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Friday, January 20

WA lawmakers trying again to tax wealth, as part of nationwide effort
Democrats in the Washington Legislature introduced a measure Thursday to tax Washingtonians who have more than $250 million. The state would tax 1% of the fair market share of a Washington resident’s wealth like stocks, bonds or other assets, but the first $250 million would be exempt. The move is part of a nationwide campaign, unveiled this week, to tax wealthy residents. Washington is joining state legislatures in California, Connecticut, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Minnesota and New York in similar efforts. “We are here to put billionaires and ultramillionaires on notice that it is time that they pay what they owe and that state legislators are the ones to make them do it,” said Sen. Noel Frame, D-Seattle, who is sponsoring the bill. Continue reading at Seattle Times. (Kylie Cooper)

Middle housing bill begins with more support in WA Legislature than last time
Experts say Washington needs to triple the number of homes being built in order to keep up with the housing shortage, which drives up prices. The Washington State Legislature has around 16 bills in progress that would create more housing. On Tuesday, House Bill 1110 got its first hearing. “As you know, Washington is experiencing a housing shortage, which is culminating in a housing crisis,” said Representative Jessica Bateman (D-Olympia), the bill’s main sponsor, at the hearing. “This supply imbalance is creating increasingly expensive homes, and increasingly expensive rents that’s impacting our constituents in every corner of the state.” The bill would remove bans on denser forms of housing like duplexes and fourplexes in cities across the state. Continue reading at KUOW. (Joshua McNichols)

A new study found WA is one of the worst states to drive in. Just how low do we rank?
WalletHub found Washington to be the second-worst state to drive in, ranking low for the cost of ownership and maintenance of a vehicle, and traffic and infrastructure. The Evergreen State is only beaten out for worse driving conditions by Hawaii. Washington’s neighboring states also fared much better, with Idaho ranked 6th and Oregon 24th.To determine the best and worst states to drive in, WalletHub used four key dimensions to formulate the rankings: Cost of ownership and maintenance, traffic and infrastructure, safety, and access to vehicles and maintenance. Under those four dimensions are 31 relevant metrics, such as average gas prices (cost of ownership and maintenance), average commute time by car (traffic and infrastructure) and traffic fatality rate (safety). Continue reading at News Tribune.

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Aberdeen Daily World
School board votes against allowing state funding of Ocean Shores tsunami tower

Axios
Washington state marks three years of COVID
Wealth tax prospects doubtful — but tax reform isn’t dead (Frame, Fitzgibbon)

Bellingham Herald
State Democrats join multi-state effort to tax the ultra-wealthy (Frame, Thai, Hunt)
Update: Albertsons to pay stockholders $4b dividend. Grocer announces when it will happen

Capital Press
Farm Bureau, others go to court over new WOTUS rule

Columbian
State offering $35M in grants for solar power

The Daily News
Kelso reviews plan to house library, senior center and affordable housing in one building

Everett Herald
Meadowdale Beach updates give fish, hikers more room to roam
Police: Man pointed realistic BB gun at Everett elementary students

The Inlander
A string of attacks on Pacific Northwest power stations reignites concerns about grid security

News Tribune
A new study found WA is one of the worst states to drive in. Just how low do we rank?
Seafood processor fined after Tacoma ship fire leads to oil spill at Port of Tacoma

New York Times
The U.S. Hit Its Debt Limit. What Happens Next?

Olympian
Lewis County police arrest Green Hill incarcerated students in fentanyl bust

Puget Sound Business Journal
Here’s how jet makers are responding to labor, supply chain crises
WA hospital leaders sound alarm about ‘catastrophic’ financial losses

Seattle Times
Asian Americans in Seattle use Lunar New Year traditions as connection to heritage, family
WA lawmakers trying again to tax wealth, as part of nationwide effort (Frame)

Spokesman Review
Bill to ease Washington’s housing crisis would allow up to fourplex on all residential lots (Bateman)

Tri-City Herald
Could Tri-Cities become home to an aerospace industrial center?

Walla Walla Union Bulletin
MLK monument made at Walla Walla Foundry soon to be unveiled in Boston

Yakima Herald-Republic
Hop Hill solar farm proposed just east of Sunnyside in Benton County

Broadcast

KING 5 TV (NBC)
Tacoma community groups call for more action after teen shootings
Boeing ordered to be arraigned on charge in Max crashes

KIRO 7 TV (CBS)
Washington lawmakers considering new approach to drug possession law

KOMO 4 TV (ABC)
Washington lawmakers look to strengthen laws against ‘revenge porn’ (Orwall)

KNKX Public Radio
WA grapples with seals, sea lions preying on endangered salmon

KUOW Public Radio
WA Democrats join nationwide rollout of ‘wealth tax’ proposals (Frame, Thai)
WA lawmakers are subject to public disclosure law on paper. But are they in practice?
Middle housing bill begins with more support in WA Legislature than last time (Bateman)

KXLY (ABC)
WSDOT: Camp Hope down to around 138 people

Q13 TV (FOX)
Gov. Inslee endorses bill to lower blood alcohol level in Washington (Lovick)

Web

Land Line
Washington state bill covers restroom access for truck drivers (Stanford)

MyNorthwest
String of WA gun laws heard by House Judiciary Committee

Thursday, January 19

Legislature must address WA nursing crisis
Washington, like other states, is facing a health care problem, one that intensified during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. The problem isn’t merely a shortage of nurses. Nor is it simply a staffing issue. It’s a health care delivery problem that’s affecting staff, hospitals and patients. And now, nurses and hospitals are asking the state Legislature to help solve it. Senate Bill 5236 would, among other things, create staff-to-patient ratios for hospitals; a committee comprising hospital administrators and medical staff to develop the ratios and standards for each hospital; and set financial penalties for violating the staffing plan. The bill is pitting medical staff against hospital administrators, but there’s at least one point in which all should agree: When nurses are overworked, it’s the patient that stands to lose. Continue reading at Seattle Times. (Karen Ducey)

New School Recess Bill Aims To Combat Youth Mental Health Crisis
A bill filed in the Washington State legislature last week and co-sponsored by Senators T’wina Nobles (D-Fircrest) and Claire Wilson (D-Auburn) would ensure students receive a minimum of 45 minutes of recess during each school day. There is currently no Washington state law guaranteeing recess for students. “Kids not only deserve play, it is critical for their development,” said Nobles. “Withholding recess, especially as a disciplinary action, does the opposite effect–research shows it makes behavior worse. Research shows students learn better when they get recess and as we tackle learning loss as a result of remote learning, we need to bolster betterment for our students in every way we can.” Continue reading at Seattle Medium. (Legislative Support Services)

In a bid at ‘keeping child care on the agenda,’ Murray talks funding in Olympia
Sen. Patty Murray joined state legislators, moms and kids in the Capitol on Wednesday to talk about federal and state efforts to address the child care crisis, an issue she said continues to be a top priority for her. “Our child care system isn’t just stretched thin,” Murray said. “It is broken.” Murray was joined by state Sen. Claire Wilson, D-Federal Way, and state Rep. Tana Senn, D-Mercer Island. Child care and early learning have been top priorities in the state Legislature in recent years. In 2021, the Legislature passed the Fair Start for Kids Ac. Senn said funding child care remains a priority throughout the Legislature. She said lawmakers are working on numerous pieces of legislation this session to address the child care crisis, some of which will require federal investment. Continue reading at Spokesman Review. (Elena Perry)

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Associated Press
Flavored cannabis marketing criticized for targeting kids
Feds send $930 million to help Forest Service curb ‘crisis’ of US West wildfires

Aberdeen Daily World
Cold weather shelters face hiccups and delays

Axios
State institutions still hold Indigenous remains

Bellingham Herald
Why are eggs so expensive in Whatcom County? Local Farmer weigh in
Inclusive public signs boost teens’ attitudes about trans people, study says. Here’s how
This is why Petrogas will pay $4 million for unpermitted emissions

The Daily News
Rep. Gluesenkamp Perez reviews business on the Columbia River
Washington leaders look to increase school safety with more officers, staff during legislative session

Everett Herald
‘We cannot help people if they are not alive’

Indian Country Today
Indigenous people on the ‘front lines’ of climate solutions

The Inlander
NEWS BRIEFS: Washington legislators seek to protect abortion rights and more (Cleveland)
A Washington state bill would legalize psilocybin, the key ingredient in “magic mushrooms” (Salomon, Billig)

Islands’ Weekly
This year’s legislature is more diverse than in the past (Jinkins, Orwall, Bronoske, Keiser, Lovick)

News Tribune
Opinion: WA lawmakers are weighing a bottle deposit system to boost recycling. It’s a bad idea

Olympian
A court said Albertsons could give $4B to shareholders. What a higher court just ruled
The Olympia City Council wants 9 things from the state this session. What are they?
Nisqually get feedback on healing center proposal for former Frankie’s site in Olympia
Tenino area residents protest planned sex offender housing, ask Thurston County for help

Peninsula Daily News
Following local cities, Jefferson County proclaims rights for orcas
Budget, staff cuts expected for Port Angeles School District

Puget Sound Business Journal
Boeing awarded $425M by NASA for fuel-efficient test plane
Workplace bullying is on the rise — and it’s hitting Gen Z the hardest

Seattle Medium
New School Recess Bill Aims to Combat Youth Mental Health Crisis (Nobles, Wilson)
Rep. Jamila Taylor Elected Majority Caucus Vice Chair (Taylor)

Seattle Times
Submerged log just another obstacle to revival of WA ferries
WA still too slow with mental health services for people in jail, judge told
‘Sam’s Law’ parents push for harsher penalties for hazing for a second year
Editorial: Legislature must address WA nursing crisis

Skagit Valley Herald
Ferries system working to increase service

Spokesman Review
Washington Legislature again looks to tackle safe staffing requirements in hospitals (Robinson)
In a bid at ‘keeping child care on the agenda,’ Murray talks funding in Olympia (Senn, Wilson)

Washington Post
U.S. begins ‘extraordinary’ steps to avoid debt ceiling

Broadcast

KING 5 TV (NBC)
State senator says constitutional amendment protecting abortion needs more votes (Keiser)
‘It will help a lot of people’: Seattle 8-year-old wants to change state hearing aid laws (Orwall)

KIRO 7 TV (CBS)
Pierce County mistakenly shares hundreds of thousands of registered voters’ sensitive information

KOMO 4 TV (ABC)
State lawmakers expected to introduce bill taxing wealthy Washingtonians (Thai)
Washington lawmakers considering bill that would lower blood alcohol limit for drivers (Lovick)

KNKX Public Radio
Behind your speedy Amazon delivery are serious hazards for workers, government finds

KUOW Public Radio
Washington lawmakers discuss an alternative to jail for mental health crises (Dhingra)
Incarcerated people would earn minimum wage under new proposal (Simmons)

KXLY (ABC)
Senate Bill 5202 aims to put $4 billion towards solving housing insecurity (Trudeau)
WA lawmakers propose bill requiring clergy to report child abuse, citing InvestigateWest reporting (Frame, Walen)

NW Public Radio
New legislation takes aim at blinking lights on Washington wind turbines (Connors)

Web

Crosscut
Can a $42B internet expansion plan close WA’s digital divide?

MyNorthwest
City of Bellevue to start safe parking pilot program for those living in cars
Fight against bird flu continues despite Dept. of Agriculture precautions
Gov. Inslee: Homelessness is complex, needs help from legislature

West Seattle Blog
THURSDAY MORNING: ‘State of the Port’
Metro is short on drivers as well as buses. So how many are needed?

Wednesday, January 18

WA lawmakers consider minimum wage requirement for incarcerated workers
There are 2,200 incarcerated people across Washington who have jobs. They’re employed in prison facilities. They might be welders, food service workers, carpenters, or janitors. You may have bought something created by an incarcerated person, like your license plate. Altogether, Washington’s Department of Corrections generated $68.8 million in revenue last year. But only a small portion of that money makes it into the incarcerated workers’ wages. At most, inmates can make $2.70 an hour. A new proposal by State Rep. Tarra Simmons (D-Bremerton) would raise that minimum wage to match Washington’s at $15.74 an hour. Simmons’ proposal is built on the argument that current wages are an exploitative but legal loophole which needs closing. Continue reading at KUOW. (Matthew Ansley)

A smart way for legislators to help save local news
Many things are needed to sustain local news outlets in Washington state. That includes extending and expanding a business and occupation tax break the Legislature created to save jobs in the essential local news industry. This is straightforward, relatively low cost and has strong public support, as evidenced by public comments last week in Olympia and earlier hearings. Legislators should get this done, by approving a timely proposal by Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson, state Sen. Mark Mullet and state Rep. Gerry Pollet. In Senate Bill 5199 and House Bill 1206, they propose exempting publishers from the tax until 2035 and expanding this break to digital-only news sites. “Newspapers are vital to a healthy democracy and we have seen too many close and lay off employees,” Pollet said in the joint announcement. “We can and should do everything we can to help preserve newsrooms across the state. Exempting them from the state B&O tax is an important step to support a robust free press.” Continue reading at Seattle Times. (Daniel Kim)

This is how Washington legislators seek to limit rent gouging statewide
A pair of bills being introduced in Olympia this legislative session are aimed at limiting the steep rent hikes that tenants have been seeing recently in communities across Washington state. Such rent stabilization is part of several measures in the state House and Senate that aim to ease housing costs and reduce homelessness, said state Rep. Alex Ramel, a Bellingham Democrat and House majority whip. Ramel is sponsoring House Bill 1389 to cap rent increases at 3% to 7% annually, based on inflation, and he discussed it during an online briefing Tuesday, Jan. 17, that addressed the housing crisis. He was joined at the briefing by state Rep. Nicole Macri, D-Seattle, whose companion measure outlines how Ramel’s bill would be enforced. Since mid-2021, when a statewide eviction ban ended, Macri said Washington residents have been reporting what she called “predatory” monthly rent increases that amount to hundreds of dollars and sometimes more. “Folks are being driven into homelessness and even more are being driven out of our communities,” said Macri, whose 43rd District covers downtown Seattle and some of its northern neighborhoods. Continue reading at Bellingham Herald.

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Associated Press
Fentanyl fuels record homeless deaths in Seattle area
Washington State Court Ok’s Albertsons’ Merger $4B Dividend

Auburn Reporter
Effort begins to lower the legal limit for driving drunk (Lovick)

Axios
Washington lawmakers want to curb “bonkers” rent hikes (Trudeau)
Seattle sees steepest rent declines among major U.S. metros

Bainbridge Island Review
Signature move important for each vote in Kitsap validation process

Bellingham Herald
Accountability measures limiting police chases could be rolled back under new bills (Rule, Lovick)
This is how Washington legislators seek to limit rent gouging statewide (Ramel, Macri)

Capital Press
Washington needs outside help to meet green-energy law (Nguyen)

Columbian
Days of gillnetting on lower Columbia River may be numbered (Van De Wege)

Everett Herald
Shoppers, restaurants, bakeries bedeviled by soaring egg prices

News Tribune
Editorial: What Pierce County will talk about in ’23: Ed Board takes on airport, police chases, more

New York Times
Microsoft to Lay Off 10,000 Workers as It Looks to Trim Costs

Northwest Asian Weekly
Swearings-in of AAPI officials

Olympian
Washington could join Utah as strictest states for blood alcohol levels while driving (Lovick)

Peninsula Daily News
Four flu deaths on Peninsula
Jefferson County drafts guidelines for remaining Rescue Plan funding

Seattle Times
Lawsuits target WA group home, ‘juvenile Alcatraz’ for troubled boys
A smart way for legislators to help save local news (Mullet, Pollet)

Spokesman Review
Legislature considers bill to ban assault weapons in Washington

Yakima Herald-Republic
Editorial: Trailer-park rent increases beg new rules

Broadcast

KING 5 TV (NBC)
Jaywalking remains illegal in Washington, but a legislator is pushing to repeal it (Saldaña)
‘Never thought it would come to this’: Thousands of seniors losing insurance
9 sites across Washington that feature derogatory word for Native American women to be renamed

KIRO 7 TV (CBS)
Legislators hear testimony on banning sale of assault weapons
Lawmakers debating free school meals for all students

KOMO 4 TV (ABC)
Proposed gun laws expand liability for firearm manufacturers, retailers

KUOW Public Radio
WA lawmakers consider minimum wage requirement for incarcerated workers (Simmons)
A push to lower Washington’s blood-alcohol level to .05 for drivers (Lovick)

KXLY (ABC)
‘100% preventable’: WA lawmakers thinking of lowering blood-alcohol limit

Web

Crosscut
WA Democrats hid messages on Chinese American History Month Bill (Leavitt, Valdez, Jinkins, Pedersen, Duerr, Ramos, Gregerson, Stonier, Morgan)
WA has 530 bridges in ‘poor’ condition – and limited repair money

MyNorthwest
Free school meals bill introduced in WA state house (Riccelli, Nobles)

Tuesday, January 17

Special education spending, oversight top priorities for WA lawmakers
This year, Washington state lawmakers are making big promises to fund and improve the education services that help roughly 158,449 disabled kids around the state. After two years of dousing educational pandemic fires, lawmakers say they are returning to unfinished business — gaps in oversight regarding these critical services, and gaps in funding. “We’ve done so much policy work and so a lot of the focus is on making sure that we’re funding what we know we need,” said Senate Majority Leader Andy Billig, D-Spokane. Lawmakers will decide how the state spends its remaining cut of Washington’s $2.6 billion in pandemic-era education relief funds. And they’ll also discuss whether to buffer financial losses caused by falling enrollment, which the state’s top education official, Chris Reykdal, doesn’t expect will bounce back anytime soon. Continue reading at Seattle Times. (Kylie Cooper)

As death toll rises, push to lower the legal limit for driving drunk begins
Lawmakers set out Monday to lower the legal limit for driving drunk in Washington. The move comes as deadly crashes involving drivers who had been drinking alcohol are at levels not seen in more than a decade. Washington recorded 670 traffic fatalities in 2021 of which 202 people died in crashes involving an alcohol-impaired driver — the highest number since 2009, according to data compiled by the Washington State Traffic Safety Commission. At the proposed legal limit, Washington would join Utah with the toughest standard in the nation. Several speakers said since Utah enacted the change in 2019, it has had fewer crashes involving impaired drivers and fewer fatalities but no increase in arrests. And the revised standard didn’t hurt the bottom line of the hospitality and tourism industries, they said. Continue reading at Everett Herald. (Monroe Police Department)

Foam dock floats, laundry filters, hotel shampoo amongst newest bids to reduce plastic pollution
Everywhere they look, Pacific Northwest scientists find teeny-tiny plastic pollution. Broken down particles are in our water, falling out of the air, in salmon, shellfish and in our own bodies. Scientists, environmental advocates and Democratic lawmakers in Olympia and Salem have seen enough to make them seek more regulations. In Olympia, several Washington legislators are copying ideas previously passed by Oregon including holding manufacturers responsible for reducing their plastic packaging and increasing recycling over time. A freshman Democrat from Tacoma, state Rep. Sharlett Mena, proposed to ban those little plastic toiletry bottles and wrappers in hotels in favor of refillable bulk dispensers. And there’s a new try to pass a bottle bill for Washington, which would entail a 10-cent deposit and redemption system for most plastic, metal and glass beverage containers. Continue reading at KNKX. (Tom Banse)

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Associated Press
Bill would force period tracking apps to follow privacy laws (Slatter, Dhingra)

Auburn Reporter
Housing costs, homelessness among top issues in WA, survey says

Axios
Ferry ridership surges from pandemic lows

Bellingham Herald
This Bellingham parking lot is being converted into apartments

Capital Press
New Washington Grain Commission chairman: Farmers, buyers at ‘critical point’

Columbian
‘The Swamps’: Residents of homeless camp in North Image face uncertain future

The Daily News
Washington state, Cowlitz County highlight special education, mental health needs in schools

Everett Herald
As death toll rises, push to lower the legal limit for driving drunk begins (Liias, Lovick)
Editorial: Limit food waste to feed more, pollute less

The Facts Newspaper
National workforce shortages strain public services
Important Update for Social Equity License Applicants: Maps

Kent Reporter
Congress, Biden give go-ahead to Howard Hanson Dam fish passage project

News Tribune
Bucking national trend, Tacoma recorded its highest tally of homicides on record in 2022

Olympian
Washington could become second strictest state for blood alcohol levels while driving (Lovick)

Port Townsend Leader
Dogs bring comfort to victims, witnesses (Thai)

Puget Sound Business Journal
Comment: Controversial capital gains tax could help many parents

Seattle Times
South Seattle warehouse to become hub for groups fighting food insecurity
Special education spending, oversight top priorities for WA lawmakers (Billig, Wellman, Pollet, Santos)

Skagit Valley Herald
Skagit Valley College hosts MLK Jr. Day of Service

Spokesman Review
Spokane pushes Legislature to exempt its trash incinerator from cap-and-trade program (Billig)
Anti-hazing bill ‘Sam’s Law’ appears in the Washington House for the second year

Walla Walla Union Bulletin
Walla Wallans march to honor, remember civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr.

Washington Post
Billionaires in blue states face coordinated wealth-tax bills (Frame)

Yakima Herald-Republic
Hundreds honor Martin Luther King Jr. with marches and other events in Yakima and Toppenish

Broadcast

KING 5 TV (NBC)
Grassroots effort led to King County being renamed to honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Pickleball fever fuels proposal for new license plate design featuring Washington’s state sport (Lovick)

KIRO 7 TV (CBS)
Annual Seattle rally, march commemorates Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Students push for gender-based pricing ban in Washington state (Dhingra)

KOMO 4 TV (ABC)
Fentanyl fuels record homeless deaths in Seattle area

KNKX Public Radio
Foam dock floats, laundry filters, hotel shampoo amongst newest bids to reduce plastic pollution (Mena)

KUOW Public Radio
Could the U.S. ban TikTok for everyone?

KXLY (ABC)
Is it time for Washington to have an official state dinosaur?
Heartbroken parents plea for more severe penalties for hazing (Goodman)

Web

MyNorthwest
For some without a home, airport is source of shelter
Driving in Washington among the worst in the nation

West Seattle Blog
CONGRATULATIONS! Chief Sealth IHS student helps relaunch State Senate page program (Nguyen)

Monday, January 16

MLK Jr.’s dream not yet achieved, but still attainable, advocates say
Sixty years after Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. gave his “I Have a Dream” speech, racial justice advocates say that dream has not been achieved. As Black Americans continue to face economic, social and systemic racism, those advocates point to social and policy changes that could push the country closer to King’s vision. Supporting communities, whether it be financially investing in predominantly Black public schools or improving health outcomes and access to health care, is the first step toward change. In order for King’s vision to be reached, ideological differences must be put aside. “We pretend that the dream was just that Black and white folks can hang out together or go to school together or that society allows interracial marriages and stuff like that,” said DaMareo Cooper, a political organizer. “But what he was really talking about is how do we create a society where everyone has economic opportunity … about being able to not only sit at the counter but to be able to pay for the food.” Continue reading at Bellingham Herald. (Jacquelyn Martin)

Incarcerated people in WA plead to limit use of solitary confinement
There are no state restrictions on the use of restrictive housing in adult facilities operated by the Department of Corrections, despite research showing that extended periods in solitary confinement, where an incarcerated person is alone for at least 20 hours per day, can lead to psychological deterioration and emotional breakdowns. A new bill working its way through the Legislature would restrict when prisons can use solitary confinement, but some prison staff say the use of solitary is necessary to protect their safety. House Bill 1087, sponsored by state Rep. Strom Peterson, D-Seattle, would restrict the use of solitary confinement to emergency use, medical isolation or for people who choose to go voluntarily (for protection, for example), with requirements for each of those situations. Continue reading at Seattle Times. (Mike Siegel)

State must fully fund K-12 special education
Currently, the state’s funding model provides an average per-student baseline level of funds for school districts to serve their students. Districts have a federal obligation to identify and serve all children with disabilities within the district’s geographic boundaries. For students with disabilities, the state provides an additional amount of funds above the baseline, on an average basis, to recognize the costs of providing additional services. It’s because of the investments by the Legislature over the past few years that we have made such progress. To continue this trajectory, we must invest in the ongoing growth and transformation that is critical to improving student outcomes. It’s time for the state to fully fund special education services and eliminate the overreliance on local revenues — which districts do not have equal access to — to serve this population of students who are often furthest from educational justice. Continue reading at Everett Herald.