Capitol Buzz: House passes bill with $2.2 billion in federal COVID-19 relief after late-night debate; Personal data of 1.4 million Washington unemployment claimants exposed in hack of state auditor

AGRICULTURE & WATER

• COVID, trade issues remain into 2021 for Washington Ag (Pacific Northwest Ag Network)
• Pasco rancher sued by meat packer over 200,000 ‘missing’ cattle, declares bankruptcy (The Spokesman-Review)

BUSINESS, ECONOMY & LABOR

• Washington business owners prepare for big changes under Phase 2 (KCPQ TV)
• Is opening for indoor dining at 25% capacity worth it? 2 Seattle-area restaurateurs explain how they decided (The Seattle Times)
• Reopening Day: Some businesses return with lockdown lifted (The Everett Herald)
• Boeing will pay out 2020 employee bonuses next month, despite a lousy year (The Seattle Times)
• Seattle is state’s leader on climate-friendly building codes; new standards start March 15 (KNKX Radio)
• OPINION: Tacoma needs economic diversity more than ever (David Kirichenko, World Economic Forum/Puget Sound Business Journal)
• EDITORIAL: Economic outlook uncertain amid pandemic (The Columbian)

CORONAVIRUS

• House passes bill with $2.2 billion in federal COVID-19 relief after late-night debate (The News Tribune)
• People jump vaccine line in Washington state, as hundreds of thousands can’t get appointments (KUOW Radio)
• Health Department to vaccine providers: We may cut your supply if you allow VIP scheduling (The Seattle Times)
• Long lines, few vaccines as King County is under looser Phase 2 COVID regulations (The Seattle Times)
• Vaccine appointments in Clark County prove vexing (The Columbian)
• Health officials report more than 12,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine so far administered in Walla Walla Valley (Walla Walla Union-Bulletin)

COURTS (FEDERAL)

• Biden could change course in high court health care case (AP/The Seattle Times)

COURTS (STATE)

• Court reinstates wrongful death claim over police shooting (AP/Yakima Herald-Republic)

CYBERSECURITY

• Personal data of 1.4 million Washington unemployment claimants exposed in hack of state auditor (The Seattle Times)

EDUCATION & SCHOOL SAFETY

• Gov. Inslee vaccination plan does not put teachers at the front of the line (KONA Radio)
• New legislation would pilot year-round school program in Washington (Seattle P-I)
• Schools start community poster campaign: ‘wear a mask to keep kids in class’ (The Daily News)

ENVIRONMENT

• Renovations will close popular beach at Point Defiance Park for a year (The News Tribune)

FEDERAL GOVERNMENT & THE WHITE HOUSE

• Biden meets Republicans on virus aid, but no quick deal (AP/The Seattle Times)
• Washington parents would get big tax breaks under Biden’s COVID relief plan (The News Tribune)
• Is WA unemployment head ‘failing up’ with new role in Biden administration? (MyNorthwest)

FISH

• Podcast | Past the dams, tribes help the Columbia River roll on (Crosscut)

GUN RIGHTS

• OPINION: Misguided magazine bans devalue the protection of innocent lives (Duane Liptak, executive vice president of Magpul Industries Corp/The Spokesman-Review)

HEALTH CARE

• State fines OneShare Health, bans it from selling insurance in Washington state (The News Tribune)

HIGHER EDUCATION

• WSU opens Respiratory Care Center for students experiencing coronavirus symptoms (KQQQ Radio)

HOMELESSNESS

• COLUMN: Why a Tacoma homeless activist dumped garbage on city official’s property (Dori Monson/MyNorthwest)

HOUSING

• Seattle rents declined for months amid the coronavirus pandemic. Now, they’re starting to stabilize (Seattle P-I)

IMMIGRATION

• Washingtonians weigh in on Biden’s immigration agenda (Crosscut)
• U.S. Border Patrol in Blaine thwarts reported smuggling attempt of Romanian nationals (The Bellingham Herald)

LEGISLATURE

• Requirement to teach ‘negative effects of communism’ sparks debate in state Senate (The Spokesman-Review)
• Bill would replace Marcus Whitman statue at U.S. Capitol with one of environmental leader Billy Frank Jr. (The Seattle Times)
• Thousands sign petition against Washington bill that would impose new safety rules for kayaks (KREM TV)

LOCAL GOVERNMENT

• Seattle City Council passes measure to end most natural gas use in commercial buildings and some apartments (The Seattle Times)

MENTAL HEALTH

• Podcast | Seattle police, social workers and mental health crisis calls (Crosscut)

MILITARY & VETERANS

• EDITORIAL: Many reasons to thank Washington National Guard (The Seattle Times)

OTHER STATES

• Oregon 1st state to decriminalize possession of drugs (AP/The Seattle Times)
• Oregon could face $1.6 billion budget shortfall due to pandemic and wildfire spending, revenue slowdown (The Oregonian)
• More than 11,000 Oregonians have left the Republican party since Election Day (The Oregonian)

PARKS

• Storm leaves path of destruction at local state parks (Skagit Valley Herald)

POLITICS

ELECTIONS

• Mosbrucker overseas voter pamphlet bill to get Thursday hearing (KLCK Radio)

SPORTS

• Recruiting during pandemic forces college football programs to get creative (The News Tribune)

STATE GOVERNMENT

• State bill pushes for more online DOL services to reduce backlog (MyNorthwest)
• EDITORIAL: Washington state should impose rules for lawmakers to become lobbyists (Walla Walla Union-Bulletin)

TAXES

• Washington lawmakers passed a tax credit for working families in 2008. Is this the year they finally fund it? (The Seattle Times)
• Tax a billionaire, raise some cash? It’s an idea WA Democrats are floating (NW News Network)

TRANSPORTATION

• Proposed $25.8 billion transportation plan hikes gas tax 18 cents (WPNA/The Daily World)
• EDITORIAL: WA lawmakers should talk to farmers before pushing a low carbon fuel plan (Tri-City Herald)

WILDLIFE

• WDFW encourages public input for hunting season proposals (KPQ Radio)