Are the new taxes approved by lawmakers a ‘full body slam on blue-collar joy’?; WA State Supreme Court upholds ban on high-capacity ammo magazine sales

Are the new taxes approved by lawmakers a ‘full body slam on blue-collar joy’?

The News Tribune — Couture, the House Republican budget leader, has emphasized that although Democrats broadcast plans to tax the state’s richest residents and large businesses, they also introduced measures that would hit regular residents’ wallets. And, more precisely: the wallets of blue-collar Washingtonians. House Minority Leader Drew Stokesbary deployed a similar line of attack earlier in the session. During a media availability in late March, the Auburn Republican said that Democrats are “nickel-and-diming Washingtonians out of every last joy they can find in life.” $

WA State Supreme Court upholds ban on high-capacity ammo magazine sales

Washington State Standard — The case came to the state Supreme Court after a Cowlitz County Superior Court judge struck down the ban in April 2024. The judge, Gary Bashor, ruled the law violated the Second Amendment and the right to bear arms for self-defense granted in the state constitution. He cited the Bruen decision’s historical tradition test as justification for overturning modern firearm laws. That ruling had been paused until the case was resolved, so the ban had remained in effect. The Washington law still allows people to own high-capacity magazines, but bans importing or selling them.

AGRICULTURE

• Washington apple industry weathers tariff strains; concerns remain over trade war escalation (The Wenatchee World) $

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

• Microsoft’s Brad Smith, other tech execs give Congress AI wish list (The Seattle Times) $

BUSINESS, ECONOMY & LABOR

• Washington has ‘biggest’ retirement portfolio losses since Trump election, research shows (Kitsap Sun) $

CAPITAL BUDGET

• Lewis County hydrogen buses set to fuel up this fall with help from the state (The Chronicle)

COMMUNITY & FAMILY ISSUES

• Cardinal Robert Prevost elected new Pope Leo XIV: Here’s what’s next (FOX 13)
• Seattle archbishop issues statement about new pope (AP/KOMO TV)
• Move over, 206: Seattle’s getting a new area code (Axios – Seattle)

CONGRESS

• Trump tells Congress to raise taxes on the rich in budget bill (The Washington Post/The Seattle Times) $
• House lawmakers propose bipartisan reform to help farmers amid mass deportations (The Center Square)

CORRECTIONS & JAILS

• EDITORIAL: Lawmakers’ failure leaves youth to languish. Prepare for consequences (The Seattle Times) $

COURTS (FEDERAL)

• Former Supreme Court Justice David Souter, a Republican who became a liberal darling, has died (AP)

COURTS (STATE)

• Washington Supreme Court remembers former Justice Susan Owens (Washington State Standard)
• Natural gas supporters argue judge is intentionally delaying fight over I-2066 (The Center Square)
• Judge issues new order after Franklin sheriff seizes 48 guns from jail officers (Tri-City Herald) $

CRIME & PUBLIC SAFETY

• Man hunt for suspect after allegedly shooting an AR-15 at Thurston County deputies (MyNorthwest)

DRUG CRISIS

• Spokane Valley considers tougher penalties for child fentanyl exposure (KXLY TV)

EDUCATION

• Walla Walla School Board mulls new equity policy (Walla Walla Union-Bulletin) $
• Lynden Schools ask for directed investigation into state’s ‘noncompliance with Title IX’ (Lynden Tribune) $

ENERGY & UTILITIES

• Oregon, Washington sue Trump for blowing off wind projects (Capital Press) $

ENVIRONMENT

• Activist climbs tree near Port Angeles to block cut of older WA forest (The Seattle Times) $

FEDERAL GOVERNMENT & THE WHITE HOUSE

• ArtSEA: NEA tells Northwest arts orgs their funding is “terminated” (Cascade PBS)

FISH

• Washington plans to kill brook trout in Pend Oreille County creek (The Spokesman-Review) $

GUN RIGHTS

• WA Supreme Court upholds high-capacity magazine ban (The Center Square)
• WA State Supreme Court upholds ban on high-capacity gun ammo magazines (The Olympian) $
• State supreme court upholds ban on high-capacity gun magazines (The Spokesman-Review) $

HEALTH CARE & HOSPITALS

• Medicaid cuts could affect at-home care in Washington (KNDO/KNDU)

HIGHER EDUCATION

• Trump administration targets UW after destructive protest (FOX 13)
• UW leadership condemns violent pro-Palestinian protest, denounces antisemitism claims (KOMO TV)
• Group demands UW drop charges and suspensions over violent campus protest (KOMO TV)
• Protesters demand UW reverse suspensions of students who occupied engineering building (KUOW Radio)

HOUSING

• Rent limits become law in Washington with signature from Gov. Bob Ferguson (NW News Network)
• Video: WA now has rent control; What happens now? (KIRO TV)
• Gov. Ferguson signs landmark rent control bill (Puget Sound Business Journal) $
• WA bill capping rent increases doesn’t ease tenants’ fears in Clark County (The Columbian) $
• Washington State caps annual rent hikes (Pluribus News)
• Washington housing costs lead to more renovation, ADUs; home listings decrease (The Wenatchee World) $
• Housing-affordability challenges aren’t limited to home purchases (Puget Sound Business Journal) $

IMMIGRATION

• Newhouse part of bipartisan group that reintroduces farmworker immigration reform bill (Yakima Herald-Republic) $
• Spokane man fighting deportation arraigned on assault charge on agent (The Spokesman-Review) $
• His day started with selling a chicken coop. It ended in immigration detention (KUOW Radio)

LAW ENFORCEMENT

• Seattle police chief apologizes for nude beach response at Denny Blaine (The Seattle Times) $
• Suspect killed in officer-involved shooting in Poulsbo after fleeing traffic stop with knife (MyNorthwest)

LEGISLATURE

• New law requiring clergy in WA to report child abuse draws concern, praise (The Center Square)

LOCAL GOVERNMENT

• Shannon Braddock steps in as King County executive, tackles sanctuary city challenges (KOMO TV)
• Ex-Seattle officials say OIG botched Chief Diaz, Jamie Tompkins affair probe (FOX 13)
• Thurston County commissioners honor auditor’s office for national communications award (The Chronicle)

MENTAL HEALTH

• Failing Sarah: How a 12-year-old girl ended her own life as her family fought for months to save it (The Spokesman-Review) $
• WA health department investigating Spokane hospital after girl’s suicide sparked public outcry (Investigate West)

MILITARY & VETERANS

• VA ends taxi service for veterans in Western Washington (The Seattle Times) $

OPERATING BUDGET

• Union urges Ferguson not to sign budget without their pay raises (Washington State Standard)

OTHER STATES

• Check I.D.: States target app stores in battle over age verification (Pluribus News)
• Oregon fails many residents with mental health, addiction challenges. New state audit proposes fixes (The Oregonian) $
• Oregon’s public transit could face cuts as lawmakers debate funding priorities (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
• A bill to curb use of single-use plastic items in Oregon may be headed to the trash (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

SCHOOL SAFETY

• Teen arrested for allegedly pointing gun at other student outside Tacoma high school (The News Tribune) $

SPORTS

• VP Vance cracks deportation joke ahead of World Cup; WA officials not laughing (The Center Square)
• Seattle tourism bounces back as city gears up for World Cup (MyNorthwest)

STATE GOVERNMENT

• WA agency completes its first police shooting investigation (The Seattle Times) $
• New deadly force investigators in Washington release findings of Vancouver police shooting (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

TRANSPORTATION

• New toll system, rules coming to State Route 167 (KING TV)
• WSDOT says Chuckanut Drive closure to extend through June (KGMI Radio/My Bellingham Now)
• WSDOT plans for ‘The Rock’ relocation in 2026 stir emotions (KING TV)
• Black Ball Ferry delays summer schedule citing US-Canada tensions (KNKX Radio)
• Port of Olympia exploring ferry service (KING TV)
• Spokane and Tri-Cities airports receive millions for terminal upgrades (KNDO/KNDU)

TRIBAL ISSUES

• Squaxin Island Tribe disenrolls dozens of members, leaving them without benefits (KING TV)
• EDITORIAL: Families of the missing, murdered need community’s full support (Yakima Herald-Republic) $

WEATHER & CLIMATE

• Eliminating NOAA’s billion-dollar disasters database leaves Americans in the dark (MyNorthwest)

WILDFIRE PREVENTION & RESPONSE

• Forest and park service worker cuts leave wildland firefighting crews short-staffed (AP)
• Legislators say cuts damage nation’s fire crews (The Lewiston Tribune) $
• First of the season 100+ acre wildland fire burns near Oroville (KOZI Radio)

WILDLIFE

• Cougar sighting prompts safety warning in Okanogan (KHQ TV)

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