Capitol  Buzz

AGRICULTURE & WATER

• Cherry harvest delay expected; bloom for cherries and apples looks good (The Wenatchee World)
• EDITORIAL: Lawmakers must act to protect waterways (The Columbian)

BUSINESS, ECONOMY & LABOR

• ‘Strive harder’: Amazon workers protest company’s climate impact, return-to-office mandate (AP)
• Seattle aims to protect gig workers from sudden termination (KNKX Radio)
• Seattle chamber data shows overwhelming adoption of hybrid work (Puget Sound Business Journal)

CANNABIS

• Horrifying headlines have cannabis in the news once again (The Inlander)

COMMUNITY & FAMILY ISSUES

• EDITORIAL: As demand grows, Seattle area food banks need your help (The Seattle Times)

CONGRESS

• Washington Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez failed to pay property taxes on her NE Portland auto repair shop (The Oregonian)
• After sailing through House on bipartisan vote, Biden-McCarthy debt ceiling deal now goes to Senate (AP/The Seattle Times)
• Bill to undo Biden’s student loan debt forgiveness plan will get a vote in US Senate (USA TODAY/Kitsap Sun)
• Don Bonker, former Southwest Washington congressional representative, dead at 86 (The Columbian)
• COLUMN: IRS funding lost in debt limit bill compromise, tax cheats rejoice (Dave Ross/MyNorthwest)

COURTS (FEDERAL)

• U.S. Supreme Court rules against Seattle union in fight with concrete firm (The Seattle Times)
• WSU Coach’s $25 million lawsuit forced to drop Inslee as defendant (The Center Square)

COURTS (STATE)

• Life in prison reduced to 38 years for 1995 Skykomish River killing (The Everett Herald)

CRIME

• Convicted King County murderer arrested on $5M warrant for another murder in Tri-Cities (Tri-City Herald)
• Disturbing footage captures violent outburst inside Pierce County youth detention center (KIRO TV)
• Disturbance at Tacoma juvenile detention center draws police. Video circulates online (The News Tribune)

EDUCATION

• Washington collects $600 million more than expected for schools (The Center Square)
• OPINION: Elementary sex ed promoted puberty blockers, pubic hair art (Jason Rantz/MyNorthwest)

EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS & SERVICES

• Marysville firefighters save boy who fell 20 feet into well (The Everett Herald)

ENVIRONMENT

• Spokane breaks another monthly weather record with scorching May (The Spokesman-Review)

HEALTH CARE & HOSPITALS

• Your questions about WA Cares, answered (Axios – Seattle)

HIGHER EDUCATION

• WSU team invents an autonomous insect-like machine with a plethora of environmental and research applications (The Inlander)

HOMELESSNESS

• Seniors near scene of Seattle encampment homicide say state has ‘turned their backs on us’ (KOMO TV)
• Burien encampment deadline passes — questions over legality and shelter remain (The Seattle Times)
• Burien animal shelter will clear tent encampment after City Council fails to reach agreement (KUOW Radio)
• ‘Hope on wheels’: The Salvation Army cuts the ribbon on new homeless outreach and transportation vans (The Spokesman-Review)

HOUSING

• Need for home builders is ‘tremendous’ as current workforce nears retirement and housing shortage grows (The Spokesman-Review)
• The cost of housing has skyrocketed in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue (The Center Square)
• $970M Seattle Housing Levy moves forward, awaits vote (MyNorthwest)
• Adding affordable ‘workforce’ housing near Seattle’s industrial waterfront divides labor unions (KNKX Radio)
• Spokane communities win funds to turn brownfields into affordable housing (Spokane Public Radio)

IMMIGRATION

• A waste of public money? ICE paid firm $40M for unused beds at Tacoma detention center (The News Tribune)

LAW ENFORCEMENT

• Family to sue Lewis County Sheriff’s Department for allegedly sabotaging death investigation of hiker (KING TV)
• Police chief departing Mukilteo after 20 years, 322 Yelp reviews (The Everett Herald)

MEDIA

• Study: Washington’s local news decline hurts democracy, costs taxpayers (The Center Square)

OTHER STATES

• Kotek quits negotiations as Oregon Senate GOP walkout hits fourth week (Oregon Capitol Chronicle/The Columbian)
• Gov. Tina Kotek: Impasse between Democrats, Republicans over abortion, gender care could torpedo rest of session (The Oregonian)
• New Oregon gun law, Measure 114, to face federal court test next week (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

PARKS

• At State Parks, revenue is up and staffing levels are down (Washington State Standard)

POLITICS

CONGRESS

• COLUMN: Everyone says they want compromise in politics, until it happens (Danny Westneat/The Seattle Times)

PRIVACY

• Amazon fined $25M for violating child privacy with Alexa (AP/MyNorthwest)

SCHOOL SAFETY

• 3 shootings near Garfield High raise concerns about security, safety (The Seattle Times)

STATE GOVERNMENT

• Daybreak Youth Services, state agency file complaints against each other (The Columbian)

TAXES

• Payroll tax for long-term care program kicks in July 1 (Axios – Seattle)
• Get ready, come July 1st, money to come out of Washington workers paychecks for WA Cares Fund (KAPP/KVEW)

TRANSPORTATION

• Sea-Tac Airport parking rates going up more than 30% (MyNorthwest)
• WSDOT summer construction projects and fish passage work begins (FOX 13)
• Summer means traffic delays for Washington highways (MyNorthwest)
• Federal Way Link light rail extension delayed until 2026 (MyNorthwest)
• New law expands Driver’s Assistance Program for teens in foster care (KING TV)

TRIBAL ISSUES

• Lummi Nation moves to block BC port expansion they say would impact salmon (KUOW Radio)

WILDFIRE PREVENTION & RESPONSE

• EDITORIAL: Lack of KID water during Zintel Canyon fire caused frightening scenario (Tri-City Herald)

WILDLIFE

• Cougar sighting in Duvall concerns some residents (MyNorthwest)
• State wildlife managers look beyond ‘hook and bullet’ species (Washington State Standard)

WOLVES

• ‘This is the worst it’s been’: Wolves take aim at Republic ranch livestock (KXLY TV)
• EDITORIAL: A pet peeve about Washington’s wolf policy (Capital Press)