Years behind schedule. Millions over budget. Inside WA’s big IT fix; Inslee execs heading for exits as Ferguson prepares to take over as WA governor

AGRICULTURE

• Washington ag to Ferguson: Re-appoint Sandison (Capital Press)

BUSINESS, ECONOMY & LABOR

• Washington businesses to adhere to new organic material disposal law in 2025 (KGMI Radio/My Bellingham Now)
• OPINION: 3 ways WA can supercharge its EV workforce (Rep. Debra Entenman/The Seattle Times)

CHILD CARE

• Walla Walla updates zoning to help address child care shortage (Walla Walla Union-Bulletin)
• DCYF restores Spanaway daycare’s license after allegations of abuse (KING TV)

COURTS (STATE)

• Washington state courts’ online system is back up; now Clark County will have to deal with the backlog (The Columbian)
• Former Zillah Mayor Gary Clark’s plea hearing in child rape cases set for January (Yakima Herald-Republic)

CRIME & PUBLIC SAFETY

• Washington man among four business owners federally indicted in alleged scheme to violate the Clean Air Act (The Spokesman-Review)
• Whatcom County Courthouse vandalized during early-morning break-in that left ATM damaged (The Bellingham Herald)
• A long stretch of Tacoma highway has gone dark as thieves once again hunt pricey metal (The News Tribune)

DAMS

• Avista awarded more than $1 million for Columbia River hydropower projects (KREM TV)
• Dam siren blares false alarm to Skagit Valley town (KUOW Radio)

EDUCATION

• What to know about Linda McMahon, Trump’s pick for Education secretary (AP)
• 8 minutes to eat lunch at school? KING 5 investigates Washington lunch periods (KING TV)
• Seattle may not close elementary schools, after all (KUOW Radio)
• Spokane Public Schools sees uptick in homeless students as district launches annual gift card drive (The Spokesman-Review)

ELECTIONS

• Clark County spent $107,000 on ballot box security after arson attacks, documents show (The Oregonian)

EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS & SERVICES

• ‘Enough is enough:’ Tacoma Firefighters Union demanding more funding in new city budget (KING TV)

ENERGY & UTILITIES

• Why oil companies are walking back from green energy (The New York Times/The Seattle Times)
• Report: Windmills and solar panels can yield more cash than crops (Capital Press)
• Benton County to sue WA after Inslee agrees to one of state’s largest wind farms (Tri-City Herald)
• ‘Multiple day outage’ expected as hundreds of thousands have lost power in Western Washington (MyNorthwest)
• EDITORIAL: Short-term natural gas use for clean-energy future (The Columbian)

GUN RIGHTS

• You can buy a gun again. Here’s what happened the past 2 weeks, WA State Patrol says (The News Tribune)

HEALTH CARE & HOSPITALS

• Washington DOH recommends holiday vaccinations (Columbia Basin Herald)
• EDITORIAL: State’s whooping cough outbreak was entirely preventable (Yakima Herald-Republic)

HIGHER EDUCATION

• WSU’s $5 million contract with IT company may have violated state law (The Center Square)

HOMELESSNESS

• Bellingham sweeps notorious homeless camp (KING TV)
• West Vancouver residents plead with city to clear homeless camp along West Mill Plain Boulevard (The Columbian)

LAW ENFORCEMENT

• The Spokane police ombuds can’t tell the public how officers were disciplined in their reports. It led to misinformation over a ‘Let’s Go Brandon’ sticker (The Spokesman-Review)
• Prosecutor now reviewing case of police-involved shooting in Port Angeles (KONP Radio)

LGBTQ+

• What to know about Transgender Day of Remembrance and violence against trans people (AP)

LOCAL GOVERNMENT

• Seattle council OKs new budget, loosens JumpStart tax’s spending rules (The Seattle Times)
• Thurston County names two new directors as year of transition, departures continues (The Olympian)
• Petition to recall Yakima Co. Coroner falls short of legal standards, prosecutors say (KAPP/KVEW)
• Deficit spending, increased sewerage costs heading to this Pierce County city next year (The News Tribune)

MEDIA

• Comcast to spin off MSNBC, CNBC and cable channels (Los Angeles Times/The Seattle Times)

MENTAL HEALTH

• OPINION: Collaboration can help youth, rural areas gain access to mental health care (David Condon is vice president of Eastern Washington at Premera Blue Cross/The Spokesman-Review)

MILITARY & VETERANS

• Walla Walla County affirms tax levies for veterans’ assistance, disability services (Walla Walla Union-Bulletin)

OTHER STATES

• Oregon group wants to make it easier to commit those in mental health crisis (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
• California voters reject measure that would have raised minimum wage to nation-high $18 per hour (AP)

POLITICS

CONGRESS

• Congressman-elect Michael Baumgartner to serve as freshman class rep (KHQ TV)

STATE SUPREME COURT

• Sal Mungia defeats Dave Larson for open WA Supreme Court seat (The Seattle Times)

STATEWIDE OFFICE

• Public Lands Commissioner-elect Upthegrove rejects radical environmentalist label (The Center Square)

NATIONAL

• WA Congressman Adam Smith: Democratic Party brand is ‘broken’ (Washington State Standard)

SPORTS

• Washington school board urges state athletics body to ‘restore equity’ to sports (KOMO TV)

STATE GOVERNMENT

• Years behind schedule. Millions over budget. Inside WA’s big IT fix (The Seattle Times)
• Inslee execs heading for exits as Ferguson prepares to take over as WA governor (Washington State Standard)
• WA Secretary of Health, Dr. Umair Shah, stepping down in 2025 (FOX 13)
• BIAW urges WA State Building Code Council to take swift action on I-2066 compliance (The Center Square)

TAXES

• Seattle capital gains tax proposal gets split vote at City Council (The Seattle Times)
• Spokane mayor wants to repeal tax sunset after asking voters to trust her own (The Center Square)
• Fight over 8% tax hike central to Snohomish County budget talks (The Everett Herald)

TRANSPORTATION

• $18 tolls? Proposal would increase tolls again on I-405, SR 167 express lanes (KOMO TV)
• Have thoughts on increased I-405 toll prices? The state wants to hear. (The Everett Herald)
• An ecology worker noted her ferry receipt coated in chemicals. Now WSF is phasing them out (Kitsap Sun)
• Ferry service, transportation affected by bomb cyclone storm (FOX 13)

WEATHER & CLIMATE

• As deadly bomb cyclone whirls into Seattle, another may be right behind (The Seattle Times)
• Bomb cyclone leaves widespread damage in western Washington (FOX 13)
• At least one killed as falling trees cause multiple issues in Western Washington (MyNorthwest)