Capitol  Buzz

BUSINESS, ECONOMY & LABOR

• Washington state predicts U.S. economic ‘slowdown,’ not recession (The Center Square)
• Seattle Amazon workers plan walkout Wednesday over layoffs, return-to-office mandate (KIRO TV)
• Amazon walkout to go ahead after 1,700 employees sign on, organizers say (The Seattle Times)
• Report: Boeing in talks with Saudi airline for 150 Max jets (Puget Sound Business Journal)
• Washington’s Department of Labor and Industries proposing new rules on employers safety for outdoor workers (KAPP/KVEW)
• New Columbia Fruit Packers says it will investigate concerns from Yakima workers (Yakima Herald-Republic)

CAP-AND-TRADE PROGRAM

• Think tank: Ecology removes gas price impacts of WA’s new carbon tax from its website (The Center Square)

CAPITAL BUDGET

• Several North Clark County projects receive funding from state capital budget (The Reflector)

COMMUNITY & FAMILY ISSUES

• WA’s population is aging. The trend is most striking in these counties (The Seattle Times)
• WA woman launches home schools for Afghan girls kept out of class (Crosscut)

CONGRESS

• OPINION: The IRS has a new no-pursuit policy with the deal for the debt ceiling (Dave Ross/MyNorthwest)

COURTS (FEDERAL)

• Federal judge dismisses Inslee, Chun from former WSU football coach Nick Rolovich’s lawsuit (The Spokesman-Review)

COURTS (STATE)

• Washington Supreme Court to rule on constitutionality of Washington State Voting Rights Act (Northwest Public Broadcasting)
• Seattle city attorney will end community court, but some say the reason why is misleading (KNKX Radio)
• Will an attempted murder suspect who wasn’t given a lawyer go free? Tri-Cities judge rules (Tri-City Herald)

CRIME

• Washington officials seeking worker safety solutions after string of robberies (KING TV)
• Burglars equipped with kayaks, wetsuits, rob $20K from Bellevue home (MyNorthwest)
• COLUMN: Man ‘sucker punched’ in downtown Seattle as crime plagues city (Jason Rantz/MyNorthwest)

EDUCATION

• Tri-City students still missing after COVID. Kennewick levy loss a budget double whammy (Tri-City Herald)
• State investigation continues on complaint over pronouns in La Center schools (The Reflector)

ENERGY & UTILITIES

• To keep Camano lights on, PUD builds a new power line (The Everett Herald)
• OPINION: Wind farms are winning in Washington (Eric Melbardis, EDP renewables North America/Yakima Herald-Republic)

FEDERAL GOVERNMENT & THE WHITE HOUSE

• What the debt-ceiling deal means for student loan payments (The New York Times/The Seattle Times)

HEALTH CARE & HOSPITALS

• WA individual health insurance market customers could face average rate increase of 9.1% (The Olympian)
• Washington insurance companies file to increase rates (The Center Square)
• Medicaid coverage ending for some in Washington state (MyNorthwest)
• British Columbia begins to send cancer patients to Bellingham for treatment (KOMO TV)

HOMELESSNESS

• How the Regional Homelessness Authority plans to get millions in new funding (The Seattle Times)
• Eviction deadline looms for Burien encampment as occupants still have nowhere to go (KOMO TV)
• King County accuses City of Burien of mishandling homeless camp removal (KING TV)
• Camp Hope will close by June 30 as leaders project blame for duration of camp (The Spokesman-Review)

HOUSING

• Assistance pledged to Poulsbo Mobile Home Park repairs now dedicated to rent relief (Kitsap Sun)
• Kitsap Community Resources planning $5 million townhome project in Bremerton (Kitsap Sun)
• OPINION: The ‘amenity trap’ that is driving NCW’s housing crisis (Rufus Woods, publisher emeritus/The Wenatchee World)

LAW ENFORCEMENT

• Courts consider lifting federal oversight of Seattle police (Crosscut)
• Judge overseeing Seattle police reform raises questions over racial disparities (The Seattle Times)
• Is the Seattle Police sufficiently reformed or does it require more oversight? (KUOW Radio)
• Man fatally shot by Vancouver police was a suspect in armed robberies (The Columbian)

LEGISLATURE

• OPINION: Republican resolve leads to better drug possession law (Sen. John Braun/The Reflector)

LONG-TERM CARE

• There’s still time to receive an exemption from Washington’s long-term care tax (Washington State Standard)

MENTAL HEALTH

• ‘988 saved my life’: local man shares how quickly-growing crisis line helped him overcome (KING TV)
• Daybreak Youth Services loses license for Spokane clinic as issues continue at regional facilities (The Spokesman-Review)

OTHER STATES

• Portland-area poll finds huge appetite for tougher tactics on homelessness (The Oregonian)
• City Council to hear Portland mayor’s proposed ban on daytime camps, tents on sidewalks (KATU TV/KOMO TV)
• Boycotting Oregon senators believe loophole will allow them to win another term (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
• Nevada becomes latest to enhance penalties for election worker intimidation after statewide exodus (AP)

SECURITY

• OPINION: Unmasking the Chinese Communist Party’s global threat (U.S. Rep. Dan Newhouse, 4th Congressional District/The Wenatchee World)

STATE GOVERNMENT

• AG sues makers of PFAS ‘forever chemicals’ that have seeped into drinking water (Washington State Standard)
• ‘Dangerous conditions’: Union representing Echo Glen staff says safety concerns have been ignored (KING TV)
• Investigation sheds light on tenure of fired director of WA Equity Office (The Seattle Times)

SUBSTANCE ABUSE

• WA has upped efforts to get naloxone into communities. Is it enough? (The Daily News)
• NorthStar ready to be new tool in opioid fight in Clark County (The Columbian)
• ‘Tranq dope’ (Columbia Basin Herald)
• EDITORIAL: Make public drug use illegal in Seattle but prioritize compassion (The Seattle Times)

TAXES

• Report: Washington state capital gains tax a windfall for schools (MyNorthwest)
• Report: Washington property tax approach ranks about average among states (The Center Square)

TECHNOLOGY

• Artificial intelligence threatens extinction, experts say in new warning (AP/MyNorthwest)

TRANSPORTATION

• WA fuel prices jump over Memorial weekend, 17th week of raises (KIT Radio)
• New state law could speed up construction of Washington ferries (KIRO TV)
• Weeklong closure coming to Highway 9 section in Lake Stevens (The Everett Herald)

TRANSPORTATION BUDGET

• OPINION: Legislature approves funding and timeline for Confluence Parkway (Sen. Brad Hawkins, 12th District/The Wenatchee World)

WILDFIRE PREVENTION & RESPONSE

• Chelan commissioners express worry about forest wildfire danger (KPQ Radio)