Gov. Jay Inslee is calling for another $50 million in state spending to fight the flow of illegal opioids into Washington and to provide services for people with substance use disorder. The governor included the funding in the budget proposal he will ask state lawmakers to consider in the upcoming legislative session, which begins in…
Providing striking workers with unemployment checks. Protecting unspent gift card balances for consumers. Keeping the old name for a new state building. These are among the matters Washington lawmakers are teeing up for debate in the 2024 session. Legislators on Monday could begin pre-filing bills for introduction on the session’s first day, Jan. 8. To…
A toll-rate proposal for the Interstate 405/State Route 167 corridor for early 2024 will be selected during the Washington State Transportation Commission’s Dec. 12-13 meeting in Olympia. Commissioners will also hear about efforts to reduce traffic fatalities and increase safety on our roadways, as well as receive a briefing on efforts to increase transportation equity…
Gov. Jay Inslee and Democratic legislators see linking Washington’s cap-and-trade program with carbon markets in California and Quebec as a critical next step for the signature climate policy and are pushing ahead to make it happen. But a ballot measure to repeal the Climate Commitment Act may slow their pursuit – unless they are willing…
Carol Colin didn’t ever think she would be a caregiver for her 68-year-old brother with disabilities and her 100-year old mother. But almost three years ago, her mother, who was diagnosed with macular degeneration two decades earlier, could no longer see well enough to pay bills or to drive. “I need help,” her mom told…
The Washington State Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) has announced a 4.9% increase in the average workers’ compensation premium rate for 2024. The increase, which takes effect Jan. 1, 2024, means employers and workers will jointly pay — on average — an additional $65 a year in workers’ compensation insurance premiums for each full-time employee….
Rising costs of transportation projects. Using artificial intelligence in Washington classrooms. Preserving affordable housing. Spending proceeds from the state’s new capital gains tax and recent cap-and-trade auctions. Those are a few topics state lawmakers will delve into when they return to Olympia for committee days, an annual fete in which they get schooled on issues…
Join community members for a fireside chat with elected leaders over breakfast to discuss Economic Alliance Snohomish County’s 2024 Legislative Agenda. The event will be from 9-11 a.m. Thursday, Dec. 7 at the Angel of the Winds Arena, Edward D. Hansen Conference Center, 2000 Hewitt Ave., Everett. Moderated by EASC President and CEO Garry Clark,…
Young people and veterans are eligible to participate in the Washington Climate Corps, a program aimed at putting people to work statewide to help their neighborhoods and communities manage the effects of climate change. Last spring, Gov. Jay Inslee successfully requested legislation to create the Serve Washington Climate Corps Network. The Legislature budgeted $7.5 million…
The Washington State Department of Commerce will wrap up its annual Global Entrepreneurship Month activities on Nov. 30 with an online Entrepreneur Expo. According to a news release, the free virtual Zoom session will cover a wide range of topics for current and prospective startups and small business owners, including artificial intelligence, funding opportunities and…
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State attorneys general in Oregon, Washington and California and two Oregon-based environmental groups are asking federal energy regulators to reconsider their approval of a natural gas pipeline project that would increase the flow of gas through the Northwest. Federal regulators voted unanimously Oct. 19 to allow Calgary-based TC Energy to expand the capacity of its…
FairVote Washington will be holding its Snohomish County chapter meeting from 10-11 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 2. The meeting will be held over Zoom. According to Fair Vote Washington, with ranked-choice voting, you rank candidates in order of preference. You’d rank the candidate you want most first, rank your second choice second, and so on. When…
Washington drivers could one day be carrying Smokey Bear’s image and message on their license plates to help reduce the number of wildfires started by people. An effort launched Monday would create a specialty license plate featuring the iconic bear and its hallmark slogan: “Only you can prevent wildfires.” Proceeds from sales of the plates…
Washington’s controversial carbon pricing scheme drew fire and praise Tuesday as critics turned in signatures for an initiative to repeal the program, while its architects, including the governor, vowed to fight the measure should it reach the ballot. Shortly before 1 p.m., opponents, led by a hedge fund manager and the leader of the state…
The Washington State Department of Commerce has awarded nearly $3 million for 54 cities across 16 Washington counties — including $50,000 to Mountlake Terrace — to support the adoption of local Comprehensive Plan policies and zoning codes to allow more middle housing in residential neighborhoods. In a news release announcing the awards, the commerce department…
It’s never too early to start planning free visits to Washington’s state parks and recreation lands. The parks department has announced Discover Pass free days for 2024. And there’s one free day left this year – Friday, Nov. 24. A Discover Pass is required for parking at Washington State Parks and recreation lands managed by…
In Washington and across the U.S., the number of people in need of long-term care is on the rise as the population ages. Seven out of 10 Americans will need this type of care – which can span weeks or years depending on the situation – at some point in their lifetimes, according to AARP….
Washington’s new capital gains tax brought in $890 million in its first year, state officials said Wednesday. Those proceeds, garnered from the state’s wealthiest residents, will be funneled into early learning and child care programs, and to school districts in need of dollars for construction and renovation projects. “The new funds could not come at…
A state-managed program two lawmakers say has failed to help hundreds of families become homeowners as promised is about to get more scrutiny. State Auditor Pat McCarthy said Thursday she ordered a performance audit of the Washington State Housing Finance Commission’s oversight of a program that is designed to enable eligible low-income renters to own…
A draft plan outlining investment recommendations for preserving, maintaining, improving and operating state highways for the next 20 years is now available for public review and comment. Comments on the draft Highway System Plan will be accepted through Monday, Dec. 18. According to a Washington State Department of Transportation news release, the department last published…
If the weather cooperates, the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) said it will reset Airport Road and the off-ramp from westbound State Route 526 to Airport Road to their normal traffic configurations Sunday night, Nov. 5. The transportation department said it has wrapped up seismic strengthening of the SR 526 overpass at Airport Road,…
Washington’s campaign to aggressively curb climate-damaging air pollution entered a new phase last week with a decision to pursue linking the state’s carbon market with ones in California and Québec. Washington Director of Ecology Laura Watson made the expected announcement, calling it “the best path” to addressing the “moral imperative of protecting Washington and the…
The natural world can inspire artists. But it’s also capable of damaging or destroying works of art, particularly in the Pacific Northwest, where threats range from flooding to earthquakes to volcanic eruptions. With this in mind, the Washington State Arts Commission has embarked to better gauge and prepare for the risks that different types of…
Are you 62 or older and a Washington state resident who likes coming to parks in the off-season, when they’re quiet? If so, Washington State Parks are offering discounted passes. Apply for an off-season senior citizen discount pass and reserve free camping and moorage (utility fees still apply for hook-up sites) between Oct. 1 and…
Over 10,000 backlogged sexual assault kits in Washington have been sent for testing, Attorney General Bob Ferguson said. Ferguson’s announcement on Thursday comes eight years after Rep. Tina Orwall, D-Des Moines, first introduced HB 1068, which was later signed into law and began efforts to eliminate the backlog by requiring all law enforcement to…
