Washington’s operating budget could reach $87 billion by the 2027-2029 biennium; Aerial drones helpful in removing graffiti along WA highways, agency says

Washington’s operating budget could reach $87 billion by the 2027-2029 biennium

The Center Square — In October it was revealed that the state operating budget faced a potential $5 billion shortfall for the 2025-2027 biennium. While that figure has changed slightly, the shortfall amount for the four-year outlook has altered drastically in recent weeks, though the number depends on who you ask and when you ask them. Initially, the state Office of Financial Management estimated the budget shortfall between 2025-2029 could be between $10-12 billion. However, an official from Governor Jay Inslee’s Office remarked at a meeting last week that the estimate was now around $14 billion.

Aerial drones helpful in removing graffiti along WA highways, agency says

Washington State Standard — Using aerial drones to spray paint over graffiti along state highways is “very effective,” according to a new report from Washington’s Department of Transportation. Over the last six months, the agency has tested graffiti removal methods through a pilot program set up by the Legislature last year. Lawmakers set aside $1 million for the department to focus on new ways to erase spray paint from road signs, walls and bridges. The agency spends thousands of hours and hundreds of thousands of dollars each year on graffiti removal.

AGRICULTURE

• Rising costs strain NCW growers despite successful apple, cherry seasons (The Wenatchee World) $

BUSINESS, ECONOMY & LABOR

• Amazon faces multiple strikes as union targets holiday shopping rush (KUOW Radio)
• Starbucks workers plan strikes that could spread to hundreds of US stores by Christmas Eve (AP)
• More Boeing layoffs impact Washington workers (Northwest Public Broadcasting)
• EDITORIAL: What does it really mean to be ‘pro-business’? (The Columbian) $

CONGRESS

• House rejects Trump-backed plan on government shutdown, leaving next steps uncertain (AP)

CORRECTIONS & JAILS

• Chehalis juvenile rehabilitation facility takes steps to prevent contraband, new drug (KIRO TV)
• Police: Social worker unknowingly brought Suboxone into Everett jail (The Everett Herald) $

COURTS (STATE)

• Appeals court overturns murder conviction (Peninsula Daily News) $

CRIME & PUBLIC SAFETY

• Seattle Metro bus murder suspect arrested last year for stabbing, killing roommate (FOX 13)
• Who was Shawn Yim? Friends, riders and community leaders remember slain bus driver (KING TV)
• Graffiti: Vandalism or crimes of art? Seattle mayor, ‘graffiti influencer’ have similar solutions (KIRO TV)
• WA leaders announce 17 charged for $100K worth of graffiti vandalism (FOX 13)

DAMS

• Snake River dam supporters cry foul as feds plan update to study that rejected breaching (Tri-City Herald) $
• ‘Unlawful’ or ‘a critical next step’? Feds to update Columbia River dams’ environmental guidelines (Columbian Murrow News/The Columbian) $

EDUCATION

• Schools in Spokane and across the state testing their water for lead (KXLY TV)
• 43 Richland paraeducators reassigned to new jobs this week. Others quit or retired (Tri-City Herald) $

ELECTIONS

• Reward increases to $30,000 in Vancouver, Portland ballot box arson cases (The Columbian) $

ENERGY & UTILITIES

• Federal energy regulators to assess environmental risks of funding Northwest Hydrogen Hub (Oregon Capital Chronicle/The Columbian) $
• A nuclear fuel company promising $4.5B project and 1,000 jobs is wooing an Eastern WA city (The Daily News) $
• Regulators to assess environmental risks of Northwest Hydrogen Hub (Oregon Capital Chronicle/Washington State Standard)

FEDERAL GOVERNMENT & THE WHITE HOUSE

• Military, federally employed in WA state brace for impact as shutdown deadline looms (KOMO TV)
• White House starts scrapping pending regulations, including student debt cancellation (AP)

FISH

• Columbia River Basin officials miss goal on salmon return but see progress (KNKX Radio)
• WA fish ladder hit by copper thieves, disrupting ecosystem and economy (FOX 13)

HOMELESSNESS

• Frustrations emerge at pace of building unified approach to homelessness in Pierce County (The News Tribune) $

HOUSING

• ‘Whole new ballgame.’ Habitat for Humanity project could add 250 new Tri-City homes (Tri-City Herald) $

IMMIGRATION

• Prefiled bill aims to revive immigration enforcement discussions (Northwest Public Broadcasting)
• COLUMN: Mayor Harrell may ’embrace’ some Trump immigration policies, support deporting criminals (Jason Rantz/MyNorthwest)

INVASIVE SPECIES

• Washington declares victory over fearsome hornets (Capital Press) $

LAW ENFORCEMENT

• Top members of Tacoma police force to get 7% raises next year, after council approval (The News Tribune) $
• 2023 state investigation uncovered misuse of public assets by Soap Lake Police Chief Ryan Cox (Source One News)

LEGISLATURE

• Bipartisan effort reducing BAC limit to .05% could face opposition from both sides (The Center Square)

LOCAL GOVERNMENT

• Spokane County Treasurer saves taxpayers over $47M in 2024, $170M over six years (The Center Square)
• Spokane Valley councilmember Al Merkel censured after violating Social Media Policy and Public Records Act (KHQ TV)
• Group submits paperwork to recall Yakima County Coroner Jim Curtice (Yakima Herald-Republic) $
• EDITORIAL: More bad news for King County violence-prevention programs (The Seattle Times) $

MENTAL HEALTH

• King County deploys new mobile crisis teams to assist with mental health emergencies (KIRO TV)

OPEN GOVERNMENT

• WA lawmakers fight to keep public records hidden — on your dime (Cascade PBS)

OPERATING BUDGET

• Governor’s novel tax plan gets reax from freshman lawmaker (KOZI Radio)

OTHER STATES

• Idaho legislators preview 2025 session (The Lewiston Tribune) $

SCHOOL SAFETY

• Bellingham police arrests middle school student for making shooting threats online (KGMI Radio/My Bellingham Now)
• School bus collision near Brush Prairie sends 3 students to hospital (The Columbian) $
• Eastern WA company admits selling juice from moldy, putrid concentrate for school lunches (Tri-City Herald) $

SPORTS

• Nonprofit relaunches campaign demanding NCAA protect women’s sports (The Center Square)

STATE GOVERNMENT

• Inslee says it’s been ‘an astounding 12 years’ as Washington governor (Washington State Standard)
• Gov. Jay Inslee reflects on 12-year legacy. ‘Being governor is the greatest job’ in U.S. (The Olympian) $
• WA’s new attorney general sees room to work with Trump (Bloomberg/The Seattle Times) $

TAXES

• Bezos saves $1 billion in taxes after moving out of WA (MyNorthwest)
• BLOG: Jay Inslee’s farewell tour: Tax-and-spend hits its grand finale (Shift)

TRANSPORTATION

• Leaders call for better transit safety after King County bus driver stabbing death (The Center Square)
• Landslide in Canada forces suspension of Amtrak trains between Seattle and Vancouver (The Bellingham Herald) $

WATER

• Proposed $9M water reservoir aims to bolster Chelan’s infrastructure, fire safety (The Wenatchee World) $

WILDLIFE

• Two cougars on Olympic Peninsula die from bird flu (KONP Radio)
• Wildlife officials report four new chronic wasting disease cases in Washington deer (KLEW TV)

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