As Gov. Ferguson prepares suggested budget cuts, taxes remain ‘last resort’; What’s moving along, and what’s not, in the WA Legislature?

As Gov. Ferguson prepares suggested budget cuts, taxes remain ‘last resort’

KING TV — Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson is set to release a list of suggested cuts and delays in state spending to legislators Thursday. “Some are tough choices. I want to be clear about that,” said Ferguson (D-Washington). “Others are what I would consider good government that most Washingtonians would nod their head and say, ‘Yeah, that makes sense.’”Ferguson said he would not detail any of the proposed cuts until Thursday’s press conference.

What’s moving along, and what’s not, in the WA Legislature?

FOX 13 — One Republican proposal to use Climate Commitment Act funds to support transportation projects as revenues dwindle never even got a hearing in the House. “I think in this time that we should be having that talk and consideration, before we talk about new revenue to solve this problem within transportation. But the work continues,” said state Representative Andrew Barkis (R-Olympia) at a media availability Tuesday.

AGRICULTURE

• USDA rolls out $1B plan to fight bird flu after egg prices rise (States Newsroom/Washington State Standard)

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

• Small businesses turn to AI (FOX 13)

CANNABIS

• Cannabis has been Olympia’s big winner over the first two months of this year’s legislative session (The Inlander)

CAPITAL BUDGET

• Completion of Centralia’s United Learning Center delayed amid inflation: future of federal funding unknown (The Chronicle)

CONGRESS

• Fired federal workers in Washington struggling to get unemployment, Sen. Murray says (MyNorthwest)
• Spokane police chief tells Senate committee to invest in more technology to catch fentanyl being smuggled over the border (The Spokesman-Review) $
• Medicaid could be on chopping block after Northwest Republicans help pass House budget measure (The Spokesman-Review) $
• Newhouse backs House GOP budget plan that could lead to cuts for Tri-Cities Medicaid users (Tri-City Herald) $

CORRECTIONS & JAILS

• Successful Washington program reintegrating felons into society faces cuts (KING TV)

COURTS (STATE)

• New bill pushes for transparency in courtrooms, requiring judges to justify bail releases (KOMO TV)

CRIME & PUBLIC SAFETY

• WA program offers free security assessments as smash-and-grab burglaries rise (FOX 13)
• Possible budget cuts could impact public safety in unincorporated King County (The Center Square)
• Yakima police arrest woman after finding dead baby and starved toddler in apartment (Yakima Herald-Republic) $

EDUCATION

• House advances bill allowing higher property taxes for schools (The Washington Observer) $
• Fate of proposed free school meals expansion is in doubt in Washington Legislature (Washington State Standard)
• Washington public schools struggle with student achievement despite increased funding (The Wenatchee World) $
• Successful dropout prevention program in Washington state faces uncertain future (KUOW Radio)
• Parents petition to remove WA substitute principal after past admissions of drug use (FOX 13)
• OPINION: Here’s why we need to invest in WA ninth graders’ success (Henterson Carlisle, Northwest regional director for the Center for High School Success/The Seattle Times) $
• OPINION: It’s time to fully fund education (Dr. Trevor Greene, Yakima School District superintendent, and Frances Guerro, Yakima Education Association president/Yakima Herald-Republic) $
• EDITORIAL: This bill would help most WA school bonds pass. But it comes at a cost (The Seattle Times) $

ELECTIONS

• State Senate passes Kennewick senator’s election security bill unanimously (KHQ TV)
• Tim Eyman feels initiative process is under fire (MyNorthwest)
• EDITORIAL: Reject Senate bill that alters initiative process (The Columbian) $

EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS & SERVICES

• This $9 million foot bridge will help residents evacuate if Mount Rainier erupts (The News Tribune) $

ENERGY & UTILITIES

• Experts, WA reps question rationale for BPA and Hanford layoffs (Cascade PBS)

FEDERAL GOVERNMENT & THE WHITE HOUSE

• IRS to close more than 110 offices with taxpayer assistance centers (The Washington Post/The Seattle Times) $
• ‘You are not alone’: U.S. Forest Service chief’s blunt goodbye message to workers (The Washington Post/The Seattle Times) $

FISH

• Is work on a controversial homeless village causing fish to die near Spanaway Lake? (The News Tribune) $

GUN RIGHTS

• Washington lawmakers debate gun purchase regulations (KHQ TV)

HEALTH CARE & HOSPITALS

• Washington could exempt medical debt from credit reports (Washington State Standard)
• Second wave of seasonal flu hits WA hospitals, fills ERs (The Seattle Times) $
• OPINION: State must boost Medicaid funding for assisted living (Alejandra Perdomo-Menera, executive director of Cherrywood Care Assisted Living in Spokane/The Spokesman-Review) $

HOMELESSNESS

• Yakima County homeless coalition at a crossroads as city considers no-confidence vote (Yakima Herald-Republic) $
• OPINION: Solutions for homelessness and more insanity from Olympia (John McCroskey, former Lewis County sheriff/The Chronicle)

HOUSING

• WA bill putting limits on rent increases advances in state Senate (KIRO TV)
• Goehner’s housing bill to expand middle housing in Washington advances with unanimous Senate support (The Wenatchee World) $
• State helps hundreds of homebuyers cross a racial barrier (Axios – Seattle)
• What is the future of housing in Olympia? City updates to middle housing code will help decide (The Olympian) $

IMMIGRATION

• Immigration officials say everyone living in the US illegally must register. What does that mean? (AP)
• Students help shape immigration response proposal in Evergreen Public Schools (The Columbian) $

INSURANCE

• A high-octane road war with auto insurers (The Washington Observer) $

LAW ENFORCEMENT

• Washington state bill exacting revenge on county sheriffs? (KONA Radio)
• Franklin County sheriff voices concerns over House Bill 1399 (KNDO/KNDU)

LOCAL GOVERNMENT

• King County officials warn budget cuts will compromise community safety (MyNorthwest)
• Vancouver mayor has power to eject disruptive people from council meetings, according to new policy (The Columbian) $

MEDIA

• COLUMN: WA bill to support local news isn’t dead, but it’s a longshot (Brier Dudley/The Seattle Times) $

MENTAL HEALTH

• New plans would provide lawyers for UW mental health patients (The Seattle Times) $
• OPINION: Denied mental health care? HB 1432 could change that (London A. Breedlove, psychologist/The Wenatchee World) $

MILITARY & VETERANS

• Washington veteran family says nationwide VA layoffs have already hurt their quality of care (KING TV)

OPERATING BUDGET

• Gov. Bob Ferguson to discuss budget proposals to address WA’s multibillion-dollar deficit (The News Tribune) $
• GOP: Dems overstating WA’s projected budget shortfall as cover for higher taxes (The Center Square)
• Washington Medicaid funding on the chopping block: Federal cuts could worsen state deficit (MyNorthwest)

OTHER STATES

• Oregon lawmakers have $350 million more for next budget, economist says (Oregon Public Broadcasting) $
• Oregon county’s deflection program offers incentives to encourage drug users to stick with treatment (The Oregonian) $

RURAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

• We don’t want to be forgotten (The Inlander)

SCHOOL SAFETY

• Washington Legislature looks to strengthen school safety with new penalties (KHQ TV)

TAXES

• WA storage unit tax could raise nearly $500M by 2035 — if it holds up in court (The Center Square)
• WA bill could end tax cap for major tech companies amid state budget shortfall (The Center Square)
• OPINION: SB 5292 promises another pay decrease for workers in the state (Elizabeth New (Hovde), Washington Policy Center/Clark County Today)

TRANSPORTATION

• ‘Watered down’ RUC proposal could still clear Washington Legislature (The Center Square)
• New WA Senate bill targets repeat traffic offenders with higher fines (KHQ TV)
• Rep. John Ley introduces bill to hold agencies of the I-5 Interstate Bridge replacement project accountable for spending (Clark County Today)
• Kitsap lawmaker’s bill could clear path for foot ferries like Kitsap’s across Puget Sound (Kitsap Sun) $
• Why some workers on Highway 99 tunnel project are owed back pay (The Seattle Times) $
• OPINION: Southwest Washington must stand together to reject light rail in the Interstate Bridge replacement (Leslie Lewallen/Clark County Today)

WILDLIFE

• WA ranks among best states in US for wildlife conservation, but trails neighboring states (The Bellingham Herald) $

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