(The Center Square) – Much of the funding for Sound Transit’s projects, including ST3, has come from federal grants. In the past seven years, it has secured a total of $3.8 billion, with $9 billion expected in future grants for ST3. However, as the transit system struggles to recover its pre-pandemic ridership volumes, the agency faces a growing fiscal challenge due to what a spokesperson says are rising property values and increased construction costs. Those challenges could affect how much money it can expect, or need, from the federal government. 

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(The Center Square) – A family in East Wenatchee, Wash., at the center of the controversy surrounding transgender athletes in girls’ and women’s sports, tells The Center Square they are reenergized now that the federal government has launched an investigation into the Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. On Wednesday, the U.S. departments of Education and Justice announced their Title IX “Special Investigations Team” joint initiative, alleging that the state’s public schools agency has imposed gender-inclusion requirements on school districts in possible violation of federal law. President Donald Trump has signed an executive order to ban transgender athletes from competing in women's and girls' sports. 

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(The Center Square) – Mayor Lisa Brown unveiled an overhaul of Spokane’s homelessness strategy Thursday, pitting the city council’s progressive majority and conservative minority against each other once again. The proposals follow the Washington State Supreme Court striking down one of the city’s camping bans in April. The high court ruled that the citizen-led effort fell outside the scope of an initiative, so the conservatives tried to restore it with a council vote, but the majority declined. 

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(The Center Square) – Seattle spends roughly $6.5 million a year on complementary resources for illegal immigrants, even as the administration of President Donald Trump is taking major steps to reshape immigration policy and practice – with an emphasis on enforcement of federal law. According to city statistics, there are more than 143,687 foreign-born residents in Seattle, including 21,000 illegal immigrants who make up roughly 2.7% of the city’s total population of 755,000. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com

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(The Center Square) – Outside of budget negotiations, one of the bills that dominated Washington state lawmakers' attention during the 2025 legislative session was a proposal to close a state-operated school for people with severe intellectual and developmental disabilities. With just hours to spare on Sunday – the last day of the 105-day legislative session – lawmakers passed a version of Senate Bill 5393 that will prohibit new long-term admissions to Rainier School in Pierce County starting July 27 and stop short-term admissions starting June 30, 2027. The changes were the result of a Republican amendment accepted by both chambers. 

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(The Center Square) – In 1996, voters within the Sound Transit District voted to approve "Sound Move," which imposed a variety of local taxes to fund the construction of public transit such as bus lines, commuter trains and light rail. In the years to follow, voters would then approve ST2 in 2008 that added additional taxes or tax increases, followed by voter-approved ST3 in 2016, both of which expand or seek to expand on existing services. 

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(The Center Square) – Seattle spends roughly $6.5 million a year on complementary resources for illegal immigrants, even as the administration of President Donald Trump is taking major steps to reshape immigration policy and practice – with an emphasis on enforcement of federal law. According to city statistics, there are more than 143,687 foreign-born residents in Seattle, including 21,000 illegal immigrants who make up roughly 2.7% of the city’s total population of 755,000. 

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(The Center Square) – Seattle officials are weighing new progressive taxes as debate swirls over whether they would help or hurt the city’s already slumping revenue streams. On April 16, Seattle City Councilmember Alexis Mercedes Rinck announced that she is exploring progressive taxes that would make the city’s wealthiest residents pay more amid an anticipated $241.5 million drop in revenue over the next two years. The city previously closed a $250 million general fund gap for 2025-2026 using staffing cuts and its payroll tax. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com

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(The Center Square) – Despite overwhelming support, the Spokane City Council voted Monday against reinstating a public camping ban after the Washington State Supreme Court invalidated the law last week. The high court said Proposition 1, which 75% of voters approved in 2023, should have never been on the ballot. The justices ruled that the initiative was administrative, not legislative, as required by state law, because it altered an existing policy rather than creating a new one. 

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(The Center Square) – With the session winding down, the House Finance Committee on Tuesday advanced three tax bills out of executive session, giving them a do-pass recommendation. Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill 5794 aims to eliminate certain tax preferences, address changes in constitutional law, and clarify legislative intent. It proposes to eliminate some tax incentives deemed “obsolete” by the tax preference performance review process, including those affecting transportation, storage, and processing of goods, and packing of agricultural products. 

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