Capitol  Buzz

HOUSE AND SENATE REPUBLICAN MEDIA AVAILABILITY

• March 14, 2023 (YouTube/TVW)

ABORTION

• Inslee joins coalition of governors calling on pharmacies to clarify plans on medication abortion (KIRO TV)

AGRICULTURE & WATER

• Limiting PFAS could be expensive for WA water plants (The Seattle Times)

BUSINESS, ECONOMY & LABOR

• U.S. inflation eases but stays high, putting Fed in tough spot (AP)
• Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue metro area ranked 4th in nation for rising inflation (The Center Square)

CONGRESS

• Plans for Billy Frank Jr. statue at U.S. Capitol move ahead (Axios – Seattle)
• Newhouse comes to Yakima with legislative announcement (KNDO/KNDU)
• Gluesenkamp Perez tours Woodland nonprofit that assists low-income people (The Daily News)
• Schrier leads caucus Farm Bill task force (NCW Life Channel)

COURTS (FEDERAL)

• Judge dismisses Amazon’s lawsuit against Washington state labor agency (Puget Sound Business Journal)

COURTS (STATE)

• After Redmond killings, experts say protection orders are a valuable but limited tool (The Seattle Times)
• Judge orders refund for ‘fundamentally flawed’ waterfront park LID tax (MyNorthwest)

CRIME

• Washington ranks third in the nation for car thefts last year (KIRO TV)
• Auto Theft Prevention has funds siphoned while car thefts reach all-time high (MyNorthwest)
• Richland Police deploying new tools to fight rising auto thefts (KEPR TV)
• Lawmakers consider stronger rules to curb catalytic converter theft (KNWN Radio)
• SODO business owners urge city leadership to improve public safety amid multiple break-ins (KOMO TV)
• ‘We want zero homicides:’ Pierce County sees 80% drop in homicide in first months of 2023 (FOX 13)
• Redmond police chief pushes to strengthen stalking laws (KING TV)

EDUCATION

• Cathy McMorris Rodgers discusses TikTok, internet connection with Walla Walla High School students (Walla Walla Union-Bulletin)
• Evergreen staff, community members question district budget cuts (The Columbian)

ENERGY & UTILITIES

• Power supply inadequacy moves to WA Senate (KWHT Radio)

FEDERAL GOVERNMENT & THE WHITE HOUSE

• President Biden details new federal measures to strengthen gun laws (AP/The Oregonian)
• How the government decided to rescue Silicon Valley Bank in 72 frenzied hours (The New York Times/The Seattle Times)
• Feds knew fentanyl-tainted pills from Mexican pharmacies were killing Americans (Los Angeles Times/The Seattle Times)

GUN RIGHTS

• EDITORIAL: WA Legislature moving in right direction with gun control bills (The Seattle Times)

HANFORD

• Record Hanford WA nuclear cleanup budget proposed. But will it hit a political roadblock? (Tri-City Herald)

HOMELESSNESS

• ‘No tax in this proposal:’ Inslee proposes $4B bond to fight WA homelessness (KAPP/KVEW)
• Share Talkin’ Trash program offers steppingstone out of homelessness (The Columbian)

HOUSING

• New Seattle apartments are some of the country’s smallest (Axios – Seattle)
• Affordable-housing tax, micro-house village to be decided by Pierce County Council (The News Tribune)
• EDITORIAL: Legislature’s dropping the ball on affordable-housing priority (Yakima Herald-Republic)

LAW ENFORCEMENT

• Reps say police are being handcuffed (The Lewiston Tribune)
• Jury selection begins in trial for suspect charged with shooting, running over Everett police officer (KING TV)
• A man died in the custody of state troopers in Tacoma. Here’s why they won’t be charged (The News Tribune)
• COLUMN: The Seattle seesaw: Traffic tickets from police have dropped 90% (Danny Westneat/The Seattle Times)

LEGISLATURE

• Six Mosbrucker bills pass House, sent to Senate (KLCK Radio)
• ‘Culture of secrecy’: Bill to increase hazing penalty moves closer to final passage (The Spokesman-Review)
• Bill to protect consumer health care data garners support at Senate hearing (The Center Square)
• Kittitas County coroner responds to passage of Senate Bill 5523 (KNDO/KNDU)

LOCAL GOVERNMENT

• Harrell hints at impending moves, including ‘significant laws that will be changed’ (Puget Sound Business Journal)
• Seattle City Attorney’s Office says staff shortage is due to low salaries (The Center Square)
• After passing controversial fee increases for developers, Spokane City Council considers plan B (The Spokesman-Review)
• Bellingham mayor wants public drug use criminalized. Here’s what the City Council said (The Bellingham Herald)
• Chehalis Council bans camping on city property (The Chronicle)

OPEN GOVERNMENT

• OPINION: Sunshine Week: What would James Madison think of government transparency today? (Renee Radcliff Sinclair, former state representative and CEO of TVW/The News Tribune)

OTHER STATES

• States shield addresses of judges, workers after threats (AP)
• Free school lunch for all looks to be off the table in Oregon, for now (The Oregonian)
• Report shows pay gaps narrowing for state of Oregon employees, but there’s still work to do (KLCC/OPB)

PARKS

• Mount Rainier National Park to go cashless on entry fee and camping, but not concessions (The Olympian)

SCHOOL SAFETY

• Ex-Timberline High School student arrested on campus Tuesday after threat, police say (The Olympian)

SPORTS

• Major League Baseball All-Star Week to bring $50M to Seattle (KOMO TV)
• Bremerton’s ‘praying coach’ to return to the sidelines next football season (The Seattle Times)
• COLUMN: Pickleball has ‘exploded’ in Pierce County — for good reason. Here’s where to play (Matt Driscoll/The News Tribune)

STATE GOVERNMENT

• Gov. Jay Inslee visits Walla Walla (Walla Walla Union-Bulletin)
• Gov. Inslee visits Walla Walla to discuss affordable housing, ECEAP and improved fish passages (KNDO/KNDU)

SUBSTANCE ABUSE

• King County fentanyl overdoses for 2023 outpacing 2022 (KIRO TV)
• 1 dead, 1 in critical condition after 6 overdose on fentanyl at Thurston County Jail (The Seattle Times)

TAXES

• Expansion of WA working families tax credit gains support (KONA Radio)

TRANSPORTATION

• Biden Administration proposes $250M in 2024 federal budget for Lynnwood Link extension (KIRO TV)
• Various self-driving car programs make progress across Washington (MyNorthwest)