Washington in Focus

Congressman Dan Newhouse was among a large crowd voicing opposition Monday to a federal proposal to reintroduce grizzly bears into north-central Washington state. “It is clear you all know that grizzles can and probably will move out of the zone in which you drop them, yet rather than letting common sense prevail, are continuing to push forward with this dangerous plan,” Newhouse told representatives from the National Park Service and U.S. Fish and Wildlife at a public meeting in Omak.

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As Washington continues to experience a severe housing affordability crisis, state legislators may finetune some existing tax incentive programs to encourage greater development. Among them is the multifamily tax exemption program created following passage of the Growth Management Act. Implemented at the local level, the tax exemption makes development more affordable upfront while delaying tax revenue otherwise collected. Since 2019, 35,000 residential units have been produced through the MFTE program.

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The Vancouver City Council has unanimously approved the Vancouver Urban Forestry Management Plan resolution that seeks to reach a 28% tree canopy goal by 2047.  Vancouver's current 21% tree coverage provides more than $40 million in ecological benefits to the city, according to the plan, which was created in part by software company PlanIT GEO. However, in order to reach the 28% tree canopy goal, it would cost the city tens of millions of dollars, as previously reported by The Center Square.

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Both the FBI and a state law enforcement association say violent crime in Washington increased in 2022, running contrary to overall national findings. Last week, the bureau released data on more than 11 million criminal offenses reported across the U.S. in the prior year. FBI’s estimates showed that national violent crime decreased an estimated 1.7% in 2022 compared to 2021. However, during the same period, Washington state’s violent crime numbers rose an estimated 1.06%, according to FBI statistics.

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State and county officials have recently highlighted a severe shortage of funding for transportation infrastructure in Washington that includes roads, bridges and highways. However, the overall problem stems from a variety of contributing factors that are causing one state legislator to call for an overhaul of the system. “I think the problem is really where the priorities are,” Rep. Keith Goehner, R-Dryden, said in an interview with The Center Square. Goehner is a member of the House Transportation Committee and recently penned a guest column for The Wenatchee World arguing the state needs to cease unnecessary transportation projects and shift toward maintenance work.

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King County voters may see a new climate levy lid lift on their ballots next year as county officials begin discussions to increase revenue to reduce climate impact efforts. The new motion would request King County Executive Dow Constantine to develop funding options to generate $1 billion in funding over a six- or nine-year period. Funds would be used for greenhouse gas reduction efforts and response to climate impacts.

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While Washington's Climate Commitment Act has generated more than $1 billion in less than a year to fund climate change initiatives, the Washington State Department of Transportation says they don't have enough money to replace infrastructure that's at the end of its lifespan. Although the state agency has for years warned of a “glidepath toward failure” regarding funding for road maintenance and preservation, WSDOT officials now say years of funding gaps have added up to the tune of $11 billion worth of project backlog.

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Two ballot measures loom large for Spokane voters in the upcoming Nov. 7 general election. Measure No. 1 calls for a two-tenths of 1% increase in the countywide sales tax – that is, 2 cents more on every $10 purchase – beginning next April and continuing over 30 years. There is an exemption on motor vehicle sales and leases. If enacted, the measure over time will raise an estimated $1.7 billion for criminal justice, public safety, and behavioral health purposes. Voters across Spokane County will see Measure 1 on their ballots, which are being mailed out later this week. Another initiative, Proposition No. 1, seeks to ban homeless encampments near schools, parks, playgrounds, and childcare facilities within Spokane City limits. Only Spokane voters within city limits will decide this proposal.

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Brad Meryhew, chair of the Washington State Sex Offender Policy Board, said he wants to clear the air regarding a research document by an outside agency that was brought up by Cathy Dahlquist, a former state legislator, at the board's Sept. 21 meeting. The document is a summary put together by the SOPB’s data scientist of a draft Model Penal Code document from the American Law Institute, a Philadelphia-based research and advocacy group of judges, lawyers and legal scholars. The MPC concludes that community notification actually undermines public safety, recommending that sex offender registries be reserved for law enforcement and not be made available to the public. The institute reasons that notifications and registries make it more difficult for offenders to re-integrate into the community.

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King County’s work to address a pandemic-caused caseload backlog has seen some success as of late, but over 1,500 more serious cases remain unaddressed. According to the criminal case backlog report, the district court-filed backlog was fully addressed as of March 31. Yet the report notes that Superior Court felony pending cases are not expected to reach pre-COVID 19 pandemic volume within the next several years “under any plausible funding scenarios."

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