Established as The Skamokawa Eagle in 1891
Established as The Skamokawa Eagle in 1891
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• Major transportation funding goes undone • Funnels billions to public health, childcare As the end of the mostly virtual legislative session drew near April 25, Washington state lawmakers passed a hefty $59 billion budget that will funnel millions into childcare, public health, rental assistance and addressing the economic impact of a yearlong global pandemic. The budget includes a controversial capital gains tax which would collect 7% on the exchange of capital assets such as stocks above $250,000. Democrats plan on using the revenue to fund...
• Major transportation funding goes undone • Funnels billions to public health, childcare By Washington State Journal As the end of the mostly virtual legislative session drew near April 25, Washington state lawmakers passed a hefty $59 billion budget that will funnel millions into childcare, public health, rental assistance and addressing the economic impact of a yearlong global pandemic. The budget includes a controversial capital gains tax which would collect 7% on the exchange of capital assets such as stocks above $250,000. Democrats pla...
Gov. Jay Inslee signed into law an automatic right for tenants to have an attorney, though it came with a catch — Inslee sent back two parts of the bill regarding landlord rental assistance. In a memo after the April 22 bill signing, Inslee said the measure lacked guidance for how landlords could qualify for the rental assistance. “It creates an entitlement for landlords to receive rent assistance without a sufficient framework to prioritize resources to those landlords who have the greatest need,” Inslee wrote in the release. The amend...
A tax credit for working families in Washington passed the Senate in a bipartisan vote April 11, with lawmakers on both sides saying the exemption for low-income earners was a long time coming. “Expanding and fully funding the Working Families Tax Credit will make a difference for hundreds of thousands of Washingtonians who may face an unexpected cost – an auto repair, a sick child, a loss of hours at a job – that can lead to a downward economic spiral,” Sen. David Frockt, D-Seattle, said in a statement. The Working Families Tax Credit would f...
A tax credit for working families in Washington passed the Senate in a bipartisan vote April 11, with lawmakers on both sides saying the exemption for low-income earners was a long time coming. “Expanding and fully funding the Working Families Tax Credit will make a difference for hundreds of thousands of Washingtonians who may face an unexpected cost – an auto repair, a sick child, a loss of hours at a job – that can lead to a downward economic spiral,” Sen. David Frockt, D-Seattle, said in a statement. The Working Families Tax Credit would f...
Washington State Journal A controversial statewide cap on carbon emissions scraped through the Legislature in a 25-24 vote late April 8 after lawmakers passed a Climate Commitment Act that majority Democrats say will boost the state’s economy and address a looming climate problem. “It’s good for our grandchildren’s children,” Sen. Reuven Carlyle, the bill’s sponsor, told the Senate during a six-hour debate on the bill. The program is estimated to cost $27.3 million and will likely bring in $228.5 million for the state to partly fund the Wo...
Universal health care for every state resident who wants it could come to Washington by 2026. A bill under consideration now in the state legislature establishes a healthcare commission to develop a comprehensive plan for a publicly funded health care. For Mary Ann Riddis, guaranteed care and treatment would have helped her family. Riddis’ husband and two of her children all underwent cancer treatment, she told the House Health Care and Wellness Committee last week. Because of obstacles with her work’s insurance provider, Riddis went into deb...
Early childhood care and education in the state would see sweeping reform through the expansion of affordable child health and learning services, if a bill in the state Legislature wins approval. “This is a gamechanger for kids and families across our state,” said Sen. Claire Wilson, D-Federal Way, the bill’s sponsor. Senate Bill 5237 would fund the Fair Start account and immediately allow more families within 60% of the state median income to become eligible on July 1, 2021. The program provides subsidized daycare services to qualified paren...
Funding for health care, education and efforts to curb houselessness are promised in a $59.2 billion state budget proposal from the Washington Senate Democrats unveiled March 25. “This is an ambitious set of priorities that will guide a sustainable recovery. It is a budget that meets the moment,” said Christine Rolfes, D-Brainbridge Island, the chair of the Senate Ways & Means Committee. The Democrat-led 2021-23 budget increases spending from 2019-21 by about 12%, not counting federal relief. The state Economic and Revenue Forecast Council ass...
Ivy Pete remembers attending high school football games in her hometown. But instead of pride for her school, she felt humiliated. Pete, a junior in high school in Spokane and member of the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe, said she experienced constant reminders of how her school used Native images and names. The front office hosts a glass case containing two Indian mannequins dressed in regalia, “akin to animals in a zoo,” she said. That her school would show such misrepresentations of a diverse culture, she said, only added to her frustration. “Wh...
Limits on the use of force by police and investigations of officers who have a pattern of misconduct continue to make their way through the Legislature, with some bills winning broad approval and with some passing only on party line votes. While all agree on the need to review police procedures, some, mainly Republicans, worry the state is going too far in trying to rein in police tactics. Use of force A ban on military-grade equipment and neck restraints by police officers continues to gain momentum in the Legislature after HB 1054 passed the...
Limits on the use of force by police and investigations of officers who have a pattern of misconduct continue to make their way through the Legislature, with some bills winning broad approval and with some passing only on party line votes. While all agree on the need to review police procedures, some, mainly Republicans, worry the state is going too far in trying to rein in police tactics. Use of force A ban on military-grade equipment and neck restraints by police officers continues to gain momentum in the Legislature after HB 1054 passed the...
Though unemployment and consumer uncertainty remain high, the Washington State Economic and Revenue Forecast Council officials told legislators March 3 they felt optimistic a brighter economic future is on its way to Washington. Steve Lerch, the council’s executive director, said he expects tax revenues will exceed November 2020 estimates by $593 million. Lerch said U.S. retail and food service tax revenue went up by 5.3%, and Washington’s earnings trend closely with the national average. Most consumers still have reservations about going out...
As the end of an emergency eviction moratorium looms over thousands of Washington renters, a bill requiring landlords to have just cause for evicting a tenant passed the House of Representatives in a 54-44 vote March 7. “Stopping evictions means preventing homelessness,” Rep. Nicole Macri, D-Seattle, told the House as the bill’s primary sponsor. HB 1236 puts an end to “no-cause evictions,” which some described as yet another way for landlords to practice discrimination against tenants. The bill defines reasons landlords can use to justify t...
A ban on the use of chokeholds, military equipment, and most types of car chases by law enforcement passed the House of Representatives after lawmakers voted along party lines in a 54-43 vote Feb. 27. HB 1054 was the subject of much debate. Some Republican leaders said the bill went too far to strip police of self-defense options, and Democrats said the bill addressed a growing problem with violence and racism in law enforcement. “While Washington State still has work to do to demand equity in our law enforcement, today’s vote is a step for...
Outrage over deaths of citizens in police custody sparked efforts by lawmakers to address racial equity, hiring and training, and the use of force within law enforcement. Now, nearing the halfway point in the 2021 legislative session, the steps toward major reform of police tactics have gained support from both sides, though not without controversy. “I wouldn't argue that we have complete agreement amongst all of them but we're continuing to work to bring people together and to move the bills,” said House Speaker Laurie Jinkins, D-Tacoma, in a...
Homeless shelters would be located in many cities and counties and supplied with mental health, employment and police resources if a bill under consideration in the state Legislature is adopted. Sen. Phil Fortunato, R-Auburn, sponsored SB 5107 to incentivize local governments to provide both emergency housing and social services for vulnerable unhoused populations. The bill would mandate counties and cities with more than 50,000 residents to establish at least one emergency overnight shelter and ensure enough beds for the sheltered and...
A proposed ban on open-carry weapons during public demonstrations sparked a heated debate on whether the bill unreasonably restricts the Second Amendment to secure the protections of the First. The Senate Law & Justice Committee voted Jan. 28 to send Senate Bill 5038 to the House in a 5-4 vote, with Democrat committee members voting together in the majority. Sen. Patty Kuderer, D-Bellevue, said she introduced SB 5038 to limit “intimidation” by counter protesters during a peaceful demonstration. She cited incidents in Kenosha, Wisc., during whi...
Fred Thomas believes if an independent team had investigated his son’s death, the outcome would have been much different. In May 2013, 30-year-old Leonard Thomas was shot by Lakewood police sniper Brian Markert after a four-hour standoff between Thomas and the Pierce County Metro SWAT team. The team responded to a domestic dispute at Thomas’ home in Fife. Thomas was unarmed and holding his 4-year-old son in his arms when Markert shot him. When Fred Thomas and his family pursued legal action, he said they faced an uphill battle. A unanimous fed...
Dozens of business owners — from restaurant owners to bowling alley managers — told state officials that continued COVID-19 restrictions place small businesses at risk of permanent closure, but state healthcare officials said a rush to reopen businesses puts the public at risk during a pandemic that has yet to to be controlled. In all, more than 1,500 Washington residents convened online Jan. 20 to debate a bill before the Legislature that would ease government limits on indoor dining and entertainment. Sponsored by both Democrat and Rep...
A person who unlawfully summons the police on someone could face a civil action lawsuit under a proposed law that is gaining traction in the Legislature. Senate Bill 5135 would allow an individual to pursue civil action against a person who called the police without having evidence of a public safety risk. Senators voted along party lines with Democrats in favor in a 5-4 decision Jan. 21 to give SB 5135 a do-pass recommendation, and it was sent to the House Rules Committee. Democratic Sen. Mona Das, one of the bill’s sponsors, said in a Jan. 2...
Dozens of business owners — from restaurant owners to bowling alley managers — told state officials that continued COVID-19 restrictions place small businesses at risk of permanent closure, but state healthcare officials said a rush to reopen businesses puts the public at risk during a pandemic that has yet to to be controlled. In all, more than 1,500 Washington residents convened online Jan. 20 to debate a bill before the Legislature that would ease government limits on indoor dining and entertainment. Sponsored by both Democrat and Rep...
Formerly incarcerated people would automatically regain their right to vote if a proposed bill in the Washington State Legislature is approved. Rep. Tarra Simmons (D-Bremerton), the first formerly incarcerated person to serve in the Legislature, testified in favor of HB 1078 Jan. 14 and said earning her right to vote helped her engage with and serve her community. “This is really about reentry. It's not about the punishment. The punishment has been taken into consideration during the prosecution,” she said. Simmons was sentenced to 20 mon...
This year's legislature won't just be about numbers and budgets: it will explore social inequities, the proper role of policing and just how much authority the governor is due. Gov. Jay Inslee said his budget proposal specifies funds for marginalized communities, who have been disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. His plans to address these issues include forming independent agencies to investigate police violence, expanding early childhood education and increasing access to healthcare. “You can't just address economic dispariti...
A proposed ban on the use of chokeholds, unleashed K-9 dogs and other use-of-force tactics by law enforcement is just the beginning of an effort by several state lawmakers to address police violence and its impact on marginalized communities. If passed, House Bill 1054 would ban several tactics, including the use of tear gas on civilians, shooting at or pursuing a vehicle, and the use of military-grade equipment by officers. Several community activists testified in a public hearing Tuesday saying these changes would address racism in policing,...
