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Friday, January 6

Lawmakers aim to tackle drug laws and homelessness
Washington lawmakers return to Olympia Monday with several pressing issues to address — chief among them, revising Washington’s criminal drug laws and addressing the state’s housing and homelessness crisis. Here are four key topics the Legislature is expected to debate during its 105-day session, which runs through the end of April: reforming drug laws, housing and homelessness, long term care tax, and gun control. Continue reading at Axios. (Brendan Lynch)

Hospitals, nurses at odds over how WA lawmakers should address health care crisis
Washington hospitals and nurses, faced with staffing shortages that plague the healthcare industry nationwide, are seeking help from the state Legislature, which begins its 2023 session Monday. Nurses are calling on state lawmakers to enact nurse-to-patient ratios, saying they would ease burdens on nurses and reduce turnover and burnout. A staffing ratio bill died in the Senate last year. Pressure on lawmakers to take action will likely only increase as the healthcare industry remains on rocky financial footing, with several Washington hospitals threatening to cut back services or even close. Continue reading at Puget Sound Business Journal. (SEIU HEALTHCARE 1199NW)

Inslee, lawmakers focus on workforce amid tech layoffs and shortage in other industries
While the tech industry is shedding jobs, many other employers are desperate for workers. State legislators are newly focused on trying to help. Legislators told reporters Thursday they want to make it easier for behavioral health specialists licensed in other states to take jobs here, and they propose new police training facilities closer to where incoming officers will live and work. They also want new training and apprenticeship programs. “We have to rethink how we’re doing this. We have a new problem, we need new solutions,” Senator Andy Billig (D-Majority Leader) said. Continue reading at KIRO 7.

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Aberdeen Daily World
Cold weather shelters to expand capacity, other potential sites identified

Axios
Lawmakers aim to tackle drug laws and homelessness
Some school districts must wait on electric bus money
Cap-and-trade takes effect in Washington state

Bellingham Herald
Repairs begin on Nooksack Dam near Ferndale

Columbian
Clark County COVID rates fall; 10 deaths reported

Everett Herald
Comment: Beyond numbers, this is what child poverty looks like

News Tribune
Medical examiner identifies man fatally shot by Tacoma police last month following chase
Puyallup Tribe announces economic development project at port. Here are the details

New York Times
Biden Administration Moves to Tighten Limits on Deadly Air Pollution

Northwest Asian Weekly
ST alternate stations outside the CID present challenges

Olympian
Thurston Sheriff pursues driver accused of hit and run, possessing stolen vehicle

Puget Sound Business Journal
Hospital, nurses at odds over how state should address health care crisis
Experts expect unionization efforts to gain steam
FTC proposes broad ban on noncompetes

Seattle Times
WA hospitals, health care unions split on best way out of staffing crisis
Final report on Boeing 737 MAX crash sparks dispute over pilot error

Spokesman Review
Idaho Supreme Court upholds all abortion laws challenged in Planned Parenthood cases

Walla Walla Union Bulletin
New variant of COVID-19 on its way to Walla Walla Valley; vaccine still key weapon, experts say

Washington Post
Half of Earth’s glaciers could melt even if key warming goal is met, study says

Yakima Herald-Republic
EFSEC at odds with Yakima County commissioners on solar project moratorium

Broadcast

KING 5 TV (NBC)
Amazon announces another wave of layoffs, eliminating over 18,000 positions in 3 months
DOJ settles claim filed by Des Moines ‘dreamer’ who was arrested in 2017

KIRO 7 TV (CBS)
Inslee, lawmakers focus on workforce amid tech layoffs and shortage in other industries (Billig, Jinkins)

KOMO 4 TV (ABC)
Inslee tackles housing, homelessness, police ahead of legislative session (Rolfes)

KNKX Public Radio
The U.S. job market is still healthy, but it’s slowing down as recession fears mount
Biden announces new border control measures and legal pathways to some migrants

KUOW Public Radio
Washington grid attacks flew under the radar for months
Could bottle deposits be coming to Washington state? (Berry, Rolfes)

KXLY (ABC)
‘It’s 100% necessary’: SPD to ramp up patrols in neighborhoods
Healthcare workers head to Olympia, await passage of safe staffing standards bill
Spokane directs $5.1 million towards customers who fell behind on utility bills

Web

MyNorthwest
State Capitol building briefly evacuated ahead of legislative session

Thursday, January 5

Here’s how Washington might get consumer bottle recycling, eliminate waste production
Washington legislators are taking another swing at improving recycling and eliminating waste production in the state, and have introduced a new bill to make it happen. The Washington Recycle and Packaging Act was presented Wednesday, Jan. 4, at a Seattle Aquarium event by Rep. Liz Berry and Sen. Christine Rolfes. “This bill creates a path to reduce packaging and paper and make sure what remains is recycled or composted, and does not go to landfills,” Berry, D-Seattle, said at the introduction of the bill. “But I am most excited about our inclusion of a bottle deposit system in our bill, similar to what Oregon has. We’ve learned many months of crafting legislation that if we really want to meet our goals to reduce litter and reach our reduce and recycle targets, and refill targets, Washington must implement this kind of program.” Continue reading at The Olympian. (TVW)

Washington state starts 2023 with ambitious new climate efforts
One of Washington’s biggest climate programs yet launched on Jan. 1: the Clean Fuel Standard. Under this program, fuel suppliers must gradually provide cleaner and cleaner fuels for gas pumps across the state, starting now, through 2034. Also kicking in this month is a law that caps greenhouse gas emissions from the state’s largest polluters. That program allows companies to buy carbon credits in an auction, which can be traded like other investments — also known as cap and invest. And this year, major federal incentives for green energy kick in. People can get tax credits for buying electric vehicles, installing rooftop solar, and heat pumps. Continue reading at KUOW. (Eric Mclean)

State audit: low-income, students from communities of color most impacted by COVID campus closures
Students from the state’s poorest school districts, and those with the highest populations from communities of color suffered the most learning loss during pandemic shutdowns of campuses, according to a new state study. In an audit requested by state legislators, conducted by the Joint Legislative Audit and Review, investigators looked at test scores, teacher surveys, enrollment figures, and substance abuse and mental health studies. All of the races and ethnic groups saw numbers improve by spring of 2022, but not to pre-pandemic levels in 2019. “It’s heartbreaking. You never want students to get behind,” said Rep. April Berg, D-Everett. Berg said keeping students at home was the right decision, saying it kept them healthier, but she said lawmakers need to do more about the learning loss suffered between 2020 and 2022. Continue reading at KING5.

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Bellingham Herald
New law means most WA employers will list pay info on job ads. Here’s what you need to know

Capital Press
Inslee celebrates coming cap-and-trade auctions

Columbian
I-5 Bridge replacement program misses out on grant
Washington’s two key climate standards are now in effect

Everett Herald
Protesters push back on opioid center near Lynnwood Boys & Girls Club
Editorial: Use drug possession charge as leverage for treatment

News Tribune
Mentally ill people are languishing in jail. Pierce judge blames state, issues fines
Tacoma cop’s pursuit violated policy. Here’s what the city will pay injured bystander
Federal government reaches settlement with ‘dreamer’ who sued after detention in Tacoma

New York Times
Biden Administration Defends Student Loan Cancellation at Supreme Court
U.S. Moves to Bar Noncompete Agreements in Labor Contracts

Olympian
Open government group says WA legislators are using ‘privilege’ to withhold public records
Thurston County ends nonprofit-operated juvenile diversion program after 46 years
Here’s how Washington might get consumer bottle recycling, eliminate waste production (Berry, Rolfes)

Puget Sound Business Journal
Construction trade group: Public funding likely to bolster industry in 2023
Amazon to cut more corporate jobs than originally expected
Study: Washington’s economic performance dropped during pandemic

Seattle Medium
Road Rage Rises in Washington
Editorial: The King Holiday Reflects Our Resilience

Seattle Times
How Tacoma’s yearlong guaranteed income experiment fared (Berry)
Thousands without power as wet, windy weather continues in Western WA
Mental health research is making ‘undeniable’ progress. Why are we still in crisis?

Skagit Valley Herald
State commission approves Puget Sound Energy rate increases
Guemes Ferry fares likely to increase

Spokesman Review
Here’s what you need to know about 2 Inslee-backed climate laws effective today

Tri-City Herald
Richland will demolish problem motel it bought for $1.2M. What could take its place?

Vancouver Business Journal
Low wages, student debt create shortages in behavioral health workforce

Walla Walla Union Bulletin
Walla Walla Public Schools teams with Paper to bring online tutoring to students

Wenatchee World
East Wenatchee to spend $4.6 million from state on two street projects this fall

Yakima Herald-Republic
City Council pitches Yakima for new airport as state looks to boost capacity

Broadcast

KING 5 TV (NBC)
Crisis stabilization center in Bellingham dedicated for 50-year veteran social worker
Riders slow to return to the Sounder commuter train
State audit: low-income, students from communities of color most impacted by COVID campus closures (Berg)

KIRO 7 TV (CBS)
Washington delegation members speak on House speaker selection drama

KNKX Public Radio
Members of the military will now get 12 weeks of parental leave
Abortion pills should be easier to get. That doesn’t mean that they will be

KUOW Public Radio
Washington state starts 2023 with ambitious new climate efforts
Murray becomes first woman president pro tem of the Senate

Web

Crosscut
Study reveals internet access inequities in Seattle and Portland

MyNorthwest
Repairs continue on West Seattle Low Bridge after ice storm
Seattle City Council confirms Adrian Diaz as police chief
King County selected to participate in CDC National Health Survey

West Seattle Blog
FERRIES: Third boat back on Fauntleroy-Vashon-Southworth soon? Update expected next week

Wednesday, January 4

Murray becomes first female president pro tempore in Senate
When Washington Sen. Patty Murray was elected to the Senate in 1992, she says, male senators treated her with some trepidation. But now she has outlasted almost all of them, becoming the first woman appointed president pro tempore — a senior member of the majority who presides over the Senate and is third in line to the presidency. Murray, 72, says she sees her own ascension to the post as another example of the slow, steady progress of women in the perpetually old-fashioned Senate — not only as an example for young people, but as a platform for women’s issues, like paid leave and child care, that she has championed for years. She first ran as a self-proclaimed “mom in tennis shoes,” and she still wears them to this day, as a grandmother. Continue reading at Associated Press. (Jacquelyn Martin)

Economic downturn anxieties lead Washington lawmakers to ask: To tax or not to tax?
A debate is brewing in Olympia over how to prepare for a potential economic downturn. “Looking forward we still have a very robust economy, it’s the envy of the United States, we still have gangbuster industries doing very, very well and I believe there is a reason that that will continue,” Inslee said while speaking with TVW’s Austin Jenkins. Inslee’s budget is a 12% increase over current spending, despite anxieties over inflation and economic downturns. But the governor says the state also has $2 billion in reserves as a cushion. He further argues that the state plans to give a tax break to some residents (the Working Family Tax credit), but no general tax cuts. Also, the state still has considerable issues to address, which “demand investments.” Continue reading at KUOW. (NW News Network)

WA scores in federal omnibus spending bill
In a mad rush before the end of the year, Congress finally passed an omnibus federal spending bill. Washington’s congressional delegation made sure that important projects around the Puget Sound will receive a federal financial boost, to the tune of $44 million. More than a quarter of that money will fund health care and child development. Pierce County will get help for its homeless residents. Transportation on land and at sea will improve. And there are grants for environmental restoration and economic development, too. Washington will be in line for even more federal support for the next few years. Sen. Patty Murray will chair the budget-writing Senate Appropriations Committee. Continue reading at Seattle Times. (J. Scott Applewhite)

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Associated Press
Murray becomes first female president pro tempore in Senate

Bellingham Herald
Corps of Engineers repairs damaged Nooksack River levee in this once-in-a-career event

Columbian
Nearly $19K awarded to Washington School for the Deaf

The Daily News
Commissioner’s decision stands after rescinding letter to Longview about HOPE Village funding

Everett Herald
Marysville aims to prosecute drug, disturbance cases in municipal court
Decisions on light rail, buses and more loom in 2023
Editorial: 500 reasons to end income cap on Social Security tax

News Tribune
‘This is a crime of terrorism.’ WA men accused of substation attacks appear in court

Olympian
Federal agents: Two Puyallup men arrested and charged for Christmas substation attacks

Peninsula Daily News
Five respiratory illness deaths reported on North Peninsula

Puget Sound Business Journal
WA Supreme Court speeds up review of Albertsons dividend ahead of sale
Microsoft video game workers form company’s first US union

Seattle Medium
New Laws To Watch in 2023
Policies Continue to Restrict Quality of Life For the Formerly Incarcerated in the U.S.

Seattle Times
Seattle building canoe carving center in SLU to showcase Native culture
WA Sen. Patty Murray, for now, is second in line for presidency
Seattle City Council confirms Diaz as police chief
Editorial: WA scores in federal omnibus spending bill

The Skanner
Inflation, Unemployment, the Housing Crisis and a Possible Recession: Two Economists Forecast What’s Ahead in 2023
Congress Considers Bill Making $60K the Minimum Salary for K-12 Teachers
U.S. Supreme Court is Taking Longer to Hear Cases

Sol De Yakima
Senadora Patty Murray es, por ahora, la segunda en la línea de sucesión presidencial

Spokesman Review
Getting there: City Line bus route will use new system to shorten waits at red lights
Spokane County asking state lawmakers for jail funding, reduced housing regulations and baseball stadium money

Washington Post
FDA to permit some retail pharmacies to dispense abortion pills

Broadcast

KING 5 TV (NBC)
Seattle Public Utilities to assess Duwamish River ahead of another king tide
Realtors back Gov. Inslee’s $4 billion housing proposal
Lynnwood protestors, city council concerned about opioid treatment facility
‘Something has to change’: Marysville cracks down on public drug use

KOMO 4 TV (ABC):
New law requires employers to disclose salary ranges on job listings

KNKX Public Radio
No-till farming, cover crops reduce greenhouse gasses but cost growers at the start, study finds

KUOW Public Radio:
Changes to Washington employment laws and wages in 2023
Economic downturn anxieties lead Washington lawmakers to ask: To tax or not to tax?

Web

The Stranger
Seattle City Council Endorses Whole Washington’s Initiative for Universal Healthcare

Tuesday, January 3

Sen. Billig: Voters sent clear message to WA leaders for 2023 Legislative session
By returning every single Democratic incumbent and even growing the majorities in both state legislative chambers, voters sent a clear message on a range of issues. They voted for expanded access to quality, affordable child care. They want leaders who will act on climate change, and they appreciate sending their kids to the nation’s best public schools. They recognized that their communities are safer when we prioritize investments in police training, behavioral health and gun violence prevention, and when we work on real solutions to issues like homelessness, rather than playing politics with it. This is a validation of the path our Democratic leadership. Continue reading at The Seattle Times. (Ted S. Warren)

DUI limits, prison wages and abortion are already on the docket for 2023 WA legislature
State lawmakers have less than a month to go before the 105-day legislative session convenes, and many of those lawmakers have already submitted legislation prior to the Jan. 9 start date. So far, more than 100 bills have been submitted leading up to the Legislature. Continue reading at The Olympian. (The Olympian)

In 2023, WA lawmakers will decide the legal future of drug possession
As they return to Olympia in early January, legislators now seek a longer-term solution for a thorny issue that has scrambled party lines and raised a host of complicated questions. “I think there’s a diversity of views in the Legislature about what the right approach is,” said Senate Majority Leader Andy Billig, D-Spokane. “But I do feel like there’s a consensus building to do something that’s public-health focused, but also a little bit of an increased role in the justice system.” A former King County deputy prosecutor, Senator Dhingra said that narratives and political messaging on crime make it harder for many politicians to think clearly about policy solutions. Continue reading at Crosscut. (Jovelle Tamayo)

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Associated Press
Seafood company sues over terminated fish-farming pen leases
Crabbers, fishermen seek US aid after disaster declaration
Facial recognition tool led to mistaken arrest, lawyer says

Bellingham Herald
Mail delivery has been sporadic for many Bellingham residents. Here’s what’s going on
Coastal flood watch continues with extreme high tides in Whatcom

Capital Press
Was wet spring the new normal for Palouse?

Columbian
Opinion: Inslee’s plan to end homelessness ambitious
Opinion: Congress slow to address farmworker shortage

Everett Herald
Top health news in 2022
Federal earmarks deliver small sums in a big way for local projects
Comment: Conservative gains on religion in schools may reverse
Comment: New state tax credit will help working families

International Examiner
Opinion: Punishing unhoused people in the CID makes things worse for everyone

News Tribune
Pierce County leaders don’t want an airport. But how much power do they have to stop it?
Are you ready for 2023? Here’s what to know about the new laws affecting workers
Another holiday weekend brings ‘high alert’ after power substations vandalized in Pierce County
Editorial: ‘It’s a mess.’ As the ice storm hit Tacoma, homeless residents were left out in the cold

New York Times
Lawmakers Unveil Sprawling Spending Bill to Avoid Shutdown
E.P.A. Tightens Rules on Pollution From Vans, Buses and Trucks
Amazon and E.U. Reach Deal to End Antitrust Investigation
Nearly Every Country Signs On to a Sweeping Deal to Protect Nature

Northwest Asian Weekly
Lincoln District senior housing

Olympian
Derek Sanders eager to shape Sheriff’s Office in new year, but expects ‘baptism by fire’
Dori Monson, conservative Seattle radio host, dies at 61
Are you ready for 2023? Here are the new WA laws and local changes taking effect
Democrats propose WA state constitutional amendment to protect abortion rights (Kuderer, Keiser)
DUI limits, prison wages and abortion are already on the docket for 2023 WA legislature (Morgan, Simmons, Thai, Leavitt, Lovick, Keiser, Kuderer)

Peninsula Daily News
Volunteers sought for annual Point in Time count
Clallam Transit OKs its budget for this year
In one month, three cities proclaim rights for Southern Resident Orcas

Puget Sound Business Journal
Here’s how long Seattle homebuyers need to save up for a down payment
The window to claim this lucrative business tax credit is closing.
Boeing ends 2022 on high note, but supply chain delays linger
Starbucks illegally refused to bargain with WA, OR stores, NLRB says

Seattle Times
On transportation, WA Legislature looks to tackle safety, equity, inflation (Liias, Lovick)
Washington law requiring salary range on job postings takes effect
Seattle home prices will likely fall in 2023. That won’t help buyers
Housing one of biggest predictors of getting kicked out of WA schools
Sen. Andy Billig: Voters sent clear message to WA leaders for 2023 Legislative session
Here’s what the WA Legislature expects to tackle on climate and environment in 2023 (Doglio, Fitzgibbon, Rolfes)

Skagit Valley Herald
Three Skagit County churches step up to help the homeless

The Skanner
Washington Adopts Plan for Transition to Zero-Emission Vehicles

Spokesman Review
Here’s how the $1.7 trillion spending bill Congress passed affects the Northwest
Untreated sewage overflowed into Spokane River after Tuesday rain, snowmelt
WA has high number of homeless students, gets lowest federal funding
Washington lawmakers secure $464 million in congressional earmarks while North Idaho’s representatives opt out
Opinion: Dr. Umair A. Shah: Looking back on coronavirus hasn’t been easy, but it’s time to look ahead

Tri-City Herald
BNSF train derails New Year’s Day in downtown Kennewick
Over $1 billion in Tri-Cities construction in 2022. What’s coming next?
Tri-Cities’ only hospice house reopens after partial roof collapse forces evacuation

Walla Walla Union Bulletin
Walla Walla, College Place approve annual city budgets
College Place Police Department approaches full staffing
Tri-State Steelheaders granted $4.7 million to continue fish passage work in Mill Creek

Washington Post
Biden aims to cut homelessness 25% by 2025

Yakima Herald-Republic
Yakama Nation awarded grants to improve fish passages in Yakima River Basin
Massive proposed Central Washington wind farm a step closer to construction
Proposed biomethane plant in Sunnyside could bring benefits, but environmental advocates have concerns
Yakima County Commissioners approve land designation that could expand Yakima Ridge mining

Broadcast

KING 5 TV (NBC)
Recovery for Duwamish area community could take months
2022 was a record-breaking year for weather in western Washington
Owner of only West Seattle warming center says the space is a ‘start to a solution’

KIRO 7 TV (CBS)
In wake of devastating flooding, South Park residents worried about water quality
Repairs underway in Whatcom County after levee failure

KOMO 4 TV (ABC)
Gas prices drop across Washington, rise nationwide as new year begins
Free ‘Identicard’ program now available for those experiencing homelessness

KUOW Public Radio
Lots of whales spotted around offshore wind farm zones along West Coast

KXLY (ABC)
WSDOT captures cougar using I-90 wildlife undercrossing
‘Top of mind’: Local lawmakers focusing on crime, public safety in new legislative session (Riccelli)

Q13 TV (FOX)
These new Washington state laws go into effect in 2023

Web

Crosscut
In 2023, WA lawmakers will decide the legal future of drug possession (Dhingra)
Top environmental bills on the 2023 WA Legislative agenda (Nguyen, Fitzgibbon, Duerr)
Washington remains a hub for reproductive health care post-Roe (Hansen)

MyNorthwest
High amounts of COVID-19 antibodies found among Washington children
Mukilteo waterfront parking on hold until early 2023

The Stranger
State Legislature Could Finally Fix Nonsensical Sentencing Guidelines

West Seattle Blog
SDOT’s new director tours Fauntleroy

Friday, December 16

‘Deeply flawed.’ Why a reset button on Pierce County airport talks could be up for debate
Some Washington state lawmakers seek to restart the three-year process that resulted in rural Pierce County becoming a contender for Puget Sound’s next major airport. The commission is expected in June to recommend to the Legislature a location for potentially siting a two-runway airport. To others, this would delay homing in on any specific site for at least a few years. Starting over would simply mean kicking the proverbial can down the road and again delaying the inevitable need for additional commercial passenger and cargo transportation in the region as officials try to meaningfully respond to projected near-term capacity issues at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. “It’s a crisis, and we need to own it and face up to it,” state Sen. Karen Keiser said. Keiser, D-Des Moines, sponsored the bill that created the commission and directed it to single out a potential landing spot for a new airport, which, if tapped for Pierce County, could see as many as 20 million annual passengers.. Continue reading at The News Tribune. (Cheyenne Boone)

Local nurses ask for support from local government leaders over staffing crisis
Oakes was one of several nurses who spoke during the Dec. 13 city council meeting. According to a news release from UFCW 3000, the largest union in the state, nurses from Providence Centralia and St. Peter hospitals planned to speak to Thurston and Lewis county government leaders this week about the staffing crisis in both places. Providence St. Peter nurse Helena Smith said she and the other nurses asked the council to support the safe staffing legislation being introduced in the 2023 legislative session. Last year, House Bill 1868, aimed at establishing minimum staffing ratios for hospitals among other things, passed the House but failed in the Senate this year. If hospitals can’t meet their staffing ratio goals, they may have to close down services. Continue reading at The Olympian. (Thurston County Board of Commissioners)

Rep. April Berg Named Chair of Finance Committee
Washington House Democrats announced this week that Rep. April Berg (D – Mill Creek) will chair the House Finance Committee. Berg is the first Black committee chair in the history of the Washington State Legislature. Berg will chair the committee that addresses revenue while striving to create an equitable, stable, transparent, and just tax structure for the state. “Taxes should be unbiased. Although numbers do not see color, the codification of numbers into revenue policy has historically been unfair to marginalized communities.” Continue reading at Seattle Medium.