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Wednesday, May 24

‘Not tools of self-defense’: Ferguson makes case for Washington’s new semiautomatic rifle ban
Courthouse sparring is ramping up in a case that could eventually decide whether Washington’s newly adopted ban on the sale of semiautomatic rifles is constitutional. Gun rights advocates filed the lawsuit in federal district court in Tacoma on April 25, the same day Gov. Jay Inslee signed the legislation. On Monday, Attorney General Bob Ferguson registered his opposition to the challengers’ request for a preliminary injunction to block the law’s enforcement while the litigation unfolds. “Just like bazookas, machine guns, and grenade launchers, assault weapons are not covered by the Second Amendment because they are not tools of self-defense; rather, they are designed to injure and kill as many people as possible as quickly as possible,” his brief says. “Moreover,” it adds, “Washington’s regulation of assault weapons fits comfortably within the long historical tradition of regulating dangerous and unusual weapons.”
Continue reading at WA State Standard. (Bill Lucia)

Editorial: New WA laws expand voting access and convenience
The state Legislature created new laws to help ensure the integrity of elections and increase access to the ballot. All were enacted at the request of Secretary of State Steve Hobbs. One measure allows for online voter registration with the last four digits of a Social Security number instead of a driver’s license or state ID number. Another makes voter registration automatic for people who have proved their citizenship while applying for an enhanced driver’s license or enhanced state ID card. Still another bill prohibits political campaigns from using false images, videos or audio without a disclosure that the material has been manipulated. All of these changes are reasonable and welcome, and come at a time when trust in our voting system has been challenged. These new measures help safeguard voting just in time for this year’s elections and beyond. Continue reading at Seattle Times. (Ted S. Warren)

Editorial: State’s mental health care office holds promise
In Washington, an Office of Behavioral Health Advocacy was launched in October as a result of House Bill 1086, which the Legislature unanimously passed in 2021. Sponsor Tarra Simmons, D-Bremerton, said at the time that the idea was to “identify systemic issues that are going on in our behavioral health system.” The new office is part of a continuing strategy to rethink mental health services in Washington. The 2023-25 budget passed last month by the Legislature includes $957 million in behavioral health investments, including efforts to improve crisis response, prevent crises from occurring and increase the mental health workforce. It also increases funding for the 988 crisis line that was launched last year. Continue reading at Columbian.

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Bellingham Herald
New Whatcom County Jail could cost over $200 million. Here’s where it may go

Columbian
Shahala Middle School students protest schedule changes, budget cuts
Vancouver City Council awards $4.23M to organizations that support affordable housing
Editorial: State’s mental health care office holds promise (Simmons, Dhingra)

Everett Herald
$30M affordable housing project to start construction soon in Edmonds
Comment: What’s the health threat from wildfire season’s smoke

Olympian
Future uncertain for the WA State Sunshine Committee’s oversight of public records (Springer)

Peninsula Daily News
LGBTQ care politicized, area health officer says
State funding for Simdars Road bypass moves up

Seattle Medium
Tacoma Takes Urgent Action Against Youth Violence
Tacoma Police Department Provides Mid-Year Analysis Of Crime Reduction Plan
Some King County Residents May Lose Health Coverage June 1

Seattle Times
Fentanyl has devastated King County’s homeless population, and the toll is getting worse
Snohomish County announces $8 million to boost mental and behavioral health treatment
Tribes ramp up pressure on WA over gas prices as climate laws’ effects take hold (Mullet, Nguyen)
Editorial: New WA laws expand voting access and convenience

Spokesman Review
Spokane police to get new full-body restraints to more safely detain suspects

Tri-City Herald
Safety record, leadership criticized for new $45B Hanford radioactive waste contractor
Opinion: Here’s how you can help a teen suffering with a mental health disorder

Washington Post
Trans kids crave acceptance at school in a nation that often resists it

WA State Standard
‘Ready for its close-up, Washington sees moviemaking rebound
Not tools of self-defense’: Ferguson makes case for Washington’s new semiautomatic rifle ban

Yakima Herald-Republic
More known about boarding school for Native students in what was North Yakima, but specific information is still scarce
Opinion: Higher reimbursement rates should sustain Toppenish hospital

Broadcast

KING 5 TV (NBC)
First affordable high-rise in more than 50 years opens in Seattle
Tacoma City Council approves $3.1 million settlement for wrongful death of Bennie Branch
WSP sergeant reassigned after citing innocent driver in crash involving fellow trooper
‘The Super Bowl for the ferry system’: Washington State Ferries getting ready for summer season

KIRO 7 TV (CBS)
Geologists mapping out Mount St. Helens mudslide to assess damage, needed repairs

KOMO 4 TV (ABC)
Fentanyl crisis disproportionately impacting Native Americans in King County
Seattle police recruitment effort lagging, response to calls for service grows

KUOW Public Radio
Rail workers call for safety improvements in Washington state
Bellevue struggles to open safe parking lot for people living in cars
Seattle introduces legislation to protect gig workers from abrupt termination

KXLY (ABC)
New report details economic, mental health struggles facing women and girls in Spokane County
The State of Women in Spokane County: An inside look at the childcare crisis, impacts on working families

Web

Cascadia Daily News
Is Northwest Washington prepared for a train disaster?
Whatcom flood recovery pushing forward 18 months later
Western breaks ground on new ‘zero energy’ building

Tuesday, May 23

Editorial: Shrink WA foster care safely with investment in social safety net
True change in a government system doesn’t happen often. It’s even rarer when it occurs in just a few years. But that is exactly what’s going on in the under-examined world of foster care. Today, there are about 6,130 children being raised by state-supported caregivers who are not their parents, one of the lowest numbers in 40 years. That is no accident. The drumbeat behind this change has been accelerating, in Washington and nationally, because the adult-life outcomes of foster youth — increased likelihood of incarceration, poverty and homelessness — are generally miserable. And they are visited disproportionately on Black and Indigenous children. So it’s long past time to step back and reassess just who goes into the system and why. A new state law taking effect this summer will likely push the numbers even lower. But its success depends on the availability of a robust, responsive safety net of high-quality services. That’s the rub. Continue reading at Seattle Times. (Donna Grethen)

$121 million awarded to broadband projects across Washington
Nineteen construction projects that will expand access to broadband internet in Washington are set to receive federal funding from the State Broadband Office. The office announced more than $121 million in grants to projects that will help deliver high-speed internet to communities across the state where it’s nonexistent or lacking. Though about 91% of households in Washington have a broadband subscription, the state estimates that about 248,000 households currently do not use broadband services. State law lays out goals that the State Broadband Office must meet to get all Washington businesses and residences access to broadband services with at least 150 megabits per-second download and upload speeds by 2028. For this round of funding, Commerce said demand exceeded what was available by 261%, with 50 different project sponsors requesting more than $316 million. Continue reading at WA State Standard. (Michael Bocchieri)

Washington slates $50M for trees to shade salmon streams
Washington state is putting more money into a low-tech approach to help salmon thrive. State officials are hoping to plant millions of dollars’ worth of trees along rivers and streams to cool the water and protect the fish. Gov. Jay Inslee and Democratic and Republican lawmakers wanted to tackle warming streams this past legislative session as a way to combat some of the effects of global warming. Inslee’s office and the Ecology and Fish and Wildlife departments met with farming groups, business interests, environmental organizations and several tribes to come up with a system to address the problem. Originally, Rep. Mike Chapman, D-Port Angeles and chairman of the House Agriculture & Natural Resources Committee, introduced two similar bills — House Bills 1215 and 1720 — to create two grant programs to provide money for rivershore and creekside tree plantings and other riparian improvements. But the heavy lifting happened during budget negotiations. Continue reading at Gazette Tribune. (Grant Hindsley)

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Axios
U.S. lawmakers OK’d more pro-gun bills than safety measures since Uvalde

Capital Press
Horse Heaven solar, wind project foes seek report before hearings

Columbian
Expect more bridge lifts on Interstate 5
Vancouver Police Department boosts hiring efforts
Vancouver Police Department vacancies impact response to 911 calls
Editorial: Airport siting speaks to infrastructure concerns

The Daily News
Cowlitz County expects drug court to remain stable as district court plans to start its version

Everett Herald
Letter: Expand the SNAP food aid program

Gazette Tribune
Washington slates $50M for trees to shade salmon streams (Chapman, Tharinger)

News Tribune
Professor touted racist theories. Now Tacoma university will remove his name from museum

Olympian
Port of Olympia didn’t have a signed contract to bring large ship here, commissioner says
WA lawmaker rejoins Republican caucus after ‘issues’ with leadership caused her to leave

Peninsula Daily News
Grant would fund childcare

Seattle Medium
Non-Profit Farms Support Food Insecure Communities In Long-Term Ways

Seattle Times
Seattle Amazon workers plan walkout over return to office, layoffs
Proposed pumped-storage energy project on sacred Yakama Nation site gets key permit
Editorial: Shrink WA foster care safely with investment in social safety net
Opinion: Renew regional commitment to preventing homelessness

Vancouver Business Journal
Housing bill signed by Inslee will create more housing (Bateman)

WA State Standard
$121 million awarded to broadband projects across Washington
Western states agree to Colorado River water-sharing agreement
State roads chief: Transportation system is on ‘glidepath to failure’ (Liias)
Disaster aid has arrived, but Western Alaska’s salmon and crab problems continue

Broadcast

KING 5 TV (NBC)
‘Cottage housing’ proposal to be considered by Shoreline City Council
Train derailments in Washington have more than doubled in the last ten years

KIRO 7 TV (CBS)
State tribal leaders address escalating opioid crisis

KUOW Public Radio
Washington is about to dive deeper into the world of psychedelic research

KXLY (ABC)
Spokane sermon goes viral for violent anti–trans message
Gov. Inslee appoints Breean Beggs to Spokane County Superior Court
Liberty Lake Mayor vetoes contentious library ordinance
Is it time to add fluoride to Spokane’s drinking water?

Web

Crosscut
Within the Salish Sea, Samish divers research kelp forests
Mushroom farm to pay $3.4M settlement in WA discrimination case (Orwall, Wilson, C.)

Monday, May 22

Residents with contaminated water near Yakima Training Center still waiting for solutions
In total, more than 80 households in East Selah were informed by the U.S. Army over the last two years that their private water wells were contaminated with dangerous levels of PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances. Commonly referred to as forever chemicals because of their ability to remain in human bodies for decades, PFAS were one of the main components in a firefighting foam used in the nearby Yakima Training Center for decades during firefighting exercises. Continue reading at The Yakima Herald. (Emree Weaver)

Washington state now has the nation’s strongest law against toxic cosmetics
The Washington state Legislature has passed some of the country’s strongest legislation to protect residents from hazardous chemicals in cosmetic products. Starting in 2025, the Toxics-Free Cosmetics Act will ban the manufacture, sale, and distribution of cosmetics containing nine chemicals and chemical classes, including formaldehyde and “forever chemicals.” Continue reading at KNKX. (Getty Images)

Here’s how the new drug possession law in Washington is different than what was on the books
Changes to the state’s drug possession laws, prompted by a state Supreme Court ruling, tied the Legislature in knots during its regular session. Negotiators on a special committee proposed a compromise that failed in the House on the final day of the session and never came up for a vote in the Senate. After a three-week break during which members of both parties in the House and Senate negotiated changes, a special session untied the knot in a matter of hours. Continue reading at The Spokesman-Review. (Jim Camden)

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Aberdeen Daily World
Ocean Shores faces big decisions as tower talks continue
Hoquiam school board votes to close Central Elementary

Axios
Seattle must legalize more quadplexes and sixplexes under new law

Columbian
A dam fine project: Columbia Springs’ replacement to West Briddle Dam key to its mission, fish preservation
Pressure grows on Clark County farmers
Columbia River Gorge goal: Recreation access for all
Editorial: In Our View: Drug law good first step, but there’s more to do (Robinson)

Everett Herald
Nursing homes get short-term 14% funding increase for Medicaid patients
Ferries, fares and facts: Mukilteo-Clinton ferry is virtual meeting topic
Comment: Fact-checking the myths around childhood vaccinations

News Tribune
Tacoma leaders, police see violent crime plan ‘making a difference.’ Here’s what’s next

Olympian
Olympia City Council awards funds to arts venues struggling to recover from pandemic
Inslee continues to sign 2023 legislation into law, but it’s his vetoes drawing anger

Puget Sound Business Journal
Seattle region’s plan to reduce homelessness takes big step forward
Opinion: Balance our tree policies to solve the housing crisis

Seattle Times
Having trouble finding mental health care in WA? A new agency can help
Researchers rush to find cause of contagious cancer in PNW clams
Rep. Berg: Swimming against inequity: All children deserve water-safety education

Skagit Valley Herald
Anacortes derelict pier likely to be removed

Spokesman Review
Idaho will soon ban gender-affirming care. Here are the consequences for trans kids
Spokane Riverkeeper, Rockford grain elevator operator agree to plan to clean up Latah Creek
Here’s how the new drug possession law in Washington is different than what was on the books
Spokane County Prosecutor’s Office won’t retry Black man whose convictions prompted charge of racism by appellate judge
Column: A referral to drug treatment is the first step on a long, complicated journey
Column: Opponents of ‘war on drugs’ didn’t let drug possession crisis go to waste (Jinkins, Hasegawa, Saldaña, Pedersen, Chopp, Ryu, Billig, Hackney)

Walla Walla Union Bulletin
Columbia County prosecutor requests AG opinion about library petition, dissolution

Washington Post
Book removals may have violated student civil rights, Education Dept. says

WA State Standard
A hard-to-build type of housing gets a state funding boost
The price of a ferry ride is going up, again.
Fish and Wildlife to deploy drones in battle against invasive plants

Yakima Herald-Republic
Army Reserve opens new maintenance facility Yakima Training Center
Residents with contaminated water near Yakima Training Center still waiting for solutions
Smaller spring run prompts fishing closure for Yakamas, other tribes on Columbia River
Editorial: State airport reset leaves Yakima up in the air (Fey)

Broadcast

KING 5 TV (NBC)
Residents concerned over the state of Seattle’s streets

KOMO 4 TV (ABC)
As the fentanyl crisis takes hold, how can the addiction be treated?
Snohomish County Executive releases $1.4M spending plan to combat fentanyl
KCRHA sees progress with 5-year homeless plan amid backdrop of issues

KNKX Public Radio
Washington state now has the nation’s strongest law against toxic cosmetics
With growing abortion restrictions, Democrats push for over-the-counter birth control
These are some of the people who’ll be impacted if the U.S. defaults on its debts
Wildfires have burned nearly 1 million acres in western Canada

KUOW Public Radio
Week in Review: drug law, election issues, and A.I.

KXLY (ABC)
Former student sues Cheney School District for failing to report sexual abuse
Camp Hope nearing closure as more move out, program helps transform lives

NW Public Radio
Ostrom Mushroom Farms to pay $3.4 million for discrimination
New Washington wine research focuses on climate change, sustainability

Web

Cascadia Daily News
Annual environmental caucus invites community collaboration
Lummi Nation opposes new British Columbia port terminal

Crosscut
Everett shelter got $3M in COVID relief despite complaints
Washington clergy still not required to report child abuse (Frame, Walen)

MyNorthwest
WA AG, DSHS fined additional $122K in neglect case
More than $220 Million in disaster relief coming to crabbers, salmon fishers
King County sees uptick in highway violence this year
Toxic ‘forever chemicals’ discovered in drinking water all over Washington
Biden to provide federal aid for Seattle to combat homelessness

West Seattle Blog
HELPING: Local cleanups on ‘One Seattle Day of Service’

Friday, May 19

New $800M sustainable aviation fuel plant planned for Washington state
Dutch company SkyNRG has chosen Washington state to locate a major new biogas plant that will produce sustainable aviation fuel — a key part of the airline world’s push to decarbonize flying. A bill sponsored by state Senate Majority Leader Andy Billig, D-Spokane, creates tax credits that will provide subsidies of up to $2 per gallon for SAF, which is 2 to 5 times more expensive than regular jet fuel that currently costs about $2.17 per gallon. A separate bill will accelerate permitting and environmental review for construction of clean energy plants. “This is what we hoped would happen,” Billig said Thursday. “It’s rewarding to see this bill pay dividends for the state so quickly.” Continue reading at Seattle Times. (Ellen M. Banner)

Home care providers win $21 minimum wage, more in new state budget
Home care providers are celebrating big wins from the state legislative session, including a two-year budget that increases the starting wage to $21 per hour for most home care providers. “People feel good about the Legislature taking their concerns seriously,” said Adam Glickman, secretary-treasurer of SEIU 775, a union that represents about 45,000 independent providers. “Caregivers feel like their work is being valued.” The $762 million over two years funds not only a base wage increase of about 10% for independent providers, but also affordable health insurance for caregivers’ children, as well as improvements in paid time off, retirement benefits and mileage reimbursement. Continue reading at Everett Herald.

¿Paga el almuerzo escolar de sus hijos? Es posible que no tenga que hacerlo en 2023-2024
En 2020 el congreso les dio a las escuelas exenciones que les permitieron proporcionar comidas gratis a cada estudiante, independientemente de sus ingresos. Pero en 2022, muchas familias en todo el estado de Washington y en todo el país perdieron acceso a comidas escolares gratuitas y regresaron a un programa basado en las necesidades. Sin embargo, el Representante Marcus Riccelli del 3er Distrito Legislativo, junto con otros representantes, trabajaron para que se aprobara el Proyecto de Ley 1238 la semana pasada. Establece que a partir del año escolar 2023 a 2024, las escuelas están obligadas a proporcionar desayuno y almuerzo gratis a todos los estudiantes. “Queremos estar en un mundo nuevo, … No queremos saber si el estudiante es de bajo ingreso o de alto ingreso. Queremos que cada estudiante que venga la escuela, que tenga hambre y que pida comida, que se lo den… No queremos saber, por qué queremos eliminar el estigma. No necesitamos de hacer diferencia o darles algo más caro o algo diferente. Queremos que todos los estudiantes que lo necesitan cuando lo necesitan tengan acceso.” Dice la Representante Sharlett Mena de 29 Distrito Legislativo. Continue reading at KUNW.

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Axios
Seattle rent skyrockets from early pandemic

Capital Press
Fish and Wildlife: Wolves no longer endangered in Washington
Washington AG gets $3.4 million in suit against mushroom farm
Amid a battle over Snake River dams, a look at how the salmon are doing

Everett Herald
Home care providers win $21 minimum wage, more in new state budget
Police: 7 inmates taken to Everett hospital due to smuggled fentanyl
Comment: Where to start when you need mental health care

News Tribune
Opinion: Despite what the NRA says, the primary cause of gun deaths is, of course, guns

Olympian
Latino voter discrimination claim in Franklin County lands at WA state Supreme Court

Peninsula Daily News
Port Angeles City Council approves pay raise

Publicola
Finally Addressing Blake Decision, Legislature Passes Punitive Drug Possession Bill (Robinson, Hasegawa, Pedersen, Saldana, Alvarado, Chopp, Davis, Macri, Pollet, Ryu, Santos, Street, Simmons, Goodman, Dhingra)

Puget Sound Business Journal
300 units of affordable housing proposed for Tacoma’s Dome District
SBA has charged off billions in PPP loans so far

Seattle Medium
Non-English Speaking Immigrants In Seattle Struggle To Access Services

Seattle Times
New $800M sustainable aviation fuel plant planned for Washington state (Billig)
WA expands role of dental therapists, hoping to improve oral health
Editorial: Now comes hard work of making drug treatment available in WA

Spokesman Review
Canadian wildfires bring unhealthy smoke to Spokane region
Black man’s resisting arrest conviction overturned by Court of Appeals; judge says case is indicative of racism in Spokane County

Washington Post
The short life of Baby Milo

Yakima Herald-Republic
Yakima City Council authorizes $125,000 for second daily Sea-Tac flight
Required recess, more special education funding among changes approved by WA lawmakers

Broadcast

KOMO 4 TV (ABC)
Attorney General embarks on new approach to organized retail theft
How is the fentanyl crisis impacting Washington first responders?
Seattle mayor signs legislation to renew, expand Metropolitan Improvement District
SCOTUS sides with social media, leaves Section 230 intact in big win for big tech

KUOW Public Radio
Will WA’s new drug law help or hurt people struggling with addiction?
Seattle schools approves budget plan, but hard choices remain ahead
How bad was the pandemic on WA students? It depends on where you live, study says

KXLY (ABC)
Spokane takes a different approach to policing: Behavioral Health Unit

Q13 TV (FOX)
King County Public Health response to gun violence includes targeting data-driven hot spots

Univision Seattle
¿Paga el almuerzo escolar de sus hijos? Es posible que no tenga que hacerlo en 2024-2025 (Mena, Riccelli)

Web

Crosscut
Washington labor market still ‘resilient’ amid recession concerns

Thursday, May 18

Editorial: With law passed, make it work to address addiction
If you thought the legislative path was tortured regarding an overhaul of state law regarding drug possession and public drug use, the harder work is only now beginning for local officials, law enforcement, treatment programs, health care facilities, the public and — most importantly — those struggling with addictions, themselves, to make that new approach work. Few pieces of legislation will satisfy everyone, but the passage of SB 5536 in its current form, allows local jurisdictions, state agencies, treatment and health care providers and community members to work closely to assure better access to treatment, a move away from the stigma that discourages treatment and toward outcomes that assure individual health and community safety. Continue reading at Everett Herald. (Karen Ducey)

WA launches dashboard tracking ‘forever chemicals’ in drinking water
With growing public awareness of the prevalence of toxic “forever chemicals” in drinking water and new testing requirements rolling out this year, Washington state communities are faced with little option but to shut down wells, find alternative water sources and seek funding for costly filtration systems. On Wednesday, the Department of Health unveiled a public-facing dashboard sharing data from drinking water wells in the state that have been tested for the presence of these toxic chemicals. Officials hope water system operators and private well owners will use the dashboard to see if PFAS have been detected nearby and make informed decisions about testing their own water source. In January, the DOH began requiring that some public water systems be tested for PFAS before December 2025. There are about 2,400 such systems in Washington, composed of close to 4,000 wells that need to be tested. Continue reading at Seattle Times. (Karen Ducey)

Washington state expands dental therapist program
American Indians and Alaska Natives have the highest oral health disparities in the country. On May 15, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee, a Democrat, signed into law a bill authorizing dental health therapists statewide. The new law expands a program that was available only on tribal lands and to tribal patients in Washington. “All health starts with oral health, and with more dental therapists operating in Washington state, we’re going to see positive health outcomes by taking care of people’s teeth,” said Rep. Marcus Riccelli, D-Spokane, chair of the House Health Care & Wellness Committee. He was the prime sponsor of the bill. Continue reading at Indian Country Today.