Waste Watch: Did state lawmakers fumble budget surplus leading to funding gap?; $1 billion shortfall in WA transportation budget imperils projects

Waste Watch: Did state lawmakers fumble budget surplus leading to funding gap?

KOMO TV — But it does come at a time when there appears to be uncertainty on how to balance the budget. Washington Speaker of the House Laurie Jinkins (D) Tacoma, and Senate Majority Leader Jamie Pedersen (D), Seattle have both signaled they back new taxes or new revenue to handle the gap. However, Ferguson appeared to catch them off-guard when he announced that he has asked state departments to cut 6% of the budget across the board to save $4 billion. Jinkins and Pedersen have been quiet on proposals since.

$1 billion shortfall in WA transportation budget imperils projects

The Seattle Times — Liias didn’t fully endorse Fey’s road usage charge plan, which would tax people on how far they drive, rather than how much gas they use. But he included it in a slate of ideas to replace the gas tax, along with toll roads or fees on package deliveries. $

HOUSE & SENATE REPUBLICAN MEDIA AVAILABILITY

• Jan. 28, 2025

AGRICULTURE

• Washington House bill eyes dairy, feedlot emissions (Capital Press) $
• Washington State Democrats propose tax on cow flatulence (DailyFly)

BUSINESS, ECONOMY & LABOR

• Small businesses brace for higher minimum wage in King County (Snoqualmie Valley Record) $

CAP-AND-TRADE PROGRAM

• Washington farmers face challenges as Climate Commitment Act increases supply costs (KNDO/KNDU)
• Washington Department of Ecology aims for 2026 carbon market link with California-Québec (KHQ TV)

CENSUS

• COLUMN: WA sees shift in where new residents are moving from (Gene Balk/The Seattle Times) $

CHILD CARE

• New Washington bill aims to end fees for child care providers (Cascade PBS)

COMMUNITY & FAMILY ISSUES

• WA considers paying parents for caring for disabled kids amid in-home shortages (The Center Square)

CORRECTIONS & JAILS

• Inmate dragged backward across cell floor by a rope sues Clark County (AP)

COURTS (FEDERAL)

• Federal judge temporarily blocks Trump administration freeze on federal grants and loans (AP)
• Washington joins lawsuit challenging federal funding freeze (Axios – Seattle)
• WA signs up for multi-state lawsuit over Trump’s federal financial-assistance freeze (The Olympian) $

COURTS (STATE)

• Renton police, families slam King Co. judge for release of 2 violent suspects (FOX 13)

CRIME & PUBLIC SAFETY

• Everett police make arrest in 36-year-old cold murder case (The Everett Herald) $

DRUG CRISIS

• Skagit County officials worry ‘killer’ batches of fentanyl are causing spike in overdose deaths (KIRO TV)

EDUCATION

• WA bill would require high school students to receive financial education before graduating (The News Tribune) $
• An inside look at Olympia high school financial literacy class that could become statewide requirement (KING TV)
• COLUMN: High school flyer promoting ‘safe’ sex toys class reveals a lot about Washington classrooms (Jason Rantz/MyNorthwest)

ELECTIONS

• Ranking the future: WA lawmakers eye overhaul of local elections with ranked choice voting (MyNorthwest)

ENERGY & UTILITIES

• Yakima County commissioners extend solar moratorium (Yakima Herald-Republic) $

ENVIRONMENT

• Washington legislators look to crack down on environmental crime (KUOW Radio)

FEDERAL GOVERNMENT & THE WHITE HOUSE

• Trump’s federal funding freeze order spurs panic and pushback in WA (The Seattle Times) $
• Trump offering federal workers buyouts with about 8 months’ pay in effort to shrink government (AP)
• Trump’s ‘flood the zone’ strategy leaves opponents gasping in outrage (The New York Times/The Seattle Times) $
• Trump plans to sign the Laken Riley Act into law as his administration’s first piece of legislation (AP)

FISH

• Microplastics are common in salmon, other iconic Pacific Northwest fish, seafood (The Oregonian) $

GUN RIGHTS

• WA gun control bills spark debate (Columbia Basin Herald) $

HEALTH CARE & HOSPITALS

• Washington state hospitals lose nearly $400 million in first nine months of 2024, Providence loses $66 million in Spokane area (The Spokesman-Review) $

HIGHER EDUCATION

• COLUMN: Central Washington U. wastes tax dollars studying ‘TransRural lives’ around Seattle (Jason Rantz/MyNorthwest)

HOMELESSNESS

• Burien City Council passes emergency ordinance expanding public camping ban (The Center Square)

HOUSING

• WA lawmakers want to limit parking requirements for new development (Washington State Standard)
• Washington housing supply bill seeks to reform ‘archaic’ parking requirements (The Olympian) $
• Seattle homebuyers need record-high income for median-priced home (FOX 13)
• Pierce County eviction rate is rising. Did Tacoma ‘Tenant Bill of Rights’ make an impact? (The News Tribune) $
• EDITORIAL: Table poorly vetted plan for more housing near Seattle stadiums (The Seattle Times) $

IMMIGRATION

• U.S. Rep. Michael Baumgartner highlights immigration goals at Walla Walla town hall (Walla Walla Union-Bulletin) $

LAW ENFORCEMENT

• Tacoma Police Department Chief Avery Moore resigns (MyNorthwest)

LEGISLATURE

• Washington bill aims to require bars to sell drug tests for spiked drinks (KIRO TV)
• Stuebe bill seeks to support search and rescue (KIHR Radio)

LOCAL GOVERNMENT

• King County Council chooses its newest member (The Seattle Times) $
• What does a federal funding freeze mean for Pierce County, many programs that get aid? (The News Tribune) $
• Trump federal spending pause leaves officials scrambling in Snohomish County (The Everett Herald) $
• Federal funding freeze: Clark County governments, schools, nonprofits looking for answers (The Columbian) $
• Whatcom County officials, nonprofits grapple with uncertainty amid federal funding freeze (The Bellingham Herald) $
• Cle Elum decides to pursue bankruptcy for city (Daily Record) $

MILITARY & VETERANS

• Are Trump administration deportation flights using planes from Joint Base Lewis-McChord? (The News Tribune) $

OPEN GOVERNMENT

• Sportsmen’s Alliance sues WA state Fish & Wildlife over delay in releasing public records (The Olympian) $

OTHER STATES

• Oregon math, reading achievement among the nation’s worst, new scores show (The Oregonian) $
• Oregon needs to build 29,500 more homes each year, chief economist says (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
• Oregon passed expensive legislation supporting renters facing housing crisis. Eviction cases are still climbing. (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

POLITICS

STATE

• Permit denial not stopping GOP plans to rally in Oly against change to debate rule (The Center Square)

SOCIAL MEDIA

• Trump says Microsoft eyeing TikTok bid to keep app in US (Bloomberg/The Spokesman-Review) $

STATE GOVERNMENT

• Democrats rework plan for WA prosecutor on police use of deadly force (Washington State Standard)
• WA agencies figuring out next steps amid Trump federal funding freeze (FOX 13)
• ‘Sheer panic’: Washington officials rush to figure out federal funding freeze (KUOW Radio)

TRANSPORTATION

• New study says Washington ranks as one of the worst states in the country for drivers (Tri-City Herald) $
• Washington aims to curb drunk driving with bold civil protection orders (MyNorthwest)
• US 12 rail separation project inches closer to reality (The Daily World) $

TRIBAL ISSUES

• Washington Health Dept. gives Tulalip Tribes more control over its health data (KNKX Radio)

WATER

• Three Southwest Washington cities consider removing fluoride from drinking water (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

WILDFIRE PREVENTION & RESPONSE

• Rangeland fire protection measure offered in Dent pilot bill (NCW Life Channel)
• Driest January in decades, federal funding freeze raise alarm for WA wildfires (FOX 13)
• Washington wildfire prevention, Spokane County fire relief among funding frozen by Trump order (The Spokesman-Review) $

WILDLIFE

• Feds cancel grizzly bear meeting in Coeur d’Alene (The Spokesman-Review) $