Capitol  Buzz

THE CURRENT | A WASHINGTON HOUSE REPUBLICAN EMAIL UPDATE

• The Current | March 10

CAPITOL CALENDAR RADIO/AUDIO

• Capitol Calendar | March 13-17 (SoundCloud)

VIDEO UPDATE

• Week nine review with House Republican Leader J.T. Wilcox | March 10 (YouTube)

ABORTION

• Murray, Cantwell, Ferguson talk about reproductive rights and Walgreens (KNWN Radio)

BUSINESS, ECONOMY & LABOR

• US government moves to stop potential banking crisis (AP)
• Biden tells US to have confidence in banks after 2 collapse (AP)
• Bank stocks plunge and S&P 500 swings as Wall Street shakes (AP)
• Hurt at work? WA lawmakers revive stalled push targeting chronic injuries (The Seattle Times)
• Washington state ranked No. 15 for increasing unemployment claims (The Center Square)

COMMUNITY & FAMILY ISSUES

• Surrendering a baby: Keeping the process safe and lawful in Washington state (KAPP/KVEW)
• ‘It’s torture.’ Mother of missing Tacoma girl still looking for answers 27 years later (The News Tribune)

CONGRESS

• BLOG: Perez gets national media attention for bipartisan views (Carlos Fuentes/The Columbian)

COURTS (FEDERAL)

• Seattle officers’ defamation suit against Kshama Sawant dismissed (The Seattle Times)

COURTS (STATE)

• Appeal that delayed Ellis cops’ trial is moot, justices say. Tacoma payroll hit to top $1M (The News Tribune)

CRIME

• WA has no hate crime hotline, but the idea is gaining traction (The Seattle Times)
• Officials say protection and restraining orders can ‘create a false sense of security’ (KING TV)
• Seattle wants to curb illegal dumping with cameras (The Seattle Times)
• ‘I just want to close it and go and do something else:’ Lynnwood car lot owner frustrated by thefts (KIRO TV)
• FBI offers $50K reward to catch Northwest grid’s armed attackers (KUOW Radio)
• Former tribal police chief convicted of sexually abusing young children (KUOW Radio)
• EDITORIAL: Pass compromise bill on illicit drug possession (The Seattle Times)

CYBERSECURITY

• Health data breach hitting Congress ‘could be extraordinary’ (AP/MyNorthwest)

EARLY LEARNING

• Free Bezos-backed preschool opens in Everett (The Everett Herald)

EDUCATION

• The next McCleary? Tiny district with decaying school buildings sues WA state (The Seattle Times)
• School funding bill sponsored by McEntire passes House unanimously (The Chronicle)
• Lawmakers plan to expand the number of students who receive free and reduced meals (Washington State Journal/Lynden Tribune)
• Washington teacher turnover hits new high as students struggle to recover from pandemic disruptions (KUOW Radio)
• Family of student with disability sues Eastmont for discrimination (The Wenatchee World)
• Olympia schools deficit could fall to $13.9 million, but only with layoffs, update shows (The Olympian)
• EDITORIAL: Special ed students are worth the money. It’s time WA provides enough of it (Tri-City Herald)

ELECTIONS

• New state bill looking to address deep fake election photos and videos (KPQ Radio)
• WA Secretary of State responds to Donald Trump’s comments about ERIC (KXLY TV)

ENERGY & UTILITIES

• Inslee demands feds reject gas pipeline expansion (KONA Radio)
• Bill to reduce wildfire risk through utilities passed WA House (KONA Radio)

ENVIRONMENT

• WA rivers, lake nominated to receive new environmental protections (Skagit Valley Herald/The Seattle Times)
• EDITORIAL: Air study’s a start — but then what? (Yakima Herald-Republic)

FEDERAL GOVERNMENT & THE WHITE HOUSE

• US government ponders the meaning of race and ethnicity (AP)
• OPINION: USDA misses mark with ‘Product of the USA’ rule (Bill Bullard, CEO R-CALF USA, the largest producer-only lobbying and trade association representing U.S. cattle producers/Capital Press)

FISH

• Rep. Joel Kretz claims Gov. Jay Inslee killed salmon restoration bill (KPQ Radio)
• Washington bill shielding private fish groups from suits draws opposition (Capital Press)

GUN RIGHTS

• State Rep. Jim Walsh criticizes bill banning sale of ‘assault weapons’ after House passage (The Chronicle)
• Critics warn of firearms database if Washington House bill becomes law (The Center Square)
• COLUMN: WA assault weapons bill goes after the biggest guns — in more ways than one (Danny Westneat/The Seattle Times)

HEALTH CARE & HOSPITALS

• Millions who rely on Medicaid may be cut from program (AP)
• Bill would cap insulin costs for patients at $35 per month (Washington State Journal/Lynden Tribune)
• OPINION: Keep pressing to make insulin affordable for all (Dorothy Pena, a nurse and doctoral student at the University of Washington’s Family Nurse Practitioner Program/Everett Herald)

HIGHER EDUCATION

• WA college-going rate dropped sharply during pandemic (The Seattle Times)
• These WA ZIP codes saw the most applicants for Biden’s student loan relief (The Seattle Times)
• OPINION: New SFCC program will help meet community’s mental health needs (Kimberlee Messina, Ed.D., is president of Spokane Falls Community College/The Spokesman-Review)

HOMELESSNESS

• Washington’s first homeless shelter-based Girl Scout troop is back in business (The Seattle Times)
• ‘Funding cliff’ ahead for Whatcom homeless services (The Bellingham Herald)
• EDITORIAL: To combat homelessness, outreach essential (The Columbian)

HOUSING

• Lawmakers advance plan to legalize more duplexes and quadplexes (Axios – Seattle)
• WA bill to address housing discrimination, including previously in some Longview neighborhoods (The Daily News)
• Rep. Mike Steele’s low-income rehab program bill progresses through state Legislature (KPQ Radio)
• High interest rates not stopping home buyers in Pierce County (KING TV)
• As rent costs increase, so does pressure on Yakima County renters and landlords (Yakima Herald-Republic)
• COLUMN: Have a racist housing covenant in Pierce County? Here’s how to fix it — and why you should (Matt Driscoll/The News Tribune)

LAND USE & PROPERTY RIGHTS

• Ranch purchase in north central WA preserves wildlife corridor (Spokane Public Radio)

LAW ENFORCEMENT

• ‘Places I needed to go’: Suspect allegedly hit driver, fled; cops couldn’t chase (The Center Square)
• Washington law enforcement seek solutions to address uptick in child fentanyl overdoses (KOMO TV)
• Independent team investigating shooting in Everett involving officer, deputies (The Seattle Times)
• Tenino opens probe, removes officer from patrol after KING 5 investigation finds deal hid cop’s troubled past (KING TV)
• OPINION: Senate passes pursuit, drug-possession bills; House has next move (Sen. John Braun/The Chronicle)

LEGISLATURE

• Another major cutoff in the WA Legislature: Here’s what passed and what didn’t (The Olympian)
• A number of bills are dead in the Legislature. Here’s a look at what likely won’t make it through this year: (The Spokesman-Review)
• In Session: police pursuit, gun bills survive cutoff deadline (KING TV)
• Which Washington bills survived this week’s legislative deadline? (KUOW Radio)
• WA lawmakers pass housing, firearm bills ahead of cutoff, leave rent control, recycling bills behind (NW News Network)
• WA legislators fiercely debate over sale of at-home rape test kits (KONA Radio)
• WA lawmakers passed a bill eliminating Daylight Saving Time, but why hasn’t it gone into effect? (KXLY TV)
• 18th Legislative District lawmakers chat with constituents in Vancouver (The Columbian)
• ‘It has been awful’: Bremerton man pleads guilty to stalking state Rep. Michelle Caldier (Kitsap Sun)
• BLOG: Rep. Dan Griffey claims the Democrats’ bill to restrict police pullovers will allow more drunk drivers to be free to endanger innocent people (Shift)
• COLUMN: Inslee wants pursuit bill and press houses face demolition (Jerry Cornfield/Everett Herald)

LOCAL GOVERNMENT

• Bellingham City Council to vote on banning open drug use as part of mayor’s focus on downtown safety (MyNorthwest)

MENTAL HEALTH

• Washington state may boost 988 hotline funding as demand grows (Crosscut)

MILITARY & VETERANS

• Drone skills 101: Special forces train for Ukraine in Methow Valley (NW News Network)
• Douglas County highway renamed for WWII vets (The Wenatchee World)
• Refuge after war: The cost of allyship for some foreign veterans (Crosscut)

OPEN GOVERNMENT

• OPINION: It’s no secret: Transparency is key to good government (Renee Radcliff Sinclair, president and CEO of TVW and a former state representative, and Toby Nixon, president emeritus of the Washington Coalition for Open Government and a former state representative/The Seattle Times)
• COLUMN: Q&A with freedom of information advocate Jeff Roberts (Brier Dudley/The Seattle Times)
• COLUMN: State senators can stop the secrecy campaign underway with HB 1533 (David Nelson/Kitsap Sun)

OTHER STATES

• Debate shapes up over using land to limit carbon emissions (Capital Press)
• Key Oregon housing package in state Legislature moves closer to law (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
• Bill sparks debate on a guaranteed income program for Oregon (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
• No Labels political party secures ballot access in Oregon (AP)
• Oregon eyes mandate for climate change lessons in schools (AP)
• COLUMN: Oregon opens the door to universal basic income in WA (Jon Talton/The Seattle Times)

SCHOOL SAFETY

• Lawsuit alleges former Sumner basketball coach sexually abused and harassed minor (The News Tribune)

STATE GOVERNMENT

• State House passes bill allowing WDFW officers to work private side jobs (The Chronicle)

SUBSTANCE ABUSE

• Fentanyl and alcohol killing people at a record pace in Yakima (KIT Radio)

TAXES

• Proposed Washington wealth tax debated at Senate public hearing (The Center Square)
• BLOG: If the results of a new Washington tax poll were a steak, it would be cooked ‘Well, duh’ (Jim Camden/The Spokesman-Review)

TRANSPORTATION

• Stricter blood alcohol limit fails to pass WA state Senate (MyNorthwest)
• Feds tell planners of new I-5 bridge they must include lift to allow taller ships (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
• I-5 Bridge Replacement Program will also study drawbridge option (The Columbian)
• Sound Transit will shell out millions to keep pace with construction delays (The Seattle Times)
• Spokane public transit a lifeline for many, though ridership slow to recover from pandemic slump (The Spokesman-Review)

TRIBAL ISSUES

• Tribes granted permit to build behavioral health center near Stanwood (The Everett Herald)

WILDFIRE PREVENTION & RESPONSE

• Fire fighting support bill passes WA House (Columbia Basin Herald)
• Artificial Intelligence set to fight wildfires in Washington (KHQ TV)

WILDLIFE

• Wildlife commissioners interview with Washington lawmakers in step toward confirmation (The Spokesman-Review)
• ‘The hired gun of the livestock industry’: Wildlife Services, a federal agency, kills more than 100,000 animals in Washington every year (The Spokesman-Review)
• What researchers learned studying PNW orcas hunting for salmon (The Seattle Times)