What ideas does Gov. Jay Inslee have to fill WA’s multi-billion dollar budget gap?; Bipartisan bill seeks $100 million for Washington law enforcement hiring

What ideas does Gov. Jay Inslee have to fill WA’s multi-billion dollar budget gap? $

The News Tribune — Washington is facing a significant budget hole — one in the multi-billion dollar range — and outgoing Gov. Jay Inslee on Tuesday unveiled his ideas to help fill it. One major suggestion: imposing a new wealth tax. Such a tax would affect some 3,400 of the state’s uber-wealthy residents, according to Inslee’s proposed 2025-27 budget. They would be expected to pay a 1% tax on wealth over $100 million. Similar thoughts have previously been floated in the state Legislature but haven’t been popular among Republicans. State Rep. Chris Corry of Yakima has argued that a wealth tax could ultimately lead investors and innovators to flee the state, according to FOX 13.

Bipartisan bill seeks $100 million for Washington law enforcement hiring

The Center Square — The new Republican leader on the state Senate’s Law & Justice Committee has pre-filed a bipartisan bill to dramatically increase the number of law-enforcement officers in Washington communities. “Crime is a growing problem in our state,” said Jeff Holy, R-Cheney, in a press release emailed to The Center Square. “Washington ranks among the worst states in several categories, including murders, auto theft and retail theft. A key reason is that we also rank 51st nationally for the number of law enforcement officers per capita.”

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

• WSU lab part of growing AI field helping law enforcement (The Spokesman-Review) $

BUSINESS, ECONOMY & LABOR

• Minimum wage in Washington state is going up in 2025. Here’s how much (Kitsap Sun) $
• Washington, Clark County rank high for business friendliness but some say leaders could do more (The Columbian) $
• COLUMN: Seattle’s era-defining ‘prosperity bomb’ is still going off (Danny Westneat/The Seattle Times) $

CONGRESS

• Huge spending bill unveiled in Congress provides more than $100 billion in disaster aid (Washington State Standard)

CORRECTIONS & JAILS

• Trans woman argues move to WA men’s prison is cruel punishment (The Seattle Times) $

COURTS (STATE)

• Pierce County prosecutors won’t charge school bus driver involved in deadly crash (KING TV)
• Judge finds Edmonds tree mandate unconstitutional (The Everett Herald) $

CRIME & PUBLIC SAFETY

• Altercation leads to stabbing death of King County Metro bus driver in Seattle (MyNorthwest)
• ‘I don’t feel safe’: Seattle mayor urged to act as business, home break-ins persist (KING TV)

EARLY LEARNING

• OPINION: Early education should have dedicated funding in WA (Mike Sheehan, provides early relational health services in Early Childhood Education and Assistance Programs in Pierce and King counties/The Seattle Times) $

EDUCATION

• Woodland Public Schools receives $4.25 million in grant funds for electric buses (The Columbian) $
• EDITORIAL: Public education needs protection, leadership (The Columbian) $

ENERGY & UTILITIES

• Power outages impact more than 100,000 customers in Western Washington (MyNorthwest)
• OPINION: Power for all: Why Washington needs community solar to advance equity and justice (Mason Rolph, executive director of Olympia Community Solar; and Derek Chernow, western regional director of Coalition for Community Solar Access/The News Tribune)

FISH

• ‘These fish and these waters are our responsibility to defend,’ Inslee says in executive order on salmon recovery (Columbian Murrow News/The Columbian) $

GUN RIGHTS

• COLUMN: Washington Democrats’ attacks on gun rights are way worse than you think (Jason Rantz/MyNorthwest)

HEALTH CARE & HOSPITALS

• Child flu vaccinations plummet in Washington state (Axios – Seattle)
• Grant to help train nurses who work with domestic violence victims (Yakima Herald-Republic) $
• COLUMN: Seattle Children’s progresses in NCW expansion efforts (Rufus Woods/The Wenatchee World) $

HOMELESSNESS

• Vancouver issues emergency order to keep two Safe Stays open (The Columbian) $

IMMIGRATION

• No role in deportation, Kittitas County Sheriff says (Daily Record) $

LAW ENFORCEMENT

• Sexual assault kit backlog in Washington ‘effectively eliminated,’ audit finds (KING TV)
• Former SPD Chief Adrian Diaz fired, accused of lying about relationship with staffer (KING TV)

LEGISLATURE

• Washington lawmakers to make another push to change BAC level to .05 (KING TV)
• Proposal would end flavored vape, nicotine pouch, and menthol sales in Washington state (KUOW Radio)

LOCAL GOVERNMENT

• Spokane eyes tight purse strings ahead of year-end as sales tax revenue struggles (The Center Square)
• Thurston County voter files to recall Commissioner Emily Clouse after board censure (The Olympian) $
• Vancouver to pay more than $6M for former Naydenov building that will house 150-bed homeless shelter (The Columbian) $
• Yakima eyes balanced budget by relying on reserves, lowering minimum threshold (The Center Square)
• Chelan PUD looks ahead to new legislative session (KPQ Radio)

MEDIA

• KIRO radio hosts Dave Ross and Colleen O’Brien stepping down (The Seattle Times) $
• Washington’s longest running weekly newspaper may fold (KING TV)

MILITARY & VETERANS

• EDITORIAL: Congress must boost pay for troops at WA military bases, elsewhere (The Seattle Times) $

OPERATING BUDGET

• Outgoing Washington governor suggests ‘wealth tax’ to avoid cuts to education and police (AP)
• Gov. Jay Inslee pitches WA wealth tax and business tax increases (The Seattle Times) $
• Inslee proposes taxing wealthy residents and businesses to close Washington’s budget gap (Washington State Standard)
• Inslee proposes billions in new taxes on way out of office (The Center Square)
• Inslee proposes 2025 budget (Columbia Basin Herald) $
• Outgoing WA governor suggests ‘wealth tax’ to avoid cuts to education and police (FOX 13)
• Washington state faces $12-16 billion budget gap, Gov. Inslee proposes new budget plan in response (KXLY TV)

POLITICS

LOCAL

• BLOG: Seattle Dems: champions of democracy… until you disagree (Shift)

NATIONAL

• Washington electors in Electoral College cast votes for Harris although some want new system (The Spokesman-Review) $

SCHOOL SAFETY

• Gun violence at schools has risen since the pandemic (The New York Times/The Seattle Times) $
• WA school district failed to protect Black, Latino and LGBTQ+ students from harassment (The Seattle Times) $
• Snoqualmie reinstates school resource officer position after temporary pause (KOMO TV)

STATE GOVERNMENT

• Family of 2-year-old girl files lawsuit against DCYF and a Puyallup daycare in relation to her death (KING TV)

TRANSPORTATION

• WA lawmaker introduces bill to make sure ‘grabby’ vehicle tires remain an option (The Center Square)
• King County Metro to pass by Seattle location amid violent crime uptick (The Center Square)
• Our story on WA ferry-line cutters continues to spread ripple effects (The Seattle Times) $

TRIBAL ISSUES

• Five WA Native nations split $32M in federal broadband grants (Cascade PBS)

WATER

• Nearly 150 miles of Columbia River added to EPA’s Superfund list (Washington State Standard)
• Cold and dark? No problem. Meet the volunteers testing Bellingham’s stormwater for pollution (The Bellingham Herald) $

WILDFIRE PREVENTION & RESPONSE

• Blistering Tri-Cities wildfires scorched the region in 2024 (Tri-City Herald) $