AGRICULTURE & WATER
- Despite industry pushback, WA farmworkers will keep overtime pay (Crosscut)
- Disaster designation sought for Washington’s sweet cherry growers (The Center Square)
BUSINESS, ECONOMY & LABOR
- Economy is heading toward a ‘soft landing.’ What that means for WA (The Seattle Times)
- OPINION: Proposed bill puts power in the hands of ticket resellers, not fans (Jordan Bromley, member of the board of directors of the Music Artists Coalition, and Willie “Prophet” Stiggers, activist and music executive/The Seattle Times)
CAP-AND-TRADE PROGRAM
COMMUNITY & FAMILY ISSUES
- Wash. sees major rise in calls about Ozempic, Wegovy overdoses (MyNorthwest)
- COLUMN: Public rejects hate after desecration of Jackie Robinson statue (Claudia Rowe/The Seattle Times)
COURTS (FEDERAL)
- Court ruling allows Seattle to resume anti-graffiti enforcement (The Center Square)
- Judge rejects arguments against 24,000-acre Washington forest project (Capital Press)
COURTS (STATE)
- Kitsap County prosecutor reviews case involving superintendent allegedly stealing campaign signs (KIRO TV)
- Everett tenant’s murder conviction tossed over jury selection bias (The Everett Herald)
CRIME & PUBLIC SAFETY
- Faceoff in Olympia over felon rights versus victim rights (The Center Square)
- State Patrol seeks to charge 6 in Gaza war protest that shut I-5 in Seattle (The Seattle Times)
- Washington State Patrol to recommend charges for protesters who blocked I-5 for hours (KOMO TV)
- Car thefts tripled in January in Tri-Cities. Owners made some too easy to steal (Tri-City Herald)
DAMS
DRUG CRISIS
EDUCATION
- Superintendent, senator hopeful Washington paraprofessionals will get raises this year (KING TV)
- Senate approves ‘Walking Start to Running Start’ bill (The Wenatchee World)
- New data reveals record growth in cognitive and reading skills among Washington kindergarteners (KXLY TV)
- Seattle students can expect lessons on privilege, gender and activism (The Center Square)
- Marysville teachers, parents rally against superintendent, school board (MyNorthwest)
- Tenino High School teacher named Washington State VFW Teacher of the Year (The Chronicle)
- EDITORIAL: Mine should focus on gravel-yard permits, not threats to school (The Seattle Times)
ELECTIONS
- Student mock election kit now available for all Washington classrooms (KNDO/KNDU)
- Local Chelan, Douglas auditors oppose ranked choice voting bill (KPQ Radio)
ENERGY & UTILITIES
- Out of gas: Inslee’s oil transparency bill stalls in Legislature (Washington State Standard)
- Bill to ban natural gas unfair to Eastern Washington says 7th Dist. Rep. (KPQ Radio)
- Fees reinstated for installing solar panels, electric vehicle charging stations in Spokane (The Spokesman-Review)
ENVIRONMENT
- 10 cents per bottle: Recycling companies have mixed views on proposal (The Everett Herald)
- Energy company is back in court for endangering fish on the Puyallup River (KNKX Radio)
- OPINION: Our state can do better than Democrats’ costly cap-and-trade (Sen. John Braun/The Chronicle)
FISH
HANFORD
HEALTH CARE & HOSPITALS
- State lawmakers won’t require insurers to cover tests cancer survivors say are crucial (Washington State Standard)
- Need a COVID-19 test? Want to know if you have the flu? State offers new way to get free tests (The Olympian)
HIGHER EDUCATION
- Washington ranks high on state-by-state analysis of need-based higher education assistance (The Bellingham Herald)
- Local college campuses being evacuated after threat. Law enforcement investigating (The News Tribune)
- EDITORIAL: Year of free college a boost to students, state (The Everett Herald)
HOMELESSNESS
- Vancouver’s third Safe Stay ‘right exactly what we expected — calm and quiet and stable’ (The Columbian)
- 2024 homeless survey finds increase in unsheltered people in Chelan, Douglas counties (The Wenatchee World)
HOUSING
- With tweaks, rent limit proposal forges ahead in WA House (The Seattle Times)
- WA lawmakers want on-time payments to count in renters’ credit scores (The Seattle Times)
- Rent restrictions get a remodel (The Center Square)
- Seattle-area housing market picked up a bit in January (The Seattle Times)
LAND USE & PROPERTY RIGHTS
LAW ENFORCEMENT
- Senate votes to rename highway for slain State Patrol trooper Justin R. Schaffer (The Chronicle)
- WA House bill would make it illegal for police to lie during interrogations (The Seattle Times)
- Policing is the family business for interim Spokane chief Justin Lundgren (The Spokesman-Review)
LEGISLATURE
- With Idaho and Washington quickly moving through their legislative sessions, here are some of the bills to watch (The Inlander)
- Napavine High School student Nolan Gaskill serves as page for Sen. John Braun (The Chronicle)
- EDITORIAL: Understanding pledge will benefit democracy (The Columbian)
LOCAL GOVERNMENT
MILITARY & VETERANS
- How a lack of veterans mental health services contributed to 2 police shootings in 18 months (The Wenatchee World)
- NUWC Keyport exploring, developing AI technologies to help Navy operations (Kitsap Sun)
OTHER STATES
- 5 things to know as Oregon’s legislative session begins (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
- Oregon Legislature opens with laser focus on housing, behavioral health (The Oregonian)
- Oregon Legislature gets to work on homelessness, addiction and other issues (Oregon Capital Chronicle/Washington State Standard)
PARKS
SPORTS
TAXES
TRANSPORTATION
- State traffic cameras, other tech could be used to fight graffiti in House bill (MyNorthwest)
- Washington traffic fatalities continued to rise in 2023. Are we just driving differently? (Tri-City Herald)
- Bill altering traffic safety camera use includes 75% discount for some violators (MyNorthwest)
- Lewis County to receive electric vehicle charging stations as part of $85 million in grant funding (The Chronicle)
- COLUMN: Washington will permanently install freeway speed cameras (Jason Rantz/MyNorthwest)
TRIBAL ISSUES
WILDFIRE PREVENTION & RESPONSE
WOLVES
