House Democrats begin push to repeal Washington’s cap on property tax hikes; Lawmakers propose pay-by-mile charge for Washington drivers

House Democrats begin push to repeal Washington’s cap on property tax hikes

Washington State Standard — Democratic state lawmakers are aiming to erase a voter-approved limit on annual property tax hikes as a way to generate hundreds of millions of dollars for public schools and local governments. The state House Finance Committee held a hearing Tuesday on House Bill 1334 which would repeal a 1% cap on annual growth for property tax collections and give the state and local governments the ability to levy hikes up to 3%.

Lawmakers propose pay-by-mile charge for Washington drivers

FOX 13 — Legislative Republicans criticized the RUC as “regressive” during a media availability Tuesday morning. They believe the system would be difficult to implement, and existing funds could instead be used to fund road maintenance and preservation. Ultimately, they said the proposal has bipartisan opposition. “There’s a number of challenges standing in the way on this proposal,” said Senate Minority Leader John Braun (R-Centralia). “Not the least of which is I don’t believe there’s anywhere close to 50 votes in the house and 25 votes in the senate to pass it.”

HOUSE & SENATE REPUBLICAN MEDIA AVAILABILITY

• Feb. 11, 2025

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

• EDITORIAL: Ethical dilemmas of AI need illumination (The Seattle Times) $

CHILD CARE

• Future investment: Walla Walla grapples with lack of child care (Walla Walla Union-Bulletin) $
• OPINION: Investing in child care would be a win for Washington’s economy and working families (Rep. Joshua Penner/The News Tribune) $

CORRECTIONS & JAILS

• Spokane County facing unfair labor practice complaints following decision to expand agreement with company providing care to detainees (The Spokesman-Review) $
• Walla Walla County settles jail mistreatment claim for $300K (Walla Walla Union-Bulletin) $

COURTS (STATE)

• Seattle Municipal Court says lifted jail restrictions will require more marshals (The Center Square)

CRIME & PUBLIC SAFETY

• Twice-deported illegal immigrant arrested for murder in Auburn (MyNorthwest)

DRUG CRISIS

• Advocates clash over Keeping Families Together Act as child deaths, near deaths rise (KING TV)
• Edmonds police cracking down on ‘drug culture’ at local motel after series of incidents (KING TV)

EDUCATION

• Clark County students’ math and reading skills are below grade level, according to national scorecard (The Columbian) $

ELECTIONS

• EDITORIAL: Election terrorism warrants Legislature’s time (The Columbian) $

ENERGY & UTILITIES

• $156M solar power grant reopened for Washington amid federal funding turmoil (Washington State Standard)

ENVIRONMENT

• Trump signed executive order against paper straws. Does that mean they’ll be banned in WA? (The Olympian) $

FEDERAL GOVERNMENT & THE WHITE HOUSE

• Former federal workers in Washington describe ‘chaos’ at their workplaces after Trump, Musk takeover (KING TV)
• Shipyard employee resource groups end after Trump’s order on DEI programs (Kitsap Sun) $
• Oregon politician nominated to Trump administration will test Republican support for unions (The Oregonian) $

FISH

• Fish passage project in Olympic Peninsula not impacted by federal funding freeze (The Center Square)

GAMBLING

• What happened to plans to build the 1st tribal casino in Tri-Cities? (Tri-City Herald) $

HEALTH CARE & HOSPITALS

• Nonprofit says ‘crazy fad’ of gender reassignment ideology is ‘a fever that is breaking’ (The Center Square)

HIGHER EDUCATION

• Kennewick senator proposes tuition relief for older high school graduates (KNDO/KNDU)
• WSU warns of potential budget cuts, hiring freezes amid funding uncertainty (KHQ TV)
• Western Washington University fined over $18,000 for improperly storing hazardous waste on campus (KGMI Radio/My Bellingham Now)
• Some universities with medical schools are reviewing Trump’s order ending DEI (The Center Square)

HOMELESSNESS

• Downtown Spokane Partnership urges lawmakers to block public camping bill (KHQ TV)

HOUSING

• How much apartment space $2K buys you in the Seattle area (Axios – Seattle)

IMMIGRATION

• A line in the sand: Spokane reaffirms immigration stance amid federal pressure (The Center Square)
• COLUMN: Curley blasts latest Senate bill: ‘God forbid we deport a criminal’ (John Curley/MyNorthwest)
• COLUMN: Seattle media actively helping radical activists disrupt ICE operations (Jason Rantz/MyNorthwest)

INSURANCE

• OPINION: WA Legislature should require insurers to cover fertility treatment (Maranatha Hay, health care communications professional from Seattle/The Seattle Times) $

LAW ENFORCEMENT

• Seattle City Council approves police use of blast balls, pepper spray, tear gas during protests (KUOW Radio)
• WSP trooper collides head-on with DUI suspect going wrong way on Hwy 395 (Tri-City Herald) $
• Yakima police officer who shot and killed man near Greenway trail also involved in 2016 fatal shooting (Yakima Herald-Republic) $

LEGISLATURE

• WA senator insists controversial remarks on parents’ rights taken out of context (The Center Square)
• New bills could make school bond approval easier in Washington state (KING TV)
• Spokane foster parents rally against bill they say puts children in danger (KXLY TV)
• Increased child deaths prompt scrutiny of state’s child welfare (KXLY TV)
• State funding challenges dominate legislative conversations (Peninsula Daily News) $
• Foie gras may be off the menu in Washington under proposed ban (The Center Square)
• BLOG: Must-listen podcasts: Travis Couture on budget battles & Skyler Rude on education reforms (Shift)

LOCAL GOVERNMENT

• Pasco city leaders requesting millions from the state for vital projects (KNDO/KNDU)

OTHER STATES

• How many times have Oregon leaders sued Trump so far? Here’s the run-down (The Oregonian) $
• Oregon sees ‘staggering’ increase in sextortion and solicitation tips concerning kids on social media (The Oregonian) $
• Oregon expects to get $26M for electric vehicle chargers, but it’s not clear if the federal government will keep its promise (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

POLITICS

LOCAL

• Seattle poised to pass ‘excess compensation’ tax for social housing (Cascade PBS)
• Burien’s $21 minimum wage ballot measure gets voter support (The Seattle Times) $

SCHOOL SAFETY

• Loaded handgun found at Olympia High School last week, police say. Here’s what happened (The Olympian) $
• Ocosta teacher accused of child molestation pleads guilty to lesser charge (The Daily World) $
• EDITORIAL: School safety requires transparency and action (Walla Walla Union-Bulletin) $

SPORTS

• Trump admin asks NCAA, high schools to erase records set by transgender athletes (FOX 13)
• Man who shoved youth hockey refs in Seattle charged with 2 counts of assault (KING TV)

TAXES

• WA Democrats back bill to raise revenue. But critics say folks ‘not in the mood’ for more taxes (The News Tribune) $
• House Bill 1334 would raise property tax cap, effectively nullifying 2001 voter initiative (KIRO TV)
• WA Democrats debating ‘tax the rich’ property plan as alternative to cap increase (MyNorthwest)
• OPINION: Washington’s tax system for alcohol needs an update (Andrea McNeely, executive director of the Association of Washington Spirits and Wine Distributors/The Spokesman-Review) $

TRANSPORTATION

• Pay-per-mile? Proposed legislation could replace Washington’s gas tax (KOMO TV)
• WA eyes pay-by-mile system as gas tax revenue declines (MyNorthwest)
• WA lawmaker proposes honor system road usage charge program (The Center Square)
• Legislator proposes pay-per-mile driver tax to buoy declining gas tax revenue (The Spokesman-Review) $
• Washington moves forward with state-funded EV infrastructure after federal pause (The Spokesman-Review) $
• Legislators eye car tech to slow down habitual speeders (Pluribus News)
• Surge in FasTrak Lane tolls text scams prompts FBI alert (KIRO TV)
• Ferry study shows economic impact on Whidbey (Whidbey News-Times) $
• U.S. air traffic controller shortage affects Washington state (Axios – Seattle)

WOLVES

• A new era for gray wolf management? (KPQ Radio)