Capitol Buzz: Gov. Inslee signed more than 150 bills last week. Here’s some of what he signed into law; McCleary required Washington to fully fund education — so why did the “fixes” worsen inequity?

BUSINESS, ECONOMY & LABOR

• Meet the Washington firm at the center of the EV battery revolution (Axios – Seattle)
• $200K in state funds awarded to boat manufacturer for expansion in Port of Bremerton (Kitsap Sun)
• EDITORIAL: Learn lessons from Boeing’s internal turmoil (The Columbian)

COMMUNITY & FAMILY ISSUES

• New Latino community center in south Everett gets $3.8M from state (The Everett Herald)
• Carnegie center is a one-stop shop for housing, work, health — and hope (The Everett Herald)

CONGRESS

• Are potatoes vegetables or grains? Sen. Cantwell takes side in debate with Washington implications (The Bellingham Herald)
• OPINION: Retiring Washington congress members have been champions for the economy (Kris Johnson, president of the Association of Washington Business/The Reflector)

CORRECTIONS & JAILS

• Green Hill School security guard caught laughing after detectives say she facilitated attack on teen (FOX 13)
• Clark County Jail installs naloxone vending machine (The Reflector)

COURTS (FEDERAL)

• Ferguson, other Democratic AGs ask SCOTUS to block red state bans on emergency abortions (Arizona Mirror/Washington State Standard)

COURTS (STATE)

• Washington timber sale blocked as judge orders climate change study (The Seattle Times)

CRIME & PUBLIC SAFETY

• Bail set at $5M for Everett mother accused of stabbing Ariel Garcia, 4 (The Everett Herald)
• Teen accused of killing mother, 3 children in Renton crash pleads not guilty (MyNorthwest)

DAMS

• Sen. Cantwell among dozens to celebrate 20 years of ‘commitment to cooperation’, no net impact on salmon at Rocky Reach Dam (The Wenatchee World)

DRUG CRISIS

• Two Mosbrucker fentanyl bills signed into law (KIHR Radio)

EDUCATION

• McCleary required Washington to fully fund education — so why did the “fixes” worsen inequity? (The Washington Observer)
• Rainier View principal transferred after years of parent, staff complaints (The Seattle Times)
• Two student deaths upend Tri-City families. How schools will honor them at graduation (Tri-City Herald)
• Gates Foundation promotes Southwest Washington education with $3.3M in grant funds (The Columbian)
• EDITORIAL: Yakima School District’s gamble will cost community dearly (Yakima Herald-Republic)

ELECTIONS

• As campaigning revs up, Washington laws aim to detect cyber attacks and protect election workers (Washington State Standard)

ENERGY & UTILITIES

• Does a new Washington state law ban natural gas, or is that claim ‘misinformation’? (The Center Square)
• Puget Sound Energy is asking to raise gas and electricity rates. Here’s what we know (The News Tribune)
• Clark Public Utilities pilot program offers $50 credit to electric vehicle owners (The Columbian)
• EDITORIAL: Small nuclear plants may be key to state’s energy mix (The Everett Herald)

HEALTH CARE & HOSPITALS

• ‘Most’ King County public health clinics could close in 2025 without funding fix (KING TV)
• The good and bad of health in Seattle. We take care of ourselves, but can’t afford to see a doctor (MyNorthwest)
• Strike averted: Deaconess and Valley hospital support staff reach tentative agreement in contract negotiations (The Spokesman-Review)
• MultiCare reaches tentative agreement with worker’s union (KHQ TV)
• Hospitals must get written patient consent for pelvic exams, federal government says (The New York Times/The Seattle Times)

HIGHER EDUCATION

• Clark College awarded a $2.2 million Title III grant from U.S. Department of Education (The Reflector)

HOMELESSNESS

• Thurston County homeless census counts more people in 2024. Here’s what the data shows (The Olympian)
• Critics claim We Heart Seattle destroys homeless peoples’ property (MyNorthwest)
• How controversial nonprofit We Heart Seattle uncovered human remains (MyNorthwest)
• Pallet housing for homeless going up at Wenatchee Rescue Mission (KPQ Radio)

HOUSING

• Landmark REALTORS® settlement could be a game changer for buying and selling (KREM TV)

IMMIGRATION

• A dozen U.S. senators call on ICE, DHS to end misuse of solitary in immigration detention (The News Tribune)

LAW ENFORCEMENT

• How Seattle police contract could affect recruiting, budget, accountability (The Seattle Times)
• Seattle Police Officers’ Guild reaches tentative contract agreement with city (MyNorthwest)
• Video: SPD releases footage of Seattle City Council protest, six arrested (MyNorthwest)
• Clark County Sheriff’s Office’s program lets deputies call mental health providers for help on calls (The Columbian)
• Yakima police class gives civilians a chance to view use of force from officer’s perspective (Yakima Herald-Republic)

LEGISLATURE

• Gov. Inslee signed more than 150 bills last week. Here’s some of what he signed into law (The Olympian)
• Nearly 96% of bills passed in 2024 received some level of bipartisan support (The Center Square)
• Gov. Inslee signs bill making it harder to dissolve library districts (The Center Square)

LOCAL GOVERNMENT

• Congressional dollars headed for Thurston County. Here’s which projects will receive funding (The Olympian)

MENTAL HEALTH

• Inslee signs flurry of behavioral health bills (The Washington Observer)

OTHER STATES

• Oregon governor signs bill criminalizing drug possession (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
• National data show how Oregon school districts stack up on chronic absenteeism (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
• Oregon seafood industry calls on Gov. Tina Kotek to halt offshore wind energy development (oregonlive.com/The Oregonian)
• North Idaho College has exactly one year to save its accreditation (KREM TV)

PRIVACY

• Google to purge billions of files containing personal data in settlement of Chrome privacy case (AP)

SOCIAL MEDIA

• TikTok scoops up more downtown Bellevue office space (Puget Sound Business Journal)

STATE GOVERNMENT

• Department of Ecology forces Spokane International Airport into PFAS cleanup framework after agreement could not be reached (The Spokesman-Review)
• New education campaign aims to reduce food waste in Washington (Spokane Public Radio)

TRANSPORTATION

• The Baltimore collapse focused attention on vital bridges. Thousands are in poor shape across the U.S. (AP)
• West Seattle business mapped for destruction by light rail, frustrated Sound Transit didn’t offer early move (FOX 13)

WILDLIFE

• Western honeybee colonies at risk of collapse, WSU study finds (The Seattle Times)
• Pacific Gray whales may be rebounding after high population count (KGMI Radio/My Bellingham Now)