The Capitol Buzz is a weekday summary of online news stories from across the state, highlighting policies, politics and other issues that affect Washingtonians.
OUR NEWS RELEASES FROM THIS WEEK
- Republican leaders say tax relief critical as higher prices crush working families
- Stokesbary introduces legislation to repeal long-term care mandate and replace it with affordable and optional alternative
- Rep. Jeremie Dufault proposes legislation to repeal capital gains income tax
- McCaslin bill would allow WSDOT to hire back workers who have had COVID
- McEntire legislation to assist small schools with capital finances scheduled for public hearing
HOUSE AND SENATE REPUBLICAN MEDIA AVAILABILITY
VIDEO UPDATE OF THE WEEK
AGRICULTURE & WATER
BUSINESS, ECONOMY & LABOR
- Inslee: Supreme Court ruling doesn’t bar future vaccine mandate for Washington employers (Puget Sound Business Journal)
- Businesses react to ruling against Biden vaccine mandate (AP/The Seattle Times)
- Businesses whipsawed again as justices block vaccine mandate (The New York Times/The Seattle Times)
- Most insurers don’t comply with insurance commissioner’s request for premium data (The Center Square)
- How the Port of Seattle is whittling away at supply chain backlogs (KUOW Radio)
- Navient reaches a deal to cancel $1.7 billion in student loan debts (KUOW Radio)
- Washington grocery workers ‘begging’ for more hours as wages don’t keep up with bills (KUOW Radio)
- Microsoft pledges to make public investigation into claims of sexual harassment, including those against Bill Gates (The Seattle TImes)
- Unionizing Starbucks, inspired by Bernie Sanders (The New York Times/The Seattle Times)
- OPINION: Tariffs on Canadian lumber are driving up home prices (Chuck Fowke, chairman of the National Association of Home Builders/The Seattle TImes)
CORONAVIRUS
- Inslee calls out National Guard to help at overtaxed hospitals, testing sites (The Seattle Times)
- National Guard deployed to help Sacred Heart; Inslee pauses nonurgent procedures statewide (The Spokesman-Review)
- Surgeries paused, National Guard deployed to assist hospitals (The Everett Herald)
- New hospital admissions surge as omicron spreads through Clark County (The Columbian)
- Outbreaks at businesses, care facilities on the rise as Omicron surges in Pierce County (The News Tribune)
- DOH: Breakthrough COVID-19 cases on the rise during omicron surge (KIRO TV)
- Center for Covid Control to ‘pause’ testing nationwide after Washington location shut down (KCPQ TV)
- EDITORIAL: ‘It really is that bad.’ WA doctors grateful for National Guard’s help amid COVID spike (The News Tribune)
COURTS (FEDERAL)
CRIME
- Failing to share HIV status downgraded from felony to misdemeanor in Washington (The Spokesman-Review)
- Clark County law enforcement officials discuss rising property crime at town hall (The Columbian)
EDUCATION
- Rep. Walsh introduces American history bill to stem ‘unenrollment’ in public schools (The Center Square)
- Franklin High School students stage sick-out to demand better COVID safety precautions (MyNorthwest)
- Critical staff shortages will close Spokane Public Schools on Tuesday (The Spokesman-Review)
- South Kitsap schools shutting down because of increasing COVID-19 activity (Kitsap Sun)
- School district in Mason County suspends in-person learning due to surging coronavirus cases and staffing shortages (iFibeOneNewsRadio-KMAS)
ENERGY & UTILITIES
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT & THE WHITE HOUSE
- Biden all but concedes defeat on voting, election bills (AP/The Seattle TImes)
- Biden administration launches program to fix 15,000 bridges (AP/The Seattle Times)
- Goodbye ‘godsend’: Expiration of child tax credits hits home (AP/The Seattle Times)
FISH
HEALTH CARE
- ‘The worst’ it’s been: Covid hospitalizations reach all-time high in Washington state (KUOW Radio)
- Washington hospitals in ‘worst situation’ yet since COVID-19 pandemic started: WSHA (KCPQ TV)
- Clark County emergency rooms report drastic increase in patients (The Columbian)
- WA hospital workers filed record number of workplace safety complaints last year, unions say (The Seattle Times)
- As WA lawmakers consider a safe staffing bill, nurses warn of crisis conditions and risks to patients (KUOW Radio)
HIGHER EDUCATION
- With Omicron variant surging, Tacoma college extends virtual learning through March (The News Tribune)
- COLUMN: Community colleges and apprentice programs can bridge skills gap (David Kirichenko/Puget Sound Business Journal)
HOMELESSNESS
- New coalition tells state lawmakers to prioritize ending chronic homelessness (Puget Sound Business Journal)
- WSDOT threatens to clear homeless camp, City of Spokane says they legally can’t do anything (KREM TV)
LAND USE & PROPERTY RIGHTS
- Mission Ridge says expansion project faces ‘disjointed’ application process (The Wenatchee World)
- OPINION: Lift conservation futures levy lid to save more (Dave Schaub is the executive director of Inland Northwest Land Conservancy, and Eric Sawyer is chair of the Spokane County Conservation Futures Land Evaluation Committee/The Spokesman-Review)
LAW ENFORCEMENT
- Head of corrections union calls for 2-week quarantined shutdown of King County jails (The Seattle Times)
- Vancouver Police Chief McElvain to retire in early summer (The Columbian)
LEGISLATURE
- Family hopes to turn loss into legislation after hazing leads to death of son at WSU: ‘It’s to save a life for the one taken from us’ (The Spokesman-Review)
- Legislators consider bill to crack down on hazing (Columbia Basin Herald)
- Mosbrucker voters pamphlet bill passes House (KLCK Radio)
- Proposals from Senator Hawkins off to fast start in state Legislature (KPQ Radio)
- BLOG: Once again Rep. Joe Fitzgibbon creates controversy on Twitter (Shift)
LOCAL GOVERNMENT
- Millwood mayor, county commissioners disagree on ‘most qualified’ applicants to serve on Spokane health board (The Spokesman-Review)
- Burien extends eviction moratorium until state of emergency ends (MyNorthwest)
LONG-TERM CARE
MILITARY & VETERANS
OTHER STATES
- Metal detectors and bag checks are coming to Oregon’s Capitol (OPB)
- Oregon rolls out new plans to support its clogged health care system during the omicron surge (The Oregonian)
- Portland area COVID-19 hospitalizations near delta peak (The Oregonian)
STATE GOVERNMENT
TAXES
TRANSPORTATION
- WSDOT accuses Kittitas County of ‘misinformation’ on snow removal dispute (MyNorthwest)
- Kittitas County rebukes WSDOT over refusal to accept help in clearing of roads due to county’s “failure” to enforce vaccine mandates (iFiberOneNewsRadio-KMAS)
- Kittitas County ‘disappointed’ vaccine mandate prevents state from accepting help in clearing snow (KING TV)
- After weeklong closure, Stevens Pass and White Pass reopen (The Seattle Times)
- Finally! All mountain passes are open again in Washington (KXLY)
- It will cost Tacoma $3.5M to settle fight over pipes tied to I-5 construction project (The News Tribune)
- U.S. to let teens drive semitrucks in test apprenticeship program (AP/The Seattle Times)
- COLUMN: WSDOT’s snowplow service refusal over vaccine mandates ‘unbelievable,’ lawmaker says (Dori Monson/MyNorthwest)
