Capitol Buzz: Ferguson signs $9 billion in new taxes to fund state budget; Gov. Bob Ferguson signs $9 billion in new taxes, admitting concerns over the impact

Ferguson signs $9 billion in new taxes to fund state budget

The Seattle Times — Republicans lawmakers quickly slammed Ferguson for signing the largest tax increase in state history. Despite Ferguson’s earlier insistence he’d come in as a reformer looking to take a more frugal approach to spending, state House Minority Leader Drew Stokesbary, R-Auburn, said in the end the governor had a “negligible” impact on the final budget deal driven by legislative Democrats. “It was a whole lot of sound and fury, signifying nothing,” Stokesbary said in an interview. He said the new budget goes “in a very bad direction” and would bring higher costs for businesses and ordinary Washingtonians. $

Gov. Bob Ferguson signs $9 billion in new taxes, admitting concerns over the impact

KOMO TV — House and Senate Republicans have long argued the shortfall was prompted by overinflated revenue estimates and new spending on programs. Ferguson had delivered a measured tone on it all through the budget cycle, even earning praise from Republicans for threatening to veto a wealth tax … But on Tuesday, those same Republicans blasted Ferguson. ”These new taxes and fees will crush families already battling an affordability crisis and hit employers still trying to recover,” said House Republican Budget Leader Rep. Travis Couture of Allyn in a statement.

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

• OPINION: AI regulatory moratorium provides time to get the standard right (Taylor Barkley, Director of Public Policy at Abundance Institute, and Sebastian Griffin, lead researcher for the Junkermier Center for Technology and Innovation at Mountain States Policy Center/The Center Square)

BUSINESS, ECONOMY & LABOR

• Gov. Bob Ferguson signs bill giving unemployment to striking WA workers (FOX 13)
• Farm groups warn against tariffs on China-built containers, cranes (Capital Press) $

CAP-AND-TRADE PROGRAM

• A promise fulfilled (Columbia Basin Herald) $

CONGRESS

• House GOP grinding ahead with Trump’s big tax cuts bill, but new report says it will add to deficit (AP)
• Senate to vote to overturn California gas car ban, overriding parliamentarian (The Center Square)

CORONAVIRUS

• WA vaccine scientists push back against FDA changes around COVID shots (The Seattle Times) $

COURTS (FEDERAL)

• Washington state medical groups sue over deleted health, science data from websites (The Olympian) $
• Oregon’s voter-approved pot labor law unconstitutional, judge rules (AP)

DRUG CRISIS

• 5 arrested in connection to WA toddler’s fentanyl overdose death (FOX 13)

EDUCATION

• Walla Walla education officials discuss underfunding from state (Walla Walla Union-Bulletin) $
• Tacoma schools cutting more than 100 staff in dealing with $30M budget shortfall (The Center Square)
• EDITORIAL: A long time coming: WA governor to prioritize school funding (The Seattle Times) $

FEDERAL GOVERNMENT & THE WHITE HOUSE

• WA man detained in Venezuela for several months released (The Seattle Times) $
• Baumgartner calls on RFK Jr. to reopen Spokane research lab focused on safety for miners, wildland firefighters (The Spokesman-Review) $

FISH

• Columbia River salmon restoration hit hard by $1.5B cut to Army Corps of Engineers (Columbian Murrow News/The Columbian) $

GOVERNOR’S OFFICE

• Dozens of bills signed into Washington state law Monday and Tuesday. Here’s what they are (KING TV)

GUN RIGHTS

• Washingtonians will need state permit to buy guns under new law (Washington State Standard)
• Watch: Permit-to-purchase gun bill signed into law by Gov. Ferguson (The Center Square)
• Gun permit bill signed into law by Gov. Ferguson (MyNorthwest)
• Spokane gun owners say new state gun law adds ‘redundant processes’ (KREM TV)

HIGHER EDUCATION

• WSU students to train on newest tech, thanks to Hanford contractor big donation (Tri-City Herald) $
• Washington State University shock physics researchers to continue overseeing national lab facility to tune of $32.5 million (The Spokesman-Review) $
• WSU Team Health building funding cut, future uncertain (KHQ TV)
• Student workers at Western Washington University prepare to hit the picket lines (KGMI Radio/My Bellingham Now)
• Wenatchee Valley College cutting programs due to Washington’s budget shortfall (KPQ Radio)

HOMELESSNESS

• ‘We stay on top of it.’ New Pierce County homeless shelter hub showing success (The News Tribune) $
• Madison Family Shelter reopens after hiatus (The Everett Herald) $

HOUSING

• New laws aim to boost housing across Washington state (Axios – Seattle)
• Median price of Seattle homes reaches all-time high (MyNorthwest)
• Seattle renters need to earn nearly $100K to afford rent, per study (MyNorthwest)

HUMAN TRAFFICKING

• Eastern WA nonprofit buys $1M office to focus on mission to end sex trafficking (Tri-City Herald) $

IMMIGRATION

• ICE arrests at WA immigration court spark fear of fast-track removal (The Seattle Times) $
• ICE raid leads to 16 workers arrested in Kent (MyNorthwest)

LAW ENFORCEMENT

• Pierce County police pursuit turned deadly. Should deputies, WA be held liable? (The News Tribune) $
• Pierce County sheriff’s union tells deputies to look for other jobs if they want fair pay (KOMO TV)

OPERATING BUDGET

• Ferguson signs budget boosting Washington state spending and taxes (Washington State Standard)
• ‘Largest tax increase in state history’: Gov signs WA’s $78B operating budget into law (The Center Square)
• Gov. Bob Ferguson signs into law a state operating budget with more taxes (The Olympian) $
• Governor Ferguson signs Washington’s contentious $77.9B operating budget (KIRO TV)
• Gov. Ferguson signs new state budget following ‘challenging’ session (KING TV)
• Gov. Ferguson signs WA state budget with billions in tax increases into law (FOX 13)
• WA Governor Bob Ferguson goes back on initial promises, signs tax increases into law (KVI Radio)

OTHER STATES

• Bill to fight wage theft moves in Oregon Legislature (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
• Oregon bill would speed up process to rename locations with offensive titles (Oregon Capital Chronicle/The Columbian) $
• Lawmakers may revise Oregon forestland estate tax exemption (Capital Press) $

PARENTAL RIGHTS

• WA governor signs parental ‘bill of rights’ rewrite (Washington State Standard)
• Washington governor signs controversial student rights bill into law (KOMO TV)
• Watch: Ferguson signs contentious parents’ bill of rights rewrite into law (The Center Square)

SCHOOL SAFETY

• School district to investigate reports of sexual harassment among middle school students (KIRO TV)

TECHNOLOGY

• Washington pays the most for internet In the whole country (KPQ Radio)

TRANSPORTATION

• They’re not tickets. What to know about WA’s new speeding ‘courtesy notices’ (The Bellingham Herald) $
• Washington State Ferries adding vessels to several routes over summer (FOX 13)
• Paine Field announces steps toward commercial terminal expansion (KING TV)
• OPINION: New WA law will help ferry system, but there’s still work to do (Eric Winge, Washington state representative for the Marine Engineers Beneficial Association/The Seattle Times) $
• COLUMN: Sound Transit light rail’s impossible time horizons (Danny Westneat/The Seattle Times) $

WILDFIRE PREVENTION & RESPONSE

• Wildfire risks in western WA could put King County’s disaster budget up in smoke (The Center Square)
• Lawsuit filed in Missoula over toxic metals found in aerial fire retardant (Daily Montanan/The Spokesman-Review) $

WILDLIFE

• ‘Don’t feed wildlife.’ Why WA made it illegal to feed specific animals (The Bellingham Herald)