New budget will pose challenge for taxpayers; ‘I’m pretty upset’: Washington lawmaker wants to override governor’s veto of his bill

EDITORIAL: New budget will pose challenge for taxpayers

The Columbian — While there are differing opinions about the state budget signed last week by Gov. Bob Ferguson, one thing seems clear: It will be costly for Washington families. The Democratic-controlled Legislature approved a two-year operating budget of $78 billion that includes approximately $9 billion in tax increases over the next four years. Lawmakers also passed roughly $7 billion in program cuts by 2029 but added a 6-cent increase to the gas tax to pay for transportation projects. $

‘I’m pretty upset’: Washington lawmaker wants to override governor’s veto of his bill

Washington State Standard — State lawmakers delivered 423 bills to Gov. Bob Ferguson this year and he signed them all. Except one. Its sponsor hopes the Washington Legislature will override the veto the next time it is in session. It shocked me,” said Rep. Mark Klicker, R-Walla Walla. “People were excited about this and the governor turned around and vetoed it.”

BUSINESS, ECONOMY & LABOR

• US consumer confidence rebounds after five straight months of declines amid tariff anxiety (AP)
• Seattle’s shrinking job market could be a ‘harbinger of something quite serious’ (Puget Sound Business Journal) $
• When WA economy needs it most, Commerce makes big cuts (KONA Radio)
• Del Monte to close Yakima fruit processing plant and two warehouses (Yakima Herald-Republic) $
• OPINION: The 2025 Washington Legislative Session – Small business, taxation, and business regulation (Mark Harmsworth/Washington Policy Center/Clark County Today)

COMMUNITY & FAMILY ISSUES

• FBI deputy director announces investigation into religious violence at Capitol Hill rally (KOMO TV)
• OPINION: How killings at D.C. Jewish Museum affect Jews in WA (Emily Alhadeff: is the editor of The Cholent, a Jewish news publication on Substack/The Spokesman-Review) $

COURTS (STATE)

• Court denies request to halt logging activity in Elwha Watershed (Peninsula Daily News) $

DAMS

• Energy secretary ‘passionately in support’ of lower Snake River dams (Capital Press) $

EARLY LEARNING

• Federal and state cuts threaten Washington early learning programs (Cascade PBS)
• Regulatory relief on the way for childcare centers in Washington (The Center Square)

EDUCATION

• Facing $13M shortfall, Camas School District to lay off 50 employees (The Columbian) $
• State assigns committee to help Prescott School District’s budget woes (Walla Walla Union-Bulletin) $
• Spokane’s own astronaut Anne McClain answers kids’ burning questions aboard the ISS in live video chat with 1,300 students, ‘You can do anything from Spokane’ (The Spokesman-Review) $

EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS & SERVICES

• FEMA extends work for Westport tsunami tower after feds halted funding (The Chronicle)

ENERGY & UTILITIES

• After reaching historic lows, hydropower generation in the Northwest expected to rise in 2025 (Washington State Standard)

FISH

• WDFW sets statewide free fishing day in June (KONP Radio)

GUN RIGHTS

• William Kirk warns new gun law relegates second amendment to a government-issued privilege (KVI Radio)

HANFORD

• 23 years later. Eastern WA plant set to treat WWII, Cold War radioactive waste (Tri-City Herald) $

HEALTH CARE & HOSPITALS

• PeaceHealth nurses vote to ratify new contract (KGMI Radio/My Bellingham Now)

HIGHER EDUCATION

• CWU approves tuition cut for graduate business programs (Daily Record) $

HOMELESSNESS

• One of WA’s strictest homeless camping bans can stand, court says (The Seattle Times) $

HOUSING

• Spokane County already seeing impacts of WA rent control bill (KHQ TV)
• PeaceHealth report highlights critical needs in Clark County region (The Columbian) $
• Olympia officials consider limiting the information landlords can use to screen tenants (The Olympian) $

IMMIGRATION

• WA gives $2M towards group’s effort to buy Tacoma motel for refugee housing (The News Tribune) $

LAW ENFORCEMENT

• Seattle protest clash clouds police department’s recruitment gains (The Center Square)

LEGISLATURE

• Washington governor signs ‘Right to Repair Act’ to make tools for electronics repairs more accessible (KREM TV)

LOCAL GOVERNMENT

• Anti-LGBTQ group, counterprotesters descend on Seattle City Hall over response to Cal Anderson rally (KUOW Radio)
• Eight arrested as protesters clash again, this time near City Hall, following Cal Anderson rally that turned violent (MyNorthwest)

LONG-TERM CARE

• Private insurance now part of long term care program WA Cares (KHQ TV)

OTHER STATES

• Oregon Legislature passes bill to protect sexual assault survivors who speak out (The Oregonian) $
• Oregon lawmakers vote to expand the state’s plastic bag ban (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
• Gov. Tina Kotek announces new council to grow Oregon’s behavioral health workforce – chaired by her wife (The Oregonian) $
• Idaho pauses executions into 2026 as prison system preps for firing squad (Idaho Statesman/The Spokesman-Review) $
• EDITORIAL: School funding should pay for students’ needs, not striking employees (The Oregonian) $

SCHOOL SAFETY

• Teens say they were targeted by drive-by shooting near community center, school in central Vancouver (The Columbian) $

SPORTS

• Lumen Field getting upgrades ahead of 2026 World Cup (Axios – Seattle)

TAXES

• COLUMN: Governor went back on cuts-first, taxes-last promise (Todd Welch/Everett Herald)

TRANSPORTATION

• State budget shortfall delays $13 million bridge replacement project in Colfax (The Spokesman-Review) $
• Yakima airport plans $10 million upgrade to modernize facilities (KNDO/KNDU)
• WA drivers can soon buy new license plates with Smokey Bear, pickleball (The Spokesman-Review) $
• OPINION: MAX costs and reduced service at TriMet (Rep. John Ley/Clark County Today)

TRIBAL ISSUES

• Native American programs protected from Trump’s anti-DEI order, agencies say (Axios – Seattle)
• Wave of disenrollments by WA’s Squaxin Island Tribe roils community (The Seattle Times) $

WEATHER & CLIMATE

• EDITORIAL: WA needs federal aid to recover from bomb cyclone (The Seattle Times) $

WILDFIRE PREVENTION & RESPONSE

• Level One ‘stay alert’ wildfire advisory issued for area north of Leavenworth (KOZI Radio)
• Washington State DNR battles Second Creek Fire as it expands to 153 acres near Leavenworth (KOMO TV)

WILDLIFE

• Yakima County threatens lawsuit over Biden’s grizzly bear recovery plan (The Center Square)

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