With final speech, Inslee bids adieu as Washington governor
Washington State Standard — Stokesbary, meanwhile, found Inslee’s speech a little too rosy. “I wish I could live in Jay Inslee’s Washington. In the real Washington we’ve got a lot of problems,” he said, reeling off concerns such as high prices for gas, groceries and housing and public safety problems. “He didn’t address any of those which was really disappointing.”
Why it could be a big year for education in the WA Legislature
The Seattle Times — “The entire point of the state’s paramount duty clause is not just to give money to schools for the sake of giving money to schools,” Stokesbary said. “The point is to improve outcomes for students and their families, to make every kid, regardless of ZIP code, ready for college or career.” House Republicans will support increases to special ed funding, Stokesbary said, but they also want to see increasing literacy and graduation rates and test scores. “I’m all for paying teachers well but that’s only half the equation,” he said. “We also need to demand results and accountability.” $
AGRICULTURE
- Reeves named chair of Washington House Ag Committee (Pacific Northwest Ag Network)
- Why are eggs so expensive? Whatcom farmers weigh in on bird flu outbreak, U.S. shortage (The Bellingham Herald) $
BUSINESS, ECONOMY & LABOR
- People of color pay higher interest on business loans, UW report finds (The Seattle Times) $
- Tech Hub building’s past tied to airplane interiors in Spokane (The Spokesman-Review) $
- ‘America is handing the baton to Spokane’ with $48M aerospace manufacturing grant (The Center Square)
CONGRESS
- Key takeaways from Pete Hegseth’s fiery confirmation hearing (AP)
- Immigration lawyers fear Laken Riley bill could have broad impact as Trump takes office (States Newsroom/Washington State Standard)
- U.S. House passes bill banning trans athletes from competing in women’s school sports (States Newsroom/Washington State Standard)
CORRECTIONS & JAILS
COURTS (FEDERAL)
COURTS (STATE)
- State and gun shop clash at WA Supreme Court over high-capacity magazine ban (Washington State Standard)
- WA Supreme Court hears arguments in high-capacity magazine ban case (The Center Square)
CRIME & PUBLIC SAFETY
DRUG CRISIS
EDUCATION
- Washington schools push back on state’s mandatory 20-minute lunchtime proposal (KING TV)
- Pasco schools’ $5.4M budget hole means some jobs won’t be filled, other spending halted (Tri-City Herald) $
EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS & SERVICES
ENERGY & UTILITIES
- WA wanted to be a national leader on solar panel recycling. It’s had a tough start (The Seattle Times) $
- Pend Oreille Public Utility District awarded $1 million to be used for Metaline Falls water system repairs (KREM TV)
ENVIRONMENT
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT & THE WHITE HOUSE
GUN RIGHTS
- 6 gun control bills before lawmakers in Olympia on heels of north Seattle shootout (KOMO TV)
- Bill would toughen penalties for unlawful firearm possession (The Center Square)
- Washington lawmakers propose an expansion of gun-free zones to protect public places (KIRO TV)
HANFORD
HIGHER EDUCATION
HOMELESSNESS
IMMIGRATION
- Border crossings in December trend low as Biden administration wraps up (AP/Oregon Public Broadcasting)
- 51% of Washington residents support Trump ‘mass deportation’ plan (KVI Radio)
LAW ENFORCEMENT
- Puyallup police chief calls for policy reform after 3 juvenile shooting arrests (KOMO TV)
- Driver threatening passenger with gun leads to officer-involved shooting in Auburn (MyNorthwest)
- Edmonds mayor names acting chief during search for permanent replacement (The Everett Herald) $
- Grant County Sheriff’s Office hires designated crisis responder for mental health emergencies (KREM TV)
- EDITORIAL: Presence of guns common factor in shootings (The Columbian) $
LEGISLATURE
- Washington GOP lawmakers walked out during Gov. Jay Inslee’s farewell address over remarks aimed at Trump (KVI Radio)
- Washington bill would broaden definition of ‘hate crime’ under existing law (The Center Square)
- Washington state legislators move forward to change DUI law (KIT Radio)
- State Rep. David Stuebe sworn into Washington State House of Representatives, announces committee assignments (KLCK Radio/Gorge Country Media)
LOCAL GOVERNMENT
MENTAL HEALTH
OTHER STATES
- Oregon farmers say new farmworker housing rules could lead to workforce shortages (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
- Kotek bill would expand where duplexes, triplexes could be built (The Oregonian) $
- Idaho bill aims to protect free speech from frivolous lawsuits. Here’s how it would work (Idaho Statesman/The Columbian) $
SCHOOL SAFETY
- Snoqualmie PD reinstates school resource officer position (Snoqualmie Valley Record) $
- 18-year-old student jailed after she allegedly took a revolver to Kennewick High (Tri-City Herald) $
- Hudson’s Bay High School English teacher resigns amid sexual misconduct investigation (The Columbian) $
STATE GOVERNMENT
- Inslee’s final State of the State address touts increased state spending since 2013 (The Center Square)
- Inslee doubles down on wealth tax proposal in final State of the State address (KING TV)
- Inslee warns against budget cuts, unveils official portrait on final day as governor (NW News Network)
- Gov. Jay Inslee delivers final State of the State address (The Seattle Times) $
- WA is ‘a light to the world’ Gov. Inslee tells lawmakers in his final State of the State address (The News Tribune) $
- ‘Evergreen and ever going forward,’ Inslee delivers final state of the state address Wednesday before soon departing governor’s office (The Spokesman-Review) $
- Gov. Inslee unveils official portrait painted by Spokane native (The Spokesman-Review) $
- Governor-elect Ferguson to deliver inaugural speech after he is sworn in as governor (KIRO TV)
- Bob Ferguson talks challenges ahead as Washington’s next governor (Cascade PBS)
- What to know about Gov.-elect Bob Ferguson (The Seattle Times) $
TECHNOLOGY
TRANSPORTATION
WILDFIRE PREVENTION & RESPONSE
WILDLIFE
WOLVES
