Washington highways among the worst in the nation, per report; WA bill aims to extend unemployment benefits to workers on strike

Washington highways among the worst in the nation, per report

KIRO TV — “In spending and cost-effectiveness, Washington ranks 50th in capital and bridge disbursements, which are the costs of building new roads and bridges and widening existing ones,” the report states. “Washington ranks 50th in maintenance spending, such as the costs of repaving roads and filling in potholes. Washington’s administrative disbursements, including office spending that doesn’t make its way to roads, ranks 47th nationwide.”

WA bill aims to extend unemployment benefits to workers on strike

Cascade PBS — Sarah Clark, director of policy at the Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce, testified against Senate Bill 5041 during a February hearing, citing the fragility of the regional economy, especially for small businesses. “We are still facing many challenges after the pandemic. Foot traffic downtown is below pre-pandemic levels,” Clark said. “We have a growing number of vacant storefronts. It’s becoming increasingly challenging to attract new businesses to our region, and our small business economy is far from recovered.”

CAP-AND-TRADE PROGRAM

• Washington Senate passes bill to speed up carbon emission data updates (The Center Square)

CONGRESS

• Baumgartner faces angry, disruptive town hall following two months of Trump’s presidency (The Spokesman-Review) $
• Rep. Baumgartner responds to questions on Musk, immigration and other policies at Ritzville town hall (The Spokesman-Review) $
• EDITORIAL: The time for diplomacy has passed, Rep. Newhouse (Yakima Herald-Republic) $

CORRECTIONS & JAILS

• Opening of new Washington juvenile detention center is delayed (Washington State Standard)
• What if? Spokane County weighs jail expansion, Geiger closure to ease overcrowding (The Center Square)
• Lewis County supports bill to improve medical care in jail, lower costs (The Chronicle)

COURTS (FEDERAL)

• Trump not held in contempt in WA gender-affirming care case (Washington State Standard)

COURTS (STATE)

• Judge dismisses bulk of Clark County 18th District election challenge, allows negligence claim to proceed (The Reflector)

CRIME & PUBLIC SAFETY

• Everett, WA man granted clemency in 2019 arrested on gun, drug charges (FOX 13)
• COLUMN: ‘This is a black mark’ on Gov. Inslee’s clemency program (Gee Scott/MyNorthwest)

DRUG CRISIS

• WA father in custody after infant hospitalized from suspected fentanyl exposure (FOX 13)

EDUCATION

• Gender expansive students to be protected class under bill advancing in WA (The Center Square)
• Seattle Public Schools superintendent Dr. Brent Jones to resign (Cascade PBS)

ELECTIONS

• Port of Pasco faces accusations of violating Washington Voting Rights Act (KAPP/KVEW)
• OPINION: State Democrats want most anyone to vote in Washington – Even if they have never lived or been in the state (Bill Bruch, WA State GOP Election Integrity Chairman/Clark County Today)

FEDERAL GOVERNMENT & THE WHITE HOUSE

• Trump job cuts continue: What Washington state is saying about federal layoff numbers (Kitsap Sun) $
• Did Trump defy a court order? Judge questions deportations to El Salvador (FOX 13)
• Trump says he will release thousands of documents related to JFK assassination (The New York Times/The Seattle Times) $

FISH

• 2025 will be an above average year for Columbia River salmon, says NOAA report (Columbian Murrow News/The Columbian) $

HIGHER EDUCATION

• Two UW Jewish Studies scholars talk Trump, antisemitism and Zionism (The Seattle Times) $

HOMELESSNESS

• EDITORIAL: City should continue Safe Stay program (The Columbian) $

HOUSING

• Housing policy highlights (The Washington Observer) $
• Seattle renters seek new horizons in Spokane, Portland, Boise (FOX 13)
• Yakima County home prices increasing (KNDO/KNDU)
• OPINION: Seattle stadium-area housing just makes sense (Sara Nelson, president of the Seattle City Council/The Seattle Times) $

INVASIVE SPECIES

• WA losing invasive beetle battle in Tri-Cities. Fight to stop them moves to Columbia River (Tri-City Herald) $

LAND USE & PROPERTY RIGHTS

• Seattle eyes relaxed land use code to fill vacant downtown storefronts (The Center Square)

LAW ENFORCEMENT

• King County Sheriff’s Office reduces staffing amid budget constraints (KOMO TV)
• OPINION: Seattle Police oversight agency mishandled ‘significant number’ of bias complaints, says city (Jason Rantz/MyNorthwest)

LEGISLATURE

• How would you redesign WA’s state flag? Here are some of readers’ ideas (The Seattle Times) $
• Legislative Watch: March 17 (The Wenatchee World) $
• Bill to raise Discover Pass price moves through state Senate in Olympia (KGMI Radio/My Bellingham Now)

LOCAL GOVERNMENT

• Spokane County braces for $20M deficit, potential hiring freeze, cutting vacancies (The Center Square)

OPEN GOVERNMENT

• EDITORIAL: WA lawmakers, resist the urge to keep your emails private (The Seattle Times) $

OPERATING BUDGET

• Washington state rally calls for tax hikes in budget plan (KING TV)
• Lawmakers, medical providers issue warning over possible Medicaid cuts (KING TV)
• EDITORIAL: One option for pausing pay raise for state electeds (The Everett Herald) $

OTHER STATES

• Oregon’s legislature passes Medicaid tax extension in bipartisan vote (Oregon Public Broadcasting) $
• Oregon Republican lawmaker reads sexually explicit passage on House floor to call out bill that would ban book bans (The Oregonian) $

SPORTS

• NCAA agrees to lift name, image and likeness recruitment ban (KING TV)

STATE GOVERNMENT

• State workers blast Ferguson’s furlough plan, calling it a betrayal (Washington State Standard)
• Ferguson aide resigned amid toxic workplace complaints, lawmakers say (The Seattle Times) $
• A shocking departure from the gov’s office (The Washington Observer) $

TAXES

• COLUMN: Five additional taxes will hit King County courtesy of Democrats (Jason Rantz/MyNorthwest)

TRANSPORTATION

• Gas pumps around Washington could be giving different amounts of fuel than what you paid for (KIRO TV)
• Electric vehicle owners don’t buy gas. States look for other ways to pay for roads and bridges. (AP)
• Increasing tolls and ferry fares before the Washington State Transportation Commission (MyNorthwest)

TRIBAL ISSUES

• Puyallup Tribe and NWSA enter historic pact to create new pier at Port of Tacoma (The News Tribune) $

WATER

• Ecology letters coming to 30k Whatcom County water users as part of adjudication process (The Bellingham Herald) $

---

Stories that are behind a paywall are denoted with a $ symbol, allowing readers to identify content that requires a subscription to access in full.