Washington in Focus

(The Center Square) – Washington State Superintendent of Public Instruction Chris Reykdal and Gov. Bob Ferguson are named in a Title IX complaint resolution filed Friday by Washington Parents Network. WPN is a volunteer association of more than 2,600 parents whose goal is to protect the rights of parents and children. 

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(The Center Square) – Six months ago, Spokane advertised a series of roundtables to gather input on overhauling its approach to homelessness; 186 days later, residents are starting to get a picture of what that could look like. While announced in August, the series lasted into December before the city council wrapped up talks that would inform its overhaul. Two months went by without much mention, but rumors circulated among city staff that the council might introduce the proposed amendments on Monday. 

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(The Center Square) – The 2021 Climate Commitment Act enacted by the state Legislature places a cap on the amount of allowable carbon emissions and generates revenue through carbon auctions that are used to fund environmental projects throughout the state. However, almost 90% of project spending does not impact carbon emissions. 

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(The Center Square) – The city of Burien has filed a lawsuit intended to halt the adoption of a voter-passed minimum wage increase in the city, but leaders of the measure say the lawsuit has no merit. Initiative 1 in Burien was approved by 57.2% of voters in the Feb. 11 election. It would raise the minimum wage in the city to $21.10 for workers of large employers who have more than 500 employees. 

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(The Center Square) – Republicans in the Washington State Legislature say Democrats are exaggerating the size of the projected four-year operating budget shortfall to justify proposed tax increases. The amount of the shortfall itself is a matter of some debate. In November, the Office of Financial Management indicated the state would be $10 to $12 billion in the hole over the next four years. A month later, then-Gov. Jay Inslee announced that the number had jumped to $16 billion. He said the deficit was even greater than first projected. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com

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(The Center Square) – Microsoft and Amazon are among the wealthiest companies in the world, each with a market capitalization of well over $2 trillion, but a bill out of Washington could trim off some cash to save the state’s finances. The Legislature levies various taxes on businesses operating within its borders. One of the most common is a business and occupation, or B&O, tax. The state requires some companies, including major tech firms, to pay more, but the higher rate also comes with a cap. 

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Washington State: (The Center Square) – Republicans in the Washington State Legislature say Democrats are exaggerating the size of the projected four-year operating budget shortfall to justify proposed tax increases. The amount of the shortfall itself is a matter of some debate. In November, the Office of Financial Management indicated the state would be $10 to $12 billion in the hole over the next four years. A month later, then-Gov. Jay Inslee announced that the number had jumped to $16 billion. He said the deficit was even greater than first projected. 

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(The Center Square) – The Washington State Legislature's House Community Safety Committee has voted out a revised version of a bill that places more safeguards around the pretrial release of criminal suspects by court judges. Though the bill cosponsor, Rep. Dan Griffey, R-Allyn, expressed a preference for the original bill, he urged the substitute’s adoption prior to a Thursday Community Safety Committee vote. 

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(The Center Square) – King County Metro is resuming bus services at a Seattle location that became an increasing public safety concern at the end of 2024. King County Metro closed bus stops along 12th Avenue South and South Jackson Street in Seattle’s Little Saigon neighborhood on Dec. 16. The department previously told The Center Square that the area was flagged as a safety concern for riders, transit operators and facilities employees. 

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