New business-sponsored poll shows WA voters think raising taxes, state spending is a ‘bad idea’; Reforming juvenile justice: A path to rehabilitation or a public safety gamble?

New business-sponsored poll shows WA voters think raising taxes, state spending is a ‘bad idea’

The News Tribune — Some Democratic leaders have mulled increasing revenue to bridge the state’s budget gap, projected between $10 billion and $12 billion over the next four years. In December, then-Gov. Jay Inslee, for instance, suggested imposing a new wealth tax and increase some business and occupation taxes. However, Inslee’s successor, Gov. Bob Ferguson, has said he is skeptical of a wealth tax and he wants to see cuts to state-agency spending to help solve the budget issue. Voters largely believe that Washington has plenty of coins in its coffers to address pressing matters, according to the poll results released Monday. $

Reforming juvenile justice: A path to rehabilitation or a public safety gamble?

MyNorthwest — Washington’s Senate Bill 5296 is igniting intense debate over the future of the state’s juvenile justice system and rehabilitation. Introduced by several Democratic state senators, the bill aims to rethink how young offenders are handled within the justice system. While some hail it as a much needed reform, others worry it could compromise public safety.

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

• EDITORIAL: Why AI won’t replace dogs anytime soon (Yakima Herald-Republic) $

BUSINESS, ECONOMY & LABOR

• Tesla is the only EV maker that can sell directly to consumers in WA. Lawmakers might change that (Washington State Standard)
• Trump agrees to pause tariffs on Mexico, Canada after they pledge to boost border enforcement (AP)
• Tariff impacts could top $4 billion in Washington state (Axios – Seattle)

CAPITAL BUDGET

• Lewis County preparing for phase two of Southwest Washington Fairgrounds Equestrian Center planning (The Chronicle)

CONGRESS

• Cantwell introduces act to improve wildfire forecasting tools (The Wenatchee World) $

CORRECTIONS & JAILS

• Spokane state senator focuses on juvenile detention overcrowding (Spokane Public Radio)

COURTS (FEDERAL)

• 18 Republicans cite 1600s case law to defend Trump birthright citizenship order (Axios – Seattle)
• Executive order to limit birthright citizenship could have broad impact, WSU professor says (The Spokesman-Review) $

DRUG CRISIS

• Toddler presumed to have overdosed on fentanyl, sheriff’s office says (The Spokesman-Review) $
• Spokane cracks down on ‘predatory’ sale of crack pipes in downtown convenience stores (The Spokesman-Review) $
• Yakima County jail implements new programs to help inmates struggling with substance abuse (KAPP/KVEW)

EDUCATION

• ‘School choice’ bill in Olympia will line up parents vs. teacher’s union (KVI Radio)
• Trump preps order to dismantle Education Dept. as DOGE probes data (The Washington Post/The Seattle Times) $
• COLUMN: Democrats’ bill lets schools withhold sexual assault, other crimes from parents for 48 hours (Jason Rantz/MyNorthwest)

EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS & SERVICES

• City of Seattle refuses to cover former Seattle firefighter’s treatment for cancer caused by job (KIRO TV)

ENERGY & UTILITIES

• District 20 rep leads effort to lower family utility costs (The Reflector)
• Higher electricity rates proposed for 55,000 Tri-Cities area residents and businesses (Tri-City Herald) $
• Senate confirms fossil fuel CEO Chris Wright as energy secretary. He vows to ‘unleash’ US resources (AP/KING TV)

FEDERAL GOVERNMENT & THE WHITE HOUSE

• WA AG Brown: Trump’s federal employee buyout offer ‘misleading’ (FOX 13)
• Trump names Washington’s Joe Kent to lead counterterrorism agency (Washington State Standard)
• EPA tells more than 1,000 they could be fired ‘immediately’ (The New York Times/The Seattle Times) $

HEALTH CARE & HOSPITALS

• Nurses, doctors push back on new bill: Will behavioral health crisis get pass for assaults? (MyNorthwest)
• WA bill expected not to affect Cowlitz County medical freedom resolution (The Daily News) $
• Trump administration orders purge of some online health data. What will that mean in WA? (The Olympian) $
• OPINION: Massive tax increase proposed for single-payer health care in Washington state (Dr. Roger Stark, Mountain States Policy Center/The Center Square)

HIGHER EDUCATION

• University of Washington names its next president (The Seattle Times) $
• University of Washington names Robert J. Jones as new president (Cascade PBS)

HOMELESSNESS

• District 17 rep presents bill to assist governments in addressing homelessness (The Reflector)
• Man arrested in fatal Central District encampment shooting (The Seattle Times) $

HOUSING

• Short-circuiting the rent-fixing bots (The Washington Observer) $
• Permit delays complicate Tacoma’s affordable housing push (Puget Sound Business Journal) $
• How will Trump’s tariffs affect home prices, construction costs in Washington state? (The News Tribune) $
• OPINION: Sensible WA tenancy laws will help housing stability (Caitlyn McKenney, research fellow at Discovery Institute’s Center on Wealth and Poverty in Seattle/The Seattle Times) $

IMMIGRATION

• Feds fly 110 detained migrants to Washington state, advocacy group says (Washington State Standard)
• Tacoma ICE center company sues to block inspection records release (Cascade PBS)
• Yakima area businesses and offices close as part of ‘A Day Without Immigrants’ (Yakima Herald-Republic) $
• ‘A Day Without Immigrants.’ Tri-Cities stores, restaurants close for nationwide protest (Tri-City Herald) $

INSURANCE

• Insurance commissioner aims to boost penalties for bad actors (The Washington Observer) $

LAND USE & PROPERTY RIGHTS

• Should Washington cities cut down on parking spots required at new developments? (KUOW Radio)

LAW ENFORCEMENT

• Fake kids, real charges: Lawmakers push additional oversight for net nanny stings (The Center Square)
• Shawn Boyle named new Yakima police chief (Yakima Herald-Republic) $

LEGISLATURE

• Washington bill would require movie theaters to offer captioning (KHQ TV)
• EDITORIAL: Step up, WA lawmakers, and finally pass bill to make clergy report abuse (The Seattle Times) $

LOCAL GOVERNMENT

• Seattle City Council starts prepping for impact of Trump’s orders (Cascade PBS)
• State Rep. Mike Volz appointed Spokane County Treasurer, replacing Michael Baumgartner (The Spokesman-Review) $
• Yakima County coroner pleads not guilty to multiple charges (KNDO/KNDU)

MEDIA

• KONP Radio celebrates 80 years (KONP Radio)

MENTAL HEALTH

• WA bill seeks cap for sending people to state psychiatric hospitals (The Seattle Times) $

MILITARY & VETERANS

• Defense secretary vows to use thousands of active-duty troops to secure border (The New York Times/The Seattle Times) $

OPERATING BUDGET

• BLOG: Website offers education on one side of the state budget problem (Jim Camden/The Spokesman-Review) $

OTHER STATES

• Oregon judge pauses camping ban enforcement in city at heart of Supreme Court homelessness ruling (AP)

POLITICS

STATE

• Washington GOP sticks with conservative lawmaker as state party leader (Washington State Standard)

SCHOOL SAFETY

• ‘We want to keep schools safe:’ Washington superintendent discusses ICE, budget deficit (MyNorthwest)
• Aftermath of Garfield-West Seattle girls basketball fight? Near silence (The Seattle Times) $

SPORTS

• Lawmakers consider tougher penalties to protect youth sport referees (KING TV)

STATE GOVERNMENT

• Washington state licensing services to shut down for system upgrades (KNDO/KNDU)

TRANSPORTATION

• State sells retired ferry used in San Juan Island runs (Skagit Valley Herald) $
• EDITORIAL: Closely reexamine funding options for light rail (The Columbian) $

TRIBAL ISSUES

• Duwamish Tribe gets another chance at federal recognition (The Seattle Times) $

WATER

• EPA seeks to fine two Clark County businesses over Clean Water Act violations (The Columbian) $
• Vancouver begins work to remove PFAS chemicals from another water system (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

WILDFIRE PREVENTION & RESPONSE

• Budget challenges a hurdle for Dent’s regional firefighting bill (Columbia Basin Herald) $

WILDLIFE

• Research illuminates growing extinction threat for southern resident orcas (The Seattle Times) $
• Washington state expands moose monitoring program to track population and health (KHQ TV)

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