The Capitol Buzz is a weekday summary of online news stories from across the state, highlighting policies, politics and other issues that affect Washingtonians.
ABORTION
AGRICULTURE & WATER
BUSINESS, ECONOMY & LABOR
- Washington’s maritime industry is pushing to be more inclusive, welcoming (The Seattle Times)
- So far, Washington workers pushed out over vaccine mandates aren’t losing jobless benefits (The Seattle Times)
- Vaccine verification to expand to small restaurants, bars in King County (MyNorthwest)
- King County health officer says he hopes to lift some Covid-19 mandates next spring (Puget Sound Business Journal)
- Amazon’s employee surveillance fuels unionization efforts: ‘It’s not prison, it’s work’ (The Washington Post/The Seattle Times)
CHILD CARE
- Clark County, Southwest Washington child care in crisis (The Columbian)
- Where are the Whatcom workers? Data suggests one thing is holding them back (The Bellingham Herald)
CONGRESS
- Washington Rep. Kim Schrier talks big fed infrastructure spend, Build Back Better (KOHO Radio)
- Newhouse responds to Biden Administration’s Oil and Gas Report (KPQ Radio)
- EDITORIAL: Even a day to remember slavery divides us (The Seattle Times)
CORONAVIRUS
- Omicron variant found in Washington state (The Seattle Times)
- Coronavirus vaccine demand grows in U.S. amid omicron variant concerns, booster eligibility expansion (The Washington Post/The Seattle Times)
- First Omicron variant case reported in Pierce County, 2 other WA counties also see cases (The Olympian)
- Is it time to change the definition of ‘fully vaccinated’? (Kaiser Health News/The Seattle Times)
- ‘The pandemic is over,’ Franklin commissioner tells WA when questioned about no masks (Tri-City Herald)
COURTS (STATE)
DAMS
EDUCATION
- Kindering helps children with special needs — and their parents — live better lives (The Seattle Times)
- In Washington state schools, some jobs are harder to fill than others (The Seattle Times)
EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS & SERVICES
- Preliminary flood damage estimates in Whatcom County at least $50M (KCPQ TV)
- State officials answer questions about Whatcom flood insurance and damage assistance (The Bellingham Herald)
ENERGY & UTILITIES
- With coal in the rearview, future of Skookumchuck Dam in question (The Chronicle)
- OPINION: Learn from California’s mistakes (George Caan, executive director of the Washington Public Utility Districts Association and Kent Lopez, general manager of the Washington Rural Electric Cooperative Association/The Columbian)
ENVIRONMENT
GAMBLING
HIGHER EDUCATION
- Washington’s Opportunity Scholarship program celebrates 6,196 grads, and counting (The Seattle Times)
- CBC creates online option for unvaccinated students (KEPR TV)
HOMELESSNESS
- Columbia River Mental Health Services offers homeless health care to go (The Columbian)
- Homeless encampment to be cleared soon from Sound Transit property in Tacoma (The News Tribune)
LAW ENFORCEMENT
- A lonely death in jail, an abusive guard and a Clallam County mother’s quest for justice (The Seattle Times)
- July trial date set for Pierce County Sheriff Ed Troyer on false-reporting charges (The Seattle Times)
- Federal Way looks to ramp up police hiring in wake of rise in gun violence (MyNorthwest)
LEGISLATURE
- District 19’s legislators expect “damage control” in upcoming session (The Daily News)
- EDITORIAL: Parking should not be a priority for Capitol modernization plan (The Olympian)
LOCAL GOVERNMENT
- Ridgefield City Council drops $30 car tab fee (The Columbian)
- EDITORIAL: Seattle and King County have deserted Little Saigon (The Seattle Times)
LONG-TERM CARE
- Changes lawmakers are hoping to make to Washington’s long term care tax (KING TV)
- EDITORIAL: Safe Stay; rethink tax plan (The Columbian)
MEDIA
- CNN fires Chris Cuomo ‘effective immediately’ for helping with brother’s scandal (KCPQ TV)
- EDITORIAL: All I want for Christmas is improved media literacy (The Columbian)
MENTAL HEALTH
- EDITORIAL: Mental health and drug problems don’t stop at the river. Franklin County must do its part (Tri-City Herald)
- EDITORIAL: LEAD program brightens our collective future (Walla Walla Union-Bulletin)
MILITARY & VETERANS
- ‘A series of broken promises’: How the Spokane VA became testing ground for new health record system (The Spokesman-Review)
- ‘Veterans here are tired of being guinea pigs’: After more than a year, new health record system still causing problems at Spokane VA hospital (The Spokesman-Review)
OTHER STATES
- California DAs, retailers: Get tougher on retail theft (AP/The Columbian)
- Gov’s move could impact more than 70 convicted felons (KWHT)
- OPINION: Legislators must protect families facing eviction with special session fix (Sen. Kayse Jama-D, District 24-Portland who chairs the Senate Committee on Housing and Rep. Julie Fahey, D-District 14-West Eugene/Junction City who chairs the House Committee on Housing/The Oregonian)
REDISTRICTING
- Washington Supreme Court won’t redraw political maps, will accept redistricting commission’s work (The Seattle Times)
- WA Supreme Court decides not to get involved in redistricting (Crosscut)
- ‘Chaotic, disorganized’ redistricting process faces criticism in wake of state court ruling (MyNorthwest)
- Supreme Court OKs redistricting plan that displaces one Yakima lawmaker (Yakima Herald-Republic)
- Court-approved redistricting plan splits up Chelan, Douglas counties (The Wenatchee World)
SCHOOL SAFETY
SOCIAL MEDIA
STATE GOVERNMENT
TRANSPORTATION
- Apple Cup light-rail stall shows Sound Transit’s communication strategy needs to grow up (The Seattle Times)
- With Lynnwood on the verge of a metamorphosis, Sound Transit seeks input on development (The Seattle TImes)
- Paine Field Airport in Everett to see travel increase 400% by 2040, report says (KING TV)
- If you block the box in some intersections, cameras will catch you, and Seattle DOT will mail the ticket (The Seattle Times)
- Why transit access can be unsafe for deaf and blind passengers (Crosscut)
TRIBAL ISSUES
WILDLIFE
