Capitol Buzz: Bill to ban natural gas revived, passes in Washington House; Why is car insurance so expensive in WA? Price tied to factors such as theft, inflation Washington House Republicans sent this bulletin at 01/23/2024 10:43 AM PST Having trouble viewing this email? View it as a Web page. Capitol Buzz: January 23, 2024 01/23/2024 10:40 AM PST ABORTION Washington’s abortion snapshot on Roe v. Wade anniversary (Axios – Seattle) In Washington state, pharmacists are poised to start prescribing abortion drugs (KNKX Radio) AGRICULTURE & WATER ‘Everyone is struggling’: WSU helps farmers under stress (Capital Press) USDA doesn’t know how much US ag land owned by foreigners (Pacific Northwest Ag Network) Ecology resists testing rivers before declaring them ‘outstanding’ (Capital Press) ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE Washington state braces for deepfakes ahead of 2024 elections (KUOW Radio) BUSINESS, ECONOMY & LABOR A tug-of-war over gift card reform (The Washington Observer) Washington bill could open up licenses for noncitizens (Columbia Basin Herald) Rising rideshare driver death rate helps prompt new bill for worker benefits (KOMO TV) COMMUNITY & FAMILY ISSUES ‘We wish that we could put you out of business’: Governor visits Centralia domestic violence organization (The Chronicle) CONGRESS McMorris Rodgers, Cantwell request update on federal assistance request for Spokane County wildfires (KXLY TV) COLUMN: Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez says Congress needs down-to-earth members (Julie McDonald/The Reflector) CORRECTIONS & JAILS Proposed law would make hundreds of Washington prisoners eligible for resentencing if they are serving time for juvenile records (The Spokesman-Review) COURTS (STATE) Jury selection begins in trial for Yakima Co. deputy prosecutor accused of sexual assault (KAPP/KVEW) CRIME & PUBLIC SAFETY Bones #20: Last unknown human remains of Green River Killer victim identified (KING TV) Authorities warn of child predators in online chat rooms amid search for missing Mount Vernon teen (FOX 13) Renton detectives investigating cases of stalking with Apple AirTags (MyNorthwest) DRUG CRISIS Tribal leaders call for united fight against opioid abuse crisis (KING TV) State Department of Health to increase Narcan supplies in schools; Clark County districts await doses, details (The Columbian) Former US Surgeon General talks about new opioid overdose treatment (The Wenatchee World) EDUCATION Washington legislation would ban student cell phones in most cases (The Center Square) Washington Legislature considers funding more dual-language programs in schools (The Spokesman-Review) Lawmakers consider curriculum mandates (The Washington Observer) Senate approves LGBTQ+ history curriculum — again (The Washington Observer) Senate considers bill Holocaust, genocide education (The Washington Observer) Tacoma Public Schools hits historic graduation rate (KING TV) ELECTIONS Former Washington secretary of state lists reasons for confidence in elections (Moscow-Pullman Daily News) EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS & SERVICES Bill from Rep. Goehner would support search and rescue efforts (KPQ Radio) ENERGY & UTILITIES Bill to ban natural gas revived, passes in Washington House (MyNorthwest) ‘It’s hitting on all cylinders’: Inslee sees Lewis County’s push for green energy first hand (The Chronicle) Future of Tri-Cities skyline could be set at WA energy council meeting this week (Tri-City Herald) ENVIRONMENT Washington bill creates civil fines, could reduce illegal dumping (NW News Network) GUN RIGHTS COLUMN: Democrats try to bankrupt gun shops with ‘insurmountable’ fees (Jason Rantz/MyNorthwest) HANFORD Feds criticize Hanford contractor for ‘excessively idle’ employees, limit company pay (Tri-City Herald) HEALTH CARE & HOSPITALS Washington bill would redefine ‘vaccine’ for state to purchase RSV immunization (The Center Square) National shortage of RSV vaccine raises concerns for babies’ hospitalization (KXLY TV) HIGHER EDUCATION WSU Regents to consider maximum tuition hike (KQQQ Radio) HOUSING Dept. of Commerce invests $312.6 million in housing opportunities (Snoqualmie Valley Record) Vancouver Housing Authority closes voucher waitlist due to rising rents (The Columbian) Whatcom County ‘rental radar’ expands reach after hundreds report habitability, landlord concerns (The Bellingham Herald) INSURANCE Why is car insurance so expensive in WA? Price tied to factors such as theft, inflation (The News Tribune) LAW ENFORCEMENT After death of Manuel Ellis, state lawmakers consider ending hog-tying by law enforcement (The Olympian) Yakima spent more than $2 million on police overtime in 2023 (The Center Square) OPINION: Tacoma is stuck between agitation and peace. Manny Ellis’ death must push us forward (Jamika Scott, Tacoma City Council/The News Tribune) LEGISLATURE Track bills as they move through the Washington Legislature (Crosscut) Rep. Jacquelin Maycumber calls for immediate public hearing on Initiative 2081 (Parental bill of rights) (KLCK Radio) Proposed bill would change Washington’s jaywalking laws (KOMO TV) Bill to abolish daylight saving time filed in Washington (Axios – Seattle) LOCAL GOVERNMENT Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell issues hiring freeze (The Seattle Times) Public safety spared as Seattle Mayor Harrell grapples with budget shortfall (MyNorthwest) Former Mayor Nadine Woodward had a stalker with a criminal history during her years in office, court documents say (The Spokesman-Review) Chelan County to apply for state grant with plan for Stehekin (KPQ Radio) LONG-TERM CARE Lack of appropriate food at assisted living facilities an example of broad concerns, WA ombuds says (The News Tribune) OTHER STATES Idaho bill would let teachers carry concealed guns in schools (Idaho Statesman/The Columbian) RURAL BROADBAND Kretz’s bill would create ‘frontier’ designation (KOZI Radio) SCHOOL SAFETY State revokes certificate of Toppenish teacher investigated for sexual misconduct (KNDO/KNDU) Chelan elementary evacuated after bomb threat (The Wenatchee World) STATE GOVERNMENT WA Dems propose adding sex offender to policy board: ‘They have invaluable information’ (KOMO TV) Washington bill would require a convicted sex offender serve on state policy board (The Center Square) TAXES Kent Mayor supports proposed sales tax increase to boost public safety statewide (KOMO TV) IRS is trying a new tactic in 2024, but not everyone qualifies (MyNorthwest) TRANSPORTATION Hood River-White Salmon Bridge over Columbia River gets $200 million grant for replacement (The Oregonian) WEATHER & CLIMATE Oregon, Washington schools face continued repairs, damages in the wake of latest storms (Oregon Public Broadcasting) WILDFIRE PREVENTION & RESPONSE EDITORIAL: Invest in wildfire prevention and suppression (The Columbian) WOLVES Rep. Joel Kretz offers alternative to governor’s proposal on gray wolf management (KLCK Radio) Lawmakers hunting for a solution to wolf predation in Washington (The Center Square) Washington’s wolf-killing policy gets fresh attention in Olympia (Washington State Standard)
