WA lawmakers debate, pass flurry of bills as legislative cutoff nears; Unemployment benefits for striking workers gain approval from Washington Senate

WA lawmakers debate, pass flurry of bills as legislative cutoff nears

The Seattle Times — Electronic monitoring for sex offenders. House Bill 1457 — Sponsored by Rep. Dan Griffey, R-Allyn, and a mix of Republican and Democratic lawmakers, this legislation would require sexually violent predators who are to be released to less restrictive alternatives to wear an electronic monitoring device with tracking capabilities. The bill passed the House unanimously Monday, and if passed by the Senate and signed by the governor would go into effect July 26. $

Unemployment benefits for striking workers gain approval from Washington Senate

Washington State Standard — Business groups and Republicans are opposed to the Washington bill. They’ve argued that the change would result in higher costs for businesses and is potentially unfair to employers and workers not involved in labor disputes. “We’re putting our businesses at a great disadvantage by passing this bill,” said Sen. Curtis King, R-Yakima. “We truly are. We’re just driving them out of this state. We’re making it impossible for them to operate here and be successful.”

ABORTION

• Are WA Dems trying to adjust the state Constitution to allow ‘abortions up to birth’? (The News Tribune) $

BUSINESS, ECONOMY & LABOR

• Striking workers in WA could get unemployment insurance benefits (The Seattle Times) $
• COLUMN: Black America knew the days of corporate ‘commitment’ to DEI were numbered (Carlton Winfrey/The Seattle Times) $

CONGRESS

• GOP voucher plan would divert billions in taxes to private schools (The Washington Post/The Seattle Times) $
• Baumgartner voices support for Ukrainian refugees as Trump considers revoking their legal status (The Spokesman-Review) $

CORRECTIONS & JAILS

• Gary Ridgway mystery solved: Here’s why the Green River Killer was briefly moved to King County Jail (MyNorthwest)

CRIME & PUBLIC SAFETY

• Bill to monitor sexually violent predators released into less restrictive alternatives passes in the House (The Chronicle)
• 71-year-old pleads guilty to possessing child porn years after release from McNeil Island (KIRO TV)
• OPINION: Going soft on criminals makes it even harder to overcome shortage of officers (Sen. John Braun/The Chronicle)

EDUCATION

• Rude’s financial education bill passes WA house (KWHT/KTEL/KWVN – Elkhorn Media)
• Washington’s top school official on protections for trans students and access to federal funds (KNKX Radio)
• Moses Lake School Board comes out against state bills it says erode parents’ rights (The Center Square)
• OPINION: Charter schools like mine deserve fair funding — it’s time for change (Betzy Espinoza, a ninth-grade Pinnacles Prep Charter school student in Wenatchee/The Wenatchee World) $

EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS & SERVICES

• What Seattle’s recent quake streak means for the “Big One” (Axios – Seattle)

FEDERAL GOVERNMENT & THE WHITE HOUSE

• Trump’s Forest Service firings killed dreams, left big holes to fill in WA (The Seattle Times) $
• EDITORIAL: Trump’s tariffs especially harsh on Washington (The Columbian) $

HEALTH CARE & HOSPITALS

• ‘The proposed cuts would not spare anyone in’ Washington; Clark County health care providers concerned Medicaid cuts (The Columbian) $

HIGHER EDUCATION

• Braun bill that would have turned Evergreen into UW branch campus is dead, official says (The Chronicle)
• CWU community policing task force disbands amid engagement struggles (Daily Record) $

HOUSING

• House passes bill to expand eligibility for program to remedy housing discrimination (The Center Square)

IMMIGRATION

• WA lawmakers advance bill allowing paid sick leave for immigration proceedings (The Center Square)

LAW ENFORCEMENT

• Washington state bill aiming to limit police traffic stops dies in committee (Investigate West/The Reflector)
• One officer hired, 20 more to go: Everett PD faces persistent staffing shortages (The Everett Herald) $
• EDITORIAL: Law enforcement can’t nab drug dealers with their hands tied (Walla Walla Union-Bulletin) $

LEGISLATURE

• Walla Walla lawmaker leads effort to raise littering fines in Washington (KNDO/KNDU)
• Walla Walla Rep. Skyler Rude’s push for financial literacy in schools passes the House (KNDO/KNDU)
• Bills advance on property sales and volunteer firefighter savings plans (The Wenatchee World) $
• Recycling system overhaul bill clears Washington Senate (Washington State Standard)
• WA Dems pass transgender, immigrant protections amid threats over federal funding (The Center Square)
• Washington bill addressing racial disparities in traffic stops dies in committee (Investigate West/The Spokesman-Review) $

LOCAL GOVERNMENT

• Thurston County hires investigator to look into road workers’ claim of toxic leadership (The Olympian) $

MEDIA

• COLUMN: Sammamish students step up to cover newsy suburb (Brier Dudley/The Seattle Times) $

MILITARY & VETERANS

• Layoffs will not affect care, Walla Walla VA official says (Walla Walla Union-Bulletin) $

NATURAL RESOURCES

• OPINION: In support of the slow logging zone in WA forests (Dave Rowan, former logger and Seattle City Light engineer/The Seattle Times) $

OTHER STATES

• Attorneys general seek numbers on firings of veterans, spouses (The Center Square)
• Some Oregon cities see ‘middle housing’ surge, but rollout is uneven (The Oregonian) $

PARKS

• Washington-based U.S. Forest Service rangers reinstated — for now (Cascade PBS)
• Olympic’s Hoh Rain Forest access road closure enters third month (The Seattle Times) $

SPORTS

• WA school boards push back against Trump EO banning trans women from women’s sports (The Center Square)

TRANSPORTATION

• Washington ranks third-lowest in U.S. for mileage per vehicle (MyNorthwest)
• Inslee weighs in on pause of ferry electrification project he championed (Washington State Standard)
• WSF updates policy for crew members to address drunk drivers on ferries (KOMO TV)
• OPINION: ‘What has been revealed about TriMet in multiple Clark County Today articles over the past few years is eye-opening’ (Rep. John Ley/Clark County Today)
• COLUMN: The long road to superfast trains in the Pacific Northwest (Jon Talton/The Seattle Times) $
• EDITORIAL: Gov. Ferguson is treating failing ferry system like the crisis it is (The Seattle Times) $

WATER

• WA drought means tough irrigation outlook for 62,000 Tri-Cities area customers (Tri-City Herald) $
• Reclamation predicting 48% of allotment for junior water users this year (Yakima Herald-Republic) $
• Yakima irrigators looking at water shortage, need March miracle (Capital Press) $

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