Almost 90% of CCA-funded projects in Washington don’t reduce carbon emissions; WA Democrats push bold gender-affirming care amendment as opposition rises over minors’ rights

Almost 90% of CCA-funded projects in Washington don’t reduce carbon emissions

The Center Square — Todd Myers, vice president for research at the Washington Policy Center, wrote in an email to The Center Square that it’s “crazy” most spending doesn’t concern carbon emissions. “The whole justification for the tax is to spend money on projects that reduce CO2 emissions,” he wrote. “Their own report indicates that isn’t happening. Just an incredible amount of waste.”

WA Democrats push bold gender-affirming care amendment as opposition rises over minors’ rights

MyNorthwest — A resolution for a constitutional amendment introduced Tuesday is reigniting an intense debate over personal medical decisions — particularly those of minors. Senate Joint Resolution 8204, if passed, would enshrine the right to gender-affirming care in the state’s constitution, explicitly stating that “nor shall the state deny or interfere with an individual’s gender-affirming care decisions.” That single line has become the most controversial aspect of the resolution, as it does not specify any age restrictions.

HOUSE & SENATE REPUBLICAN MEDIA AVAILABILITY

• House Republican Deputy Leader Chris Corry: House Democrats are putting the needs of criminals before the needs of victims | March 4, 2025

AGRICULTURE

• Local farmer reacts to new tariffs (KEPR TV)
• OPINION: Is Sen. Saldaña more worried about ‘climate resiliency’ than helping struggling farmworkers? (Dillon Honcoop, communications director of Save Family Farming/The Center Square)

BUSINESS, ECONOMY & LABOR

• WA lawmakers consider extending unemployment to striking workers (Columbia Basin Herald) $
• Canadians, Washingtonians respond to President Trump’s tariffs (FOX 13)
• Why are eggs so expensive in Washington right now? (Cascade PBS)
• OPINION: Tariffs are taxes (Congressman Michael Baumgartner and Edmund O. Schweitzer III, founder and chairman of the board of Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories/The Spokesman-Review) $

COMMUNITY & FAMILY ISSUES

• Washington bill would require diaper changing stations in more restrooms (Washington State Standard)

CONGRESS

• Northwest lawmakers react to Trump’s address to Congress (The Spokesman-Review) $
• As tariffs kick in, Washington congressmember warns of impacts (KUOW Radio)
• Elissa Slotkin assails Trump’s early actions, offers Democrats a way to fight back (AP)
• Rep. Al Green shouts down Trump and may face censure by the House for the outburst (AP)

COURTS (FEDERAL)

• Supreme Court strikes down EPA rules on discharge of water pollution (The Washington Post/The Seattle Times) $
• Judge orders longer-term nationwide block on Trump orders on transgender youth health care (AP)

CRIME & PUBLIC SAFETY

• EDITORIAL: Lawmakers’ inertia on youth gun possession is indefensible (The Seattle Times) $

DRUG CRISIS

• Spokane County invests nearly $1 million in regional addiction treatment services (The Spokesman-Review) $

EDUCATION

• La Center School District superintendent responds to OSPI ruling on gender pronoun policy complaint (Clark County Today)

ELECTIONS

• WA lawmaker wants federal review of state’s voter registration practices (The Seattle Times) $
• Missing Whitman County ballots remain a mystery (The Lewiston Tribune) $

EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS & SERVICES

• WA is seeing a string of earthquakes. Here’s how experts say you should stay prepared (The News Tribune) $

FEDERAL GOVERNMENT & THE WHITE HOUSE

• Trump boasts ‘America’s momentum is back’ in address to Congress as Dems protest, boycott (States Newsroom/Washington State Standard)
• Trump administration releases list of federal properties it could close. Here are the Washington locations (KING TV)
• President issues orders to expand U.S. timber production, curb imports (Capital Press) $
• EDITORIAL: Be ready to defend position on damaging cuts (The Columbian) $

HEALTH CARE & HOSPITALS

• Proposed Medicaid cuts threaten rural healthcare in Washington, experts warn (The Wenatchee World) $
• Why menopause care is still a challenge in Washington state (Axios – Seattle)
• Spokane Regional Health District could be affected by federal and state budget cuts (The Spokesman-Review) $
• OPINION: Ideas meant to help Washington patients will put independent docs out of business (Dr. Steven R. Kaptik/The News Tribune) $

HIGHER EDUCATION

• Vice president leaving CWU after 3 years (Daily Record) $

HOMELESSNESS

• Bill would allow people to sue Washington cities and counties over public camping bans (The News Tribune) $
• Community forum addresses homelessness crisis in Yakima County (Yakima Herald-Republic) $

HOUSING

• Report: Home construction costs in Washington state climbing due to red tape (The Center Square)
• Builders say tariffs will drive Seattle-area home costs higher (KUOW Radio)
• Over half of Seattle-area home listings had HOA fees last year (Axios – Seattle)
• UW study reveals 955 racist housing restrictions in Island County (Whidbey News-Times) $

IMMIGRATION

• Seattle judge to decide future of refugee aid after Trump’s ‘refugee ban’ (KING TV)
• Emergency hearing held in Seattle regarding Trump’s refugee ban (MyNorthwest)

INSURANCE

• State Senate passes legislation to study credit score and other impacts on insurance coverage (KAPP/KVEW)

LAW ENFORCEMENT

• Spokane delivers on promise to provide neighborhood officers with new tax revenue (The Center Square)
• After a 2-year hiatus, Spokane’s neighborhood resources officers are back. It’s about a ‘sense of connection’ with police (The Spokesman-Review) $
• Pierce County considers $7.4M building purchase for Sheriff’s Office. Here’s why (The News Tribune) $
• Thurston County suspended without pay for falsifying time sheet (KIRO TV)

LEGISLATURE

• WA Senate Democrats want reproductive, gender-affirming care in state constitution (The Seattle Times) $
• Washington lawmakers have been trying to ‘ditch the switch’ for years. It’s not working (KING TV)
• EDITORIAL: Hold clergy to duty to report child abuse (The Everett Herald) $

LOCAL GOVERNMENT

• Exclusive: Seattle mayor weighs in on lawsuit against president’s sanctuary cities order (KING TV)
• Battle Ground City Council passes resolution opposing light rail in I-5 Bridge replacement project (Clark County Today)

MILITARY & VETERANS

• Hegseth’s plans to reshape the military start with cuts (The New York Times/The Seattle Times) $

OPERATING BUDGET

• Washington’s budget has a multi-billion dollar gap. A new website analyzes how it happened (KVI Radio)

OTHER STATES

• Oregon drivers buy millions of tires every year. A controversial bill could create a tax on each one (The Oregonian) $
• Oregon bills seek to revive permits to buy gun, ammunition limits of stalled Measure 114 (The Oregonian) $
• Bill on wildfire prevention work could give utilities immunity from lawsuits (The Oregonian) $
• Big income tax cut clears Idaho Legislature on way to governor’s desk. Will he sign it? (Idaho Statesman/The Columbian) $

PARKS

• Washington may raise Discover Pass price to $45 (Washington State Standard)

POLITICS

STATE

• Protesters rally against Trump at Washington state Capitol (Washington State Standard)

SPORTS

• Tumwater School District bans trans athletes from girls’ teams (KIRO TV)
• Feds investigate Washington girls basketball game involving trans athlete at Shelton High School (KVI Radio)

STATE GOVERNMENT

• OPINION: How I’m setting WA forests on a better management path (Dave Upthegrove, Washington State Commissioner of Public Lands/The Seattle Times) $

TRANSPORTATION

• Gas prices increase in Bellingham and Whatcom County as WA has 3rd highest costs in the US (The Bellingham Herald) $
• Long road ahead: Traffic fatalities up in Seattle despite Vision Zero program (The Center Square)
• Paine Field adds new budget carrier, Frontier Airlines (The Everett Herald) $

TRIBAL ISSUES

• Bureau of Indian Affairs lease in Toppenish on DOGE cancellation list (Yakima Herald-Republic) $
• Tribal researchers look to fuse traditional knowledge with climate science for Palouse restoration (Spokane Public Radio)
• Nisqually Tribe awarded nearly $900K in grants for community forest climate project (The Chronicle)

WATER

• Farmers fear future amid decade-long talks over Whatcom county water (KING TV)

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