Capitol Buzz: Nearly 200 people sue WA, alleging sex abuse in juvenile detention; Washington schools using fewer school resource officers Washington House Republicans sent this bulletin at 09/06/2024 09:47 AM PDT Having trouble viewing this email? View it as a Web page. Capitol Buzz: September 06, 2024 09/06/2024 09:47 AM PDT AGRICULTURE There’s a whole lotta lettuce behind $8M Pasco greenhouse expansion plan (Tri-City Herald) EDITORIAL: Reaction vs. overreaction (Capital Press) EDITORIAL: The double-edged sword of GM wheat (Capital Press) BUSINESS, ECONOMY & LABOR US hiring rebounds slightly and unemployment rate dips in sign of still-slowing job market (AP) More people working in Clark County than year ago but jobless rate still up (The Columbian) Albertsons may have to cut jobs and close stores if Kroger takeover is aborted, CEO says (The Olympian) As strike looms, Boeing pushes 777 jets through chaotic production in Everett (The Seattle Times) From Amazon to agriculture. Can this rail hub turn Tri-Cities into a global logistics center? (Tri-City Herald) COMMUNITY & FAMILY ISSUES Two years after fleeing Ukraine, a WA family waits for their son (Cascade PBS) CORONAVIRUS Coronavirus vaccines, once free, are now pricey for uninsured people (The Washington Post/The Seattle Times) As interest from families wanes, pediatricians scale back on COVID shots (KFF Health News/The Seattle Times) COURTS (STATE) 44-year-old Pierce County man charged in series of I-5 shootings (The Seattle Times) CRIME & PUBLIC SAFETY Despite rise in traffic deaths due to impairment, charges for DUI keep falling in Kitsap (Kitsap Sun) Yakima community partners revitalizing task force to combat youth gang violence (KAPP/KVEW) EDUCATION Washington state schools chief seeks to curb cellphone use (Axios – Seattle) Heat, cellphones, absenteeism: An in-depth look at a few of the big issues facing Oregon, Southwest Washington schools this year (Oregon Public Broadcasting) EDITORIAL: Yes, Tri-Cities schools are doing the right thing to bar phones in class (Tri-City Herald) ENERGY & UTILITIES Battery farms, the energy industry’s new darling, line up to enter Pacific NW (Washington State Standard) Utility rates slated to steadily rise in Seattle, starting in 2025 (KUOW Radio) ENVIRONMENT Western Washington heat wave opens door for wildfire smoke across Whatcom County (The Bellingham Herald) FEDERAL GOVERNMENT & THE WHITE HOUSE Biden to sign order to prioritize federal grants for projects with higher worker wages and benefits (AP) HIGHER EDUCATION Central president’s contract renewed for 5 years (Daily Record) HOMELESSNESS ‘They shouldn’t be out here’: Heat multiplies struggles for those living in cars in Clark County (The Columbian) HOUSING Seattle-area housing market sleepy as buyers hope for rate relief (The Seattle Times) First-time buyer affordability at lowest point in four years (Columbia Basin Herald) HUMAN TRAFFICKING Tacoma hotel lawsuit claims management ignored signs of sex trafficking (KIRO TV) IMMIGRATION Migrants held at Tacoma detention facility spend longer in detention, more likely to be deported (Washington State Standard) LAND USE & PROPERTY RIGHTS Are 100+ townhomes the solution for troubled property near Tacoma park? Opinions differ (The News Tribune) LAW ENFORCEMENT Sheriff’s offices across the region issue alerts as scammers pose as deputies (KNDO/KNDU) New Spokane police chief talks plans for the department in exclusive interview with Nonstop Local (KHQ TV) Bellevue police officer injured during 2023 VP visit returns to duty (The Seattle Times) LOCAL GOVERNMENT Spokane County needs to cut over $15 million to balance 2025 general fund budget (The Center Square) Spokane mayor says budget deficit cut to $14 million, proposes two additional measures (The Center Square) Snohomish County executive announces $3B two-year budget with no planned layoffs (The Center Square) MEDIA Memorial set for TNT columnist Matt Driscoll. All are welcome at the Sept. 15 event (The News Tribune) MENTAL HEALTH In Seattle area, 988 mental health hotline supports tens of thousands in crisis (KUOW Radio) Nets on the Narrows? What it would take to put suicide prevention nets on the bridges (The News Tribune) MILITARY & VETERANS VA to hold National Day of Service and Remembrance events on 23rd anniversary of 9/11 (KIRO TV) The Navy secretary broke the law by voicing his views on Trump and Biden, a watchdog says (AP) OTHER STATES Study: Oregon’s school report cards deserve an F for a lack of transparency (The Oregonian) Kotek: Port of Portland ‘makes a strong case’ for container business aid (Capital Press) PARKS Washington to fix accessibility violations at its state parks (Washington State Standard) POLITICS LOCAL COLUMN: Seattle keeps getting more liberal, survey data shows (Gene Balk/The Seattle Times) SCHOOL SAFETY Washington schools using fewer school resource officers (KIRO TV) OPINION: Faster lockdowns, cop cooperation: How Yakima does school safety (Trevor Greene, superintendent of the Yakima School District/The Seattle Times) SPORTS Jerry Dipoto expected to return as Mariners president in 2025, sources say (The Seattle Times) Seahawks unveil changes at Lumen Field ahead of season opener (Puget Sound Business Journal) STATE GOVERNMENT Nearly 200 people sue WA, alleging sex abuse in juvenile detention (The Seattle Times) Washington sued amid allegations of sex abuse of minors by staffers in juvenile centers (KING TV) Over 100 state employees accused of sexual abuse in Washington juvenile detention centers (KIRO TV) Report: Washington ranks fifth in the nation for food stamp theft reimbursement (The Center Square) TRANSPORTATION Sale of retired WA ferries canceled after tow failure (The Seattle Times) VAPING Teen vaping hits 10-year low in the US (AP) OPINION: As the school year begins, FDA must step up to protect U.S. kids from illegal vapes (Gil Kerlikowske served as the nation’s “drug czar,” during President Barack Obama’s administration, and is the former chief of police in Seattle/The Spokesman-Review) WATER Water allotment up slightly to 52%; wetter winter predicted (Yakima Herald-Republic) WILDFIRE PREVENTION & RESPONSE Firefighters slow down the Blewett Fire, US 97 reopened (KPQ Radio)
