The Capitol Buzz is a daily summary of online news clips from across the state, discussing policies and politics affecting Washington state.
AGRICULTURE & WATER
- Washington delegation in Mexico this week for agriculture and industry trade mission (Yakima Herald)
- Gov. Inslee tours Samish Bay shellfish farm (Skagit Valley Herald)
BORDER STATES
BUSINESS, LABOR & ECONOMY
- Skagit County taxable retail sales see major gains for end of 2016 (Skagit Valley Herald)
- Bellingham, Lynden NYP restaurants close after bankruptcy filing (The Bellingham Herald)
CONGRESS & FEDERAL GOVERNMENT
COURTS, CRIME & LAW ENFORCEMENT
- Inslee to sign distracted driving and DUI bills (NW News Network)
- Seattle’s police-accountability proposal is overly complex, say SPD chief, city attorney (The Seattle Times)
- Seattle police release dashcam video of officers’ response to Mayor Ed Murray’s home (The Seattle Times)
- East Yakima residents at forum say they don’t trust the police (Yakima Herald)
- Yakima police say they don’t have the money or manpower to stop gang violence (Yakima Herald)
EDUCATION (K-12) & SCHOOL SAFETY
- Report: Washington’s dropout rate is high for students with learning disabilities (The Seattle Times)
- New school building first of its kind in state (Skagit Valley Herald)
ENERGY & UTILITIES
FISH
GUN RIGHTS
HANFORD
HEALTH CARE
- Ineffective medical treatment heaps costs on employers, says Dr. Mary Kay O’Neill (Puget Sound Business Journal)
- OPINION: Don’t deny the poor the opportunity for dental care (Sens. David Frockt and Mark Mullet/The Seattle Times)
- COLUMN: Controlling the high cost of care (K.C. Mehaffey/The Wenatchee World)
HOMELESSNESS
- City of Spokane serves up eviction notice to Blessings Under the Bridge homeless feeding program (The Spokesman-Review)
- Local group meets with Low Income Housing Institute director to discuss possible Harbor project (The Daily World)
LAND USE & PROPERTY RIGHTS
- Gov. Inslee signs bill that gives landlords new power to evict squatters faster (Puget Sound Business Journal)
- Study: Federal program helps sage grouse (AP/Daily Record)
LOCAL GOVERNMENT
- For $585,000, county settles John Koster’s free-speech suit (The Everett Herald)
- Douglas County officials deny meeting in private over Confluence Health permit (The Wenatchee World)
- Former Puyallup Mayor Donald Malloy passes away (The News Tribune)
MENTAL HEALTH
POLITICS
ELECTIONS
- First wave of candidates file for fall election (Kitsap Sun)
- Tri-City races already heat up as 2017 election seasons kicks off (Tri-City Herald)
- EDITORIAL: Elections Can Help Cure Ills (The Columbian)
LEGISLATURE
LOCAL
STATE
Manweller subs for Hutchison at GOP dinner (The Wenatchee World)
STATE GOVERNMENT
TRANSPORTATION
- Did Sound Transit trick voters and lawmakers about Sound Transit 3? Senate panel wants to find out (The News Tribune)
- No getting dragged off an overbooked plane here if lawmaker gets his way (The News Tribune)
- Big paving project on I-5 begins Monday (The Olympian)
- North Cascades Highway to open, despite overnight snow (The Bellingham Herald)