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Monday, February 19

Bill swap, money talks, and initiative hints: A look at week 6 of WA’s legislative session
With just a few weeks left in this year’s legislative session, Washington lawmakers are starting to unveil budget plans and consider bills in the opposite chamber. Another cutoff deadline came down Tuesday, meaning it was do-or-die for policy proposals awaiting a vote in the chamber they started in. Lawmakers in the House approved a hotly debated rent bill this week, after days of uncertainty for its path forward in the Senate. House Bill 2114 is now in front of the Senate Ways and Means Committee – meaning the House bill will avoid the committee where its Senate companion stalled earlier this session. Continue reading at KUOW. (NW News Network)

What’s in the Transit-Oriented Development Bill the WA House Just Passed
On Tuesday, the Washington State House of Representatives passed a bill intended to open up new development capacity around the state’s most robust public transit infrastructure. House Bill 2160 would require cities to allow larger buildings within a fairly wide area directly around light rail, commuter rail, and streetcar stops, and slightly smaller buildings in areas directly around stops on bus rapid transit (BRT) lines. It also allows affordable housing developers to build taller if they include more units in their buildings that remain dedicated for low-income residents. Continue reading at The Urbanist. (Ryan Packer)

Measure targets AI porn loophole; Under current Wash. law, ‘deepfake’ victims have no legal recourse
Under current Washington law, if someone’s face is used to make pornographic content without their consent, the victim has no legal recourse. A proposal in the Washington Legislature, House Bill 1999, would address this loophole. It would expand criminal penalties under current child pornography laws to include instances in which an identifiable minor’s image was used to digitally fabricate explicit content. The bill would also provide a civil cause of action for adult victims by expanding the Uniform Civil Remedies for the Unauthorized Disclosure of Intimate Images Act. Though the bill addresses only deepfakes in which the victim is identifiable, prime sponsor Tina Orwall, D-Des Moines, says she can see potential for expansion to include non-identifiable victims. Continue reading at The Columbian. (Amanda Snyder)

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Associated Press
State tribes battling a devastating opioid crisis

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Broadcast

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

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

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

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

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

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

Web

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

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

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

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

Friday, February 16

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

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

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

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Aberdeen Daily World
Port touts banner year for exports, development

Axios
Seattle air quality predicted to worsen due to wildfire smoke

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

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

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

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

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

Islands’ Weekly
Governor proclaims Invasive Species Awareness Week

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Broadcast

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

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

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

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

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

Web

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

Thursday, February 15

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

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

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

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Aberdeen Daily World
Hoquiam schools look to improve energy use in buildings

Axios
Washington state may outlaw deepfake porn

Capital Press
Washington House nixes bid to alter ag overtime law (Doglio)

Columbian
Washington House votes to limit rent hikes; tough Senate road awaits (Macri)
Washington lawmakers won’t hear testimony on climate policy, capital gains repeal efforts (Jinkins)

Courier-Herald
Opinion: Lawmakers must fix the failing ferry system

Everett Herald
‘Over the moon’: Everett class credited for rising kindergarten test scores
School measures rejected in Arlington, Lakewood, Sultan; pass elsewhere

The Inlander
Washington works to strengthen hate crime laws after a spate of anti-LGBTQ+ vandalism in Spokane, while Idaho fights to enforce its ban on gender-affirming care (Billig)

News Tribune
Lakewood police: Service calls and car thefts rose, eluding incidents tripled last year
Some Tacomans are being pushed out of their neighborhoods. The city wants to intervene
Opinion: Inspectors were denied entry to Tacoma’s private immigration detention center. Why?
Opinion: My child’s mother was murdered. And I’ve been to prison. I know what justice is

Puget Sound Business Journal
Rent control legislation still alive in Olympia (Alvarado, Petersen, Robinson)
A ‘slow-moving train wreck.’ Banks feel heat from troubled CRE loans

Seattle Times
WA bid to report on-time rent payments to credit bureaus won’t proceed (Shewmake)
WA lawmakers won’t hear testimony on climate policy, capital gains repeal efforts (Billig, Jinkins)
Editorial: Don’t move years for WA’s municipal elections
Opinion: Don’t repeal WA’s Climate Commitment Act; improve it

Sol De Yakima
Cámara de Representantes de WA aprueba iniciativa de ley para educación sobre fentanilo (Leavitt)

Spokesman Review
More work to be done before recruiting Spokane police, fire chiefs
Reporting lost or stolen firearms passes the House, provoking contentious debate between parties (Berry, Farivar)
A grant to help Washington homeowners rebuild after wildfires passed easily in the state House. Now it’s headed for the Senate (Ramel, Riccelli)
As demand for behavioral health treatment outpaces supply, Washington lawmakers consider loosening restrictions for practicing psychologists (Bateman)
Opinion: Current Medicaid reimbursement rate is untenable

Walla Walla Union Bulletin
Walla Walla agencies continue work to improve fish passage in Mill Creek

Washington Post
The plastics industry would like a word with your kids
Trans adults on edge as legislatures broaden focus beyond children

WA State Standard
With new revenue report, WA lawmakers prep for their budget reveal (Robinson, Ormsby)
Biden administration picks airports for nearly $1 billion in terminal upgrades
The bills that are dead and still alive in Washington’s 2024 legislative session (Keiser, Riccelli, Simmons, Reeves, Jinkins, Kloba)

Wenatchee World
State House passes major climate policy
Douglas County building a moderate risk waste facility
Wenatchee School District provides analysis of budget cuts in plan to close Columbia Elementary

Broadcast

KING 5 TV (NBC)
Police raise concerns about proposed ‘hog-tying’ ban in Washington state (Lovick, Trudeau)
2 former officers acquitted for Manuel Ellis’ death ask for state to pay defense costs
Liquor and Cannabis Board begins process to amend or repeal ‘prohibitive conduct’ rule

KIRO 7 TV (CBS)
Federal Way Police Chief demands change after 69-car crime spree
Issues on teen crimes getting addressed – or not – this legislative session (Cortes, Billig)

KOMO 4 TV (ABC)
Redmond’s new affordable housing project faces backlash from citizens
Seattle needs greater authority to tear down abandoned buildings, fire chief says
Washington legislation seeks to add jail time for repeat property crime offenders
Could Washington state pay millions for acquitted Tacoma police officers’ legal fees
‘A drive to do better’: RV safe lot is now helping people exit homelessness in Seattle

KNKX Public Radio
WA House approves rent stabilization bill, teeing up legislative showdown in the Senate (Alvarado)
Environmental justice groups voice concerns as WA carbon market linkage bill advances

KUOW Public Radio
Washington bottle deposit proposal fizzles out in Legislature (Stonier)
Is Washington really ‘The Evergreen State’? The question remains
How will Washington state Democrats handle GOP-backed voter initiatives? (Billig, Jinkins)

KXLY (ABC)
Danger to Democracy: A behind the scenes look at how your ballot is protected

FOX13 TV
New WA bill addressing carbon emissions hopes to link up with California and Quebec (Nguyen)

Web

Cascadia Daily News
Opinion: Water rights — and responsibilities: A use tax would benefit Whatcom farmers

Crosscut
WA Legislature keeps most of its priority bills alive – so far (Kuderer, Alvarado, Mullet, Lovick, Peterson, Walen, Orwall)

Wednesday, February 14

Rep. Jamila Taylor: People with disabilities are part of the WA housing crisis, too
Supported Living is a long-term service model that provides care to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and supports them in their communities. I am hopeful that we can adopt a new tax of 1% on the value of the selling price of properties over $3.025 million to support a dedicated funding source for more Supported Living housing. This proposal was already heard by my colleagues in the House and Senate (HB 2276, SB 6191) and it should be a part of our final budget. As a community, it makes sense to adopt a modest tax on the sale of high-value properties to make housing available for those currently without. Continue reading at Seattle Times. (Getty Images)

Washington state House lawmakers vote to regulate rent increases
House lawmakers on Tuesday approved statewide legislation that would limit annual rent increases for Washington tenants. The vote came before a key deadline to keep legislation alive this session. Bills had to be passed from their house of origin Tuesday to continue to be considered. House Bill 2114 would limit rent increases to 7% for tenants in a 12-month period. Additionally, landlords would not be able to raise the rent within the first year of tenancy. The bill passed by a vote of 54-43 and was the last bill to be considered in the House before the cutoff. Continue reading at The Bellingham Herald. (Shauna Sowersby)

WA adults serving extra prison time for juvenile offenses may see sentences reduced
At 18, Brandin Thomas was charged in the 2004 killing of Hassan Farah, a teacher and father of three who was driving a cab in south Seattle at the time he was shot. Thomas was 20 when he was sentenced to 35 years in prison after pleading guilty to first-degree murder and attempted robbery. He’s 38 now. A bill in the state Legislature, House Bill 2065, is aimed at sending people like Brandin Thomas home. It will apply the 2023 ban on juvenile points retroactively. This means people who are in prison serving sentences lengthened by juvenile points will be able to get resentenced without the points factored in. Continue reading at WA State Standard. (Bryin Thomas)

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Aberdeen Daily World
Hoquiam city council approves $879,000 amendment regarding North Shore Levee

Axios
Jeff Bezos sells over $4 billion in Amazon shares in past week

Bellingham Herald
Washington state House lawmakers vote to regulate rent increases (Alvarado, Stonier, Peterson, Cleveland)
City of Bellingham moves against owner of land that is site of homeless encampment

Columbian
What $15 tolls could mean for Washington drivers, state’s budget
Washington state drinking water, hydropower at risk as Pacific Northwest snowpack shrinks
Vancouver City Council wants to expand Affordable Housing Fund into county but details need ironing out
‘These are predatory fees. There’s no question about that’: ‘Junk fees’ burden renters in Clark County

Everett Herald
2024 February special election results for Snohomish County
Youth sports tournaments rake in Snohomish County tourism grants

Puget Sound Business Journal
Alaska Airlines flight attendants take step toward strike

Seattle Times
WA House votes to limit rent hikes; tough Senate road awaits (Macri)
Editorial: Add fentanyl to child endangerment law (Saldana, Goodman)
Rep. Jamila Taylor: People with disabilities are part of the WA housing crisis, too

Tri-City Herald
WA judicial commission sets hearing for Tri-Cities judge on harassment, abuse claims
Victims advocacy group says Washington AG is investigating clergy abuse by Catholic bishops

WA State Standard
WA adults serving extra prison time for juvenile offenses may see sentences reduced (Stearns)
Plan to cap how much landlords can raise rent moves ahead in Washington Legislature (Alvarado, Street, Nobles)

Wenatchee World
More than 1,,000 sign petition to save Columbia Elementary
Chelan County contracts help to track short-term rental complaints
Eastmont settles discrimination lawsuit with family of disabled student

Broadcast

KING 5 TV (NBC)
Traffic camera expansion bill passes out of House
Washington’s snowpack on track to decrease by nearly half by 2080s
Public safety goals outlined by new Seattle City Council Public Safety Committee
Washington veterinarians push for more state funding to address workforce shortage
After years of pleas, clean air agency orders King County to test landfill air for arsenic

KIRO 7 TV (CBS)
Alaska Airlines flight attendant says she has colleagues ‘going without food right now’

KNKX
Another WA agency sues private prison company running ICE facility (Ortiz-Self)

KOMO 4 TV (ABC)
Should high-potency cannabis products be regulated differently in Washington state?
Flight attendants protest outside Sea-Tac airport for fair pay, better working conditions
Seattle’s newest affordable housing development to open Wednesday along Aurora Avenue
Advocacy group claims Catholic Bishops were subpoenaed to produce abuse-related evidence

KUOW Public Radio
How a Northwest tribe is escaping a rising ocean
Tacoma approaches affordable housing from a new angle: anti-displacement

KXLY (ABC)
Bill protecting referees in Washington passes House, moves onto Senate
Wildlife agencies investigating thousands of dead fish found in Spokane River at Long Lake Dam

FOX13 TV
Cap and trade debate in Olympia
Pot shop smash-and-grabs: Legislators float solutions, but others say they don’t go far enough

Web

Cascadia Daily News
Kulshan Community Land Trust nabs $2.25M grant for affordable home project

Crosscut
PFAS in Washington’s well water could make you sick
WA bill would add explicit ‘deepfakes’ to child pornography laws (Mullet, Orwall)

Tuesday, February 13

WA House passes fentanyl education bill
Public schools in Washington may soon be required to teach about the dangers of the deadly drug fentanyl, as a bill that passed out of the House unanimously on Friday heads to the Senate. House Bill 1956 would require schools to provide education about fentanyl and other opioids in health classes to as many seventh and ninth grade students as possible during the remainder of the 2024-25 school year after materials are updated, and annually to seventh and ninth graders every year thereafter. The bill will be heard in the Senate on Thursday. If it passes and is signed by Gov. Jay Inslee, it would go into effect immediately and materials would need to be updated for use by Dec. 1. Continue reading at The Seattle Times. (Ken Lambert)

Washington House approves unemployment benefits for striking workers
Workers who are on strike or locked out of their workplace by their employer due to a labor dispute would gain access to unemployment insurance benefits under a bill the Washington state House approved in the early morning hours Tuesday, after working through the night. The bill passed on a 53-44 vote. Five Democrats voted with Republicans against it. Democrats voting “no” included Reps. Mike Chapman, Debra Entenman, Larry Springer, My-Linh Thai and Amy Walen. Continue reading at WA State Standard. (Anna Liz Nichols)

Open carry guns at zoos and bus stops in Washington state? That could soon be banned
The Washington State Senate approved legislation Friday that creates new limits on the state’s open carry laws for guns, aiming to add to the list of public settings where openly carrying firearms is prohibited. The goal is to help families and children feel safe “without fear of intimidation by folks who may be parading around with their weapons, openly carrying,” bill sponsor Sen. Javier Valdez (D-Seattle) said. Senate Bill 5444 would make it illegal to openly carry a firearm at zoos, aquariums, bus stops, and public libraries. The bill doesn’t address carrying concealed weapons in Washington, which requires a license. Continue reading at KUOW. (Megan Farmer)