)
WA bills propose initiatives to bring special-ed students back home (Wellman, Wilson)

Monday, February 6

Lawmakers propose mandatory child abuse reporting for WA clergy
Many people are required to report child abuse or neglect in Washington state. They include doctors, nurses, and teachers. One group not on the list of mandatory reporters is clergy members. But that could change. A proposal in the state Legislature would require clergy members to report child abuse or neglect to the police. State Sen. Noel Frame, a Democrat from Seattle, is the bill’s sponsor. “Mandated reporters play a really important role in our state in protecting children,” said Frame. “It’s why our teachers and others with a really special relationship with our children are asked to take on that responsibility. Religious leaders have that same relationship with children in our state. They are trusted friends and mentors. If a young person in a school setting tells their teacher that they are being sexually abused by their neighbor, the teacher would have an obligation, a legal requirement, to report that to law enforcement. This legislation just extends that duty to report to include religious leaders as well.” Continue reading at KUOW. (WikiMedia Commons)

Bill would pay WA’s incarcerated workers minimum wage
State Rep. Tarra Simmons, D-Bremerton, wants the state to pay incarcerated workers more money. She’s sponsoring House Bill 1024, called the “Real Labor, Real Wages Act,” to raise incarcerated workers’ wages to the state minimum of $15.74. Simmons, believed to be the first formerly incarcerated person elected to the State Legislature, said when she was in prison she worked graveyard shifts for no more than 42 cents an hour, after various deductions to her paycheck. “A lot of lawmakers aren’t prioritizing the issues of the incarcerated population because they haven’t lived that experience,” Simmons said. In the last fiscal year ending in June, more than 1,600 incarcerated people worked 218,335 hours at Washington Correctional Industries and contributed $46.2 million to the Washington state economy. Continue reading at Seattle Times. (Ellen M. Banner)

Washington could be first state to pass approach to addressing domestic violent extremism
With threats against elected officials and violent extremism on the rise, Washington’s Attorney General’s office authored a 31-page study with recommendations on ways to prevent domestic terrorism and hate crimes. The study was requested by state lawmakers like Rep. Bill Ramos. “We’re trying to figure out why. Why now, is it becoming more of a problem than it was previously?” said Rep. Bill Ramos, (D), 5th legislative district. The attorney general’s study recommends a violent extremism commission. A bill to establish it is currently making its way through the legislature. If passed, it would make Washington the first state in the nation to target extremism with a public health approach. “People are just acting out with violence, versus talking about a problem and working towards a solution,” said Rep. Ramos. The commission would look at solutions to combat disinformation and address early signs of radicalization. Continue reading at KING5.