The Capitol Buzz is a weekday summary of online news stories from across the state, highlighting policies, politics and other issues that affect Washingtonians.
AGRICULTURE & WATER
BUSINESS, ECONOMY & LABOR
- Microsoft makes big push to tackle climate change, vowing to be ‘carbon negative’ by 2030 (The Seattle Times)
- When it comes to carbon, Microsoft president says ‘neutrality is not enough’ (Puget Sound Business Journal)
- Microsoft pledges to remove from the atmosphere all the carbon it’s ever emitted (Northwest Public Broadcasting)
- Starbucks, the home of the $4 latte, says it’s moving into poor areas (AP/The Columbian)
- Stolen, abandoned shopping carts a ‘blight’ in Lakewood. City to begin fining stores (The News Tribune)
- Southwest joins rivals in again delaying Boeing jet’s return (AP/The Everett Herald)
- Panel finds FAA followed procedures with 737 Max (AP/The Columbian)
- EDITORIAL: Panel does little to quell concerns on Boeing, FAA (The Everett Herald)
- EDITORIAL: New WNBA agreement is an equity milestone (The Seattle Times)
CONGRESS & FEDERAL GOVERNMENT
COURTS, CRIME & LAW ENFORCEMENT
- SPD fires officer over profane social media posts critical of illegal immigration, attacking Clinton and Obama (The Seattle Times)
- Senate panel hears dramatic testimony about Tiffany Hill’s killing (The Columbian)
- EDITORIAL: Justice for rape survivors is unfinished business. Here’s what Washington state should do in 2020 (The News Tribune)
EDUCATION & SCHOOL SAFETY
- Gig Harbor school principal fired over reports he gave alcohol to student at previous school (The News Tribune)
- Proposed bill would require comprehensive sexual health education in public schools (KNKX Radio)
- OPINION: To stop sexual and domestic violence, start in the classroom (Ben Santos, chair of the Special Assault Unit, King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, and executive director of the Children’s Justice Center of King County, and David Martin, chair of the Domestic Violence Unit and co-chair of the Regional Domestic Violence Firearms Enforcement Unit, King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office/The Seattle Times)
EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS & SERVICES
ENERGY & UTILITIES
- Man who died at Skookumchuck wind site was a young father who saved a coworker (The Chronicle)
- A nuclear research facility is about to open in Everett (The Everett Herald)
- State and county officials reviewing proposed renewable fuel facility near Ferndale (KGMI Radio)
- COLUMN: A big oil pipeline heads our way: Canada’s high court rebuffs B.C. (Joel Connelly/Seattle P-I)
ENVIRONMENT, NATURAL RESOURCES & PARKS
- New bill proposes free admission to state parks (KOMO TV)
- 150 inches of snow since Jan. 1 creates ideal ski conditions at White Pass (The Chronicle)
- They pulled 9 Lime scooters out of Commencement Bay. Now they want answers and solutions (The News Tribune)
- Here’s the next step for the proposed renewable diesel plant near Ferndale (The Bellingham Herald)
- OPINION: Being frank: we must demand a healthy Puget Sound after failures of government programs (Lorraine Loomis, chair of the Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission/ The Chronicle)
FISH
HEALTH CARE
- WA lawmakers seek solutions to soaring prescription costs (iFiberOneNewsRadio-KMAS)
- COLUMN: WA pharmacists can legally prescribe birth control, so why don’t many do it? (Rachel Belle/MyNorthwest)
- EDITORIAL: Local stability in changing industry (Daily Record)
HIGHER EDUCATION
- Student’s arrest at EWU protest prompts First Amendment arguments (The Spokesman-Review)
- New initiatives for WSU Greek community (KLEW TV)
HOMELESSNESS
- When Seattle stores belongings taken during homeless cleanups, few get them back (The Seattle Times)
- Temporary shelters offer escape from bitter cold (The Wenatchee World)
- Proposed bill requires cities with population larger than 15K to overhaul their homeless housing plans (iFiberOne TV)
- Burning hand sanitizer and other ways Seattle homeless are braving cold nights (KUOW Radio)
HOUSING
- While region’s median home prices rose last year, King County’s took a dip — but it won’t last (The Seattle Times)
- COLUMN: Looking for an ADU beauty to encourage affordable housing (Kevin Walthall, Kitsap Sun)
IMMIGRATION
LEGISLATURE
- 4th-graders help renew push to get Washington a state dinosaur (MyNorthwest)
- Spokane lawmaker proposes bill that could help end ‘lunch shaming’ (KXLY)
- Inslee’s carbon setback, sex education, the Second Amendment (The Everett Herald)
- COLUMN: WA Democrat wants government to dictate and censor restaurant menus for kids (Jason Rantz/MyNorthwest)
MARIJUANA
OTHER STATES
- Native American curriculum rolls out in Oregon (The Register-Guard/The Columbian)
- Climate bill could trigger GOP walkout in Oregon Statehouse (AP/The Columbian)
- Gov. Little signs two executive orders further cutting government red tape (KCLK Radio)
- Former Idaho Fish and Game commissioners fear for future, urge prompt salmon, steelhead response (The Lewiston Tribune/The Spokesman-Review)
POLITICS
ELECTIONS
- Secretary of State Kim Wyman unveils election security bill (AP/KOMO TV)
- Effort to register high-school-age voters underway in Spokane (The Spokesman-Review)
- Commissioners react to OneAmerica letter about elections (KIT Radio)
STATEWIDE OFFICE
STATE GOVERNMENT
- State Supreme Court limits Gov. Inslee’s rule cutting greenhouse-gas emissions (The Seattle Times)
- Washington Supreme Court allows caps on direct but not indirect greenhouse gas emissions (The Spokesman-Review)
- State Supreme Court guts state carbon cap program (AP/KOMO TV)
- Inslee pushes clean fuel standard as Supreme Court restricts climate regulation (KIRO TV)
- Inslee statement on Clean Air Rule decision (KCLK Radio)
- Gov. Inslee remains upbeat, despite state Supreme Court ruling against Clean Air Rule (KNKX Radio)
- Why no state emergency for Skykomish after hundreds stranded? Inslee weighs in (KOMO TV)
- COLUMN: Shameful that Jay Inslee abandoned snowed-in people of Skykomish (Dori Monson/MyNorthwest)
- COLUMN: Inslee in hot fight over Clean Fuel Standard to curb global warming (Joel Connelly/Seattle P-I)
SUBSTANCE ABUSE
TAXES
TRANSPORTATION
- State ferry ridership declined in 2019, fast ferries see an increase (Kitsap Sun)
- State Ferries tries out first-ever snow schedule in Anacortes (Skagit Valley Herald)
- Record year for the Tri-Cities Airport. New Pasco flights being added in 2020 (Tri-City Herald)
- Port director challenges state to finish Highway 12 Phase 7 (My Columbia Basin)
- Stevens Pass reopened after long shutdown (The Wenatchee World)
- County Council member criticizes bill seeking to remove Pierce County from Sound Transit 3 (KNKX Radio)
VAPING
WILDLIFE
