Housing bills to watch as the Washington State legislative session enters its final weeks; WA’s latest budget outlook shows $845M decline in projected revenue through 2029

Housing bills to watch as the Washington legislative session enters its final weeks

Washington State Standard — Lot splitting. Republicans hope not to feel deja vu over this one. In 2023 and 2024, Rep. Andrew Barkis’ proposal requiring cities to allow landowners to split their lots to make room for more homes cleared the state House with little opposition. But each time it failed to get to the Senate floor. The House passed this year’s version, House Bill 1096, with ease. “It’s a bill that makes good sense, allows for more density, allows for lower cost, entry-level homes,” Braun said. The measure is set Friday for a key vote out of the Senate Housing Committee.

WA’s latest budget outlook shows $845M decline in projected revenue through 2029

The Center Square — According to a budget leader for Senate Republicans, the state needs to limit spending and avoid new taxes. “Even with today’s forecast, the state expects to have $4.5 billion more over the next two years, so the sky is not falling,” said Sen. Chris Gildon, R-Puyallup, in a news release. “Still, our chief economist repeatedly cautioned us to expect slow revenue growth. Legislative budget writers should take heed and show restraint going forward, especially with the uncertainty about actions at the federal level that could affect our situation.” He went on to say, “The smart approach is to avoid new and higher taxes, limit new spending to core priorities like K-12 and public safety, preserve social services, and protect the rainy-day fund. Our $ave Washington budget does all of that.”

ABORTION

• Washington House moves to shield abortion, pregnancy loss from legal scrutiny (MyNorthwest)

CENSUS

• COLUMN: Median earnings for Seattle full-time workers pass $100,000 (Gene Balk/The Seattle Times) $

CHILD CARE

• Snohomish County Council approves child care ordinance (The Everett Herald) $

CONGRESS

• Rep. Adam Smith: ‘The extreme left is leading us into a ditch’ as Democratic Party approval hits record low (MyNorthwest)
• Yakima rally urges Rep. Newhouse to halt Medicaid cuts (KNDO/KNDU)
• Crowd demands answers from U.S. Rep. Baumgartner at Ritzville town hall event (The Center Square)

CORRECTIONS & JAILS

• Watch: Bills aim to address Green Hill overcrowding with different approaches (The Center Square)

CRIME & PUBLIC SAFETY

• Violent attacks on Tesla dealerships spike as Musk takes prominent role in Trump White House (AP)
• Seattle’s Little Saigon, beset by crime, looks for a way forward (The Seattle Times) $
• COLUMN: Seattle City Attorney says Stay Out of Drug Area/Prostitution zones difficult to enforce (Jason Rantz/MyNorthwest)

DRUG CRISIS

• Woman charged after her 3-year-old son overdosed on fentanyl, police say (The Spokesman-Review) $
• The Spokane region is expanding opioid treatment and facilities (The Inlander)
• Olympia teen’s overdose death sparks warning over social media drug deals (KING TV)

EDUCATION

• Washington educators rally for school funding amid $13B deficit (KING TV)
• Vancouver teachers ‘walk-in’: ‘With public education under attack, we show up and we fight back’ (The Columbian) $
• Father of student with disability sues Eastmont for negligence and discrimination (The Wenatchee World) $
• Walla Walla schools pledge to teach CTUIR history, culture (Walla Walla Union-Bulletin) $

ENERGY & UTILITIES

• Washington may allow coal power, if no one knows (Capital Press) $

ENVIRONMENT

• Local schools, businesses get cut of $55 million to meet clean building performance standards (KNDO/KNDU)

FEDERAL GOVERNMENT & THE WHITE HOUSE

• Trump to sign executive order aimed at eliminating Education Department (AP)
• Patty Murray: Trump won’t gut the Education Department ‘on my watch’ (The Seattle Times) $

GUN RIGHTS

• WSP plans for major workload increase if permit-to-purchase gun bill passes (The Center Square)
• EDITORIAL: Well-intentioned but costly gun bill could backfire (The Seattle Times) $
• EDITORIAL: Adopt permit-to-purchase gun law to cut deaths (The Everett Herald) $

HOMELESSNESS

• EDITORIAL: Coordinated efforts to combat homelessness show positive progress (Walla Walla Union-Bulletin) $

HOUSING

• Cutting a break for condos (The Washington Observer) $
• What’s happening with Seattle’s housing density plan? (Cascade PBS)
• Olympia council to consider more protections for renters and some homeowners. How they might help (The Olympian) $
• OPINION: Lawmakers must pass rent increase caps, improve legal support for tenants to slow the eviction crisis (Terri Anderson, executive director of Tenants Union of Washington State/The Spokesman-Review)

IMMIGRATION

• Immigration proceedings would become eligible use for sick leave under Washington bill (Washington State Standard)
• Man arrested by ICE alleges Spokane County broke state law (KING TV)
• Nearly 3 million immigrants got amnesty under Reagan. Some of them still work on Washington’s farms (KUOW Radio)

LAW ENFORCEMENT

• Pierce County tables $7.4M building purchase for Sheriff’s Office. Here’s what we know (The News Tribune) $
• ‘I am here to stay’: Patti Jackson sworn in as Tacoma’s new interim police chief (KOMO TV)

LEGISLATURE

• Modified bill making clergy mandatory reporters of child abuse moves toward House floor vote (MyNorthwest)
• Spokane dispatch funding bill passes house, heads to Senate (The Spokesman-Review) $
• COLUMN: Democrat bill could protect child sex seekers from net nanny stings (Jason Rantz/MyNorthwest)

LOCAL GOVERNMENT

• Former health director pushes back on firing as Whatcom County searches for replacement (KGMI Radio/My Bellingham Now)
• Edmonds mayor responds to PDC over complaint about public funds (The Everett Herald) $

MENTAL HEALTH

• Seattle expands its dual dispatch program into south, southwest neighborhoods (The Center Square)

MILITARY & VETERANS

• Spokane County Veterans Services claims more than doubled to $20 million last year (The Spokesman-Review) $

OPEN GOVERNMENT

• OPINION: Sunshine Week or ‘secrecy creep’ — corruption flourishes without journalism (Ellen Hiatt, Washington Newspaper Publishers Association executive director/The Chronicle)

OPERATING BUDGET

• Republican budget leader says drop in revenue forecast confirms need to limit spending, avoid new taxes (Clark County Today)

OTHER STATES

• Oregon budget writers offer up a spending framework — and a lot of uncertainty (Oregon Public Broadcasting) $
• Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek wants to turn state-owned land into more housing units (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
• Oregon lawmakers propose wildfire funding solutions bill (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
• Oregon bill aims to give drivers more control over data collected by their cars (The Oregonian) $

PARKS

• OPINION: The staff is the heart of our national parks. Don’t decimate it (Jonathan Jarvis, 18th director of the National Park Service, 2009-2017, and Keith Dunbar, was the chief of park planning and environmental compliance for the Pacific West Region of the National Park Service/The Seattle Times) $

SCHOOL SAFETY

• Former Olympia teacher avoids prison after being charged with molesting student (KIRO TV)
• Hudson’s Bay administrators failed to spot red flags in handing of sexual allegations against Vancouver teacher, says report (The Columbian) $
• Group files complaint over reported antisemitism in Lake Washington School District (KOMO TV)

SPORTS

• How Sonics’ return is impacted by sale of Celtics (The Seattle Times) $

STATE GOVERNMENT

• Ferguson aide resigns after complaints against him of toxic work environment, mistreatment of women (The News Tribune) $
• WA governor loses another team member as chief of staff resigns (NW News Network)
• Tough times for Bob Ferguson as top aide resigns over hostile workplace allegations (Washington State Standard)
• Facilities for those with developmental disabilities could close in Washington (KING TV)
• WA lawmakers consider raising carbon standards for fuel (FOX 13)
• Attitudes mixed about proposed fixes to WA’s Clean Fuel Standard (The Center Square)

TAXES

• Washington state Senate committee hears support, opposition for local news bill (The Chronicle)
• Corporate cash flows into anti-tax-increase PAC (The Washington Observer) $

TRANSPORTATION

• These states have the worst performing highways. Where does Washington rank? (Kitsap Sun) $
• Fake toll bill texts are on the rise, WSDOT warns (Axios – Seattle)

WILDFIRE PREVENTION & RESPONSE

• Trump backs higher pay for wildland firefighters while DOGE cuts staff (AP)

WILDLIFE

• Washington nearing decision on chronic wasting disease rules (The Spokesman-Review) $
• Researchers use light traps to illuminate Dungeness crab decline (KING TV)

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