Washington in Focus

The Vancouver City Council approved a short-term rental ordinance that requires short-term rental operators to obtain a business license and a short-term rental permit. The operators will be required to pay $50 for the business license and $250 for the permit. Applicants will have to apply for a one-time permit by Feb. 15, 2024. Prior to the recently passed ordinance, the city’s land use and devel...

Let’s Go Washington has sent a cease-and-desist letter to three organizations it’s accused of illegally interfering with its signature gathering efforts for initiatives to be placed on the November 2024 ballot. The letter, written by former State Attorney General Rob McKenna, accuses Fuse Washington, SEIU 775 and Washington D.C.-based Fieldworks of engaging in “a coordinated intimidation campaign...

Less than a month from the start of the next legislative session, Washington state Gov. Jay Inslee on Wednesday afternoon released his 2024 supplemental budget proposal. The governor’s  supplemental budget  would add $2 billion in spending to the $69.8 billion operating budget the Legislature passed during this year’s session. “There are some numbers attached to it, but the numbers aren’t importan...

While the U.S. Supreme Court has yet to announce whether it will take up a case regarding whether or not a Washington state capital gains tax is an income tax, it is currently reviewing the legality of a federal tax that poses its own legal challenge. The  lawsuit  filed by a Washington couple disputes whether they owe $15,000 under a one-time tax enacted in 2017 that applies to the earnings of U....

The Association of Washington Business is leading a lawsuit against the federal Environmental Protection Agency, contending it has imposed water quality standards on Washington state that are “impossible” to achieve, conflict with the agency’s own guidance, and have no basis in “real-world data.” AWB filed its  complaint  Monday in U.S. District Court in the District of Columbia. Plaintiffs also i...

The Governor’s Office has “ascertained a few very preliminary, tentative findings” regarding a former state economist who says he had to resign after suffering  retaliation  for his analysis that Washington’s cap-and-trade policy would significantly increase gas prices. Under the Climate Commitment Act of 2021, emitters are required to obtain “emissions allowances” equal to their covered greenhous...

Despite issuing a state of emergency to address a large encampment of asylum seekers in Tukwila, the number of asylees has continued to increase. Tukwila Mayor Allan Ekberg  originally issued a state of emergency  last month when the original estimate of the number of asylum seekers living at the Riverton Park United Methodist Church was more than 200 people. Support this podcast: https://podcaste...

The Washington Supreme Court has been asked to consider discretionary review of a lower court order that currently grants control of the Pac-12 Conference to Washington State University and Oregon State University. On Tuesday, Supreme Court commissioner Michael E. Johnston granted a stay in proceedings based on emergency motions sought by the University of Washington and the Pac-12 itself. Support...

A  Ballotpedia analysis  of Washington state Supreme Court candidate campaign finance and court case outcomes between 2013 and 2022 shows that progressive candidates and causes dominate in the Evergreen State. The  online political encyclopedia  coded large samples of data – both campaign donors and court case parties and amici – according to progressive versus conservative ideological leaning and...

Pro-Palestine rallies have occurred in downtown Seattle for the last few weekends, but despite complications they may cause with traffic, the protests fall under First Amendment rights, according to city officials.  Since the Oct. 7 surprise attack by Hamas on Israel that claimed the lives of some 1,200 people and resulted in more than 200 people being taken hostage and Israel’s retaliation in Gaz...

The U.S. Supreme Court could decide as early as Dec. 11 whether it will take up a Washington lawsuit challenging the legality of the state’s capital gains tax,  according  to the Mountain States Policy Center. Enacted in 2021, the tax is on the income derived from the sale of capital gains, which the State Supreme Court ruled earlier this year is an excise tax. Support this podcast: https://podcas...

An amendment to transfer $1.5 million dedicated to police surveillance technology to fund services for tiny house villages in Seattle has been rejected by a majority of the Seattle City Council. ShotSpotter is a technology program that differentiates the sounds of gunshots from other loud sounds like fireworks or the backfiring of a vehicle so that police can respond to the scene quickly. Four cit...

Three Republican congressional members from eastern Washington and Oregon who oppose breaching the lower Snake River dams for salmon recovery are pointing to a new federal study to blame Democratic Gov. Jay Inslee and state and federal environmental agencies for “misguided efforts” harming salmon in the Puget Sound. U.S. Reps. Dan Newhouse and Cathy McMorris Rodgers of Washington and Rep. Cliff Be...

The Washington Sex Offender Policy Board last year  recommended  the Legislature consider treatment rather than imprisonment for those convicted of possessing or viewing child pornography or caught in an internet sting operation. The recommendations among several contained in a report to the House Public Safety Committee regarding “treatment alternatives for certain sex offenses; lifetime supervis...

Initial results from Tuesday's general election point to an overhaul of all Seattle City Council district councilmembers. District 2, 6 and 7 include incumbent city councilmembers racing to retain their seats, but as of the initial votes, none are leading against their respective challengers. Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/washington-in-focus/support Hosted by Simple...

Elections offices in four Washington counties were closed as a precaution Wednesday after they received envelopes containing unknown powdery substances, reported the Secretary of State’s Office. The suspicious envelopes were received in King, Pierce, Skagit and Spokane counties. The discoveries disrupted ballot counting by workers following Tuesday’s general election in Washington. Support this po...

The Center Square  reported  that the state Sex Offender Policy Board was examining a recommendation to end community notifications for convicted sex offenders, based on a  document  referenced at its Sept. 21 meeting. Although board members have since  insisted  that there are no plans to end community notifications, the board last year recommended the Legislature amend a state statute that one c...

The Seattle Police Department is implementing a new policy that establishes clearer guardrails for the use of ruses. Under the new policy, patrol ruses – which are defined as statements an officer knows is not true – can only be used under five circumstances: for the furtherance of de-escalation, to calm a person, prompt the safety of any person, for scene management, or to bring potentially viole...

Congressman Dan Newhouse was among a large crowd voicing opposition Monday to a federal proposal to reintroduce grizzly bears into north-central Washington state. “It is clear you all know that grizzles can and probably will move out of the zone in which you drop them, yet rather than letting common sense prevail, are continuing to push forward with this dangerous plan,” Newhouse told representati...

As Washington continues to experience a severe housing affordability crisis, state legislators may finetune some existing tax incentive programs to encourage greater development. Among them is the multifamily tax exemption  program  created following passage of the Growth Management Act. Implemented at the local level, the tax exemption makes development more affordable upfront while delaying tax...

The Vancouver City Council has unanimously approved the Vancouver Urban Forestry Management Plan resolution that seeks to reach a 28% tree canopy goal by 2047.  Vancouver's current 21% tree coverage provides more than $40 million in ecological benefits to the city, according to the plan, which was created in part by software company PlanIT GEO. However, in order to reach the 28% tree canopy goal,...

Both the FBI and a state law enforcement association say violent crime in Washington increased in 2022, running contrary to overall national findings. Last week, the bureau released  data  on more than 11 million criminal offenses reported across the U.S. in the prior year. FBI’s estimates showed that national violent crime decreased an estimated 1.7% in 2022 compared to 2021. However, during the...

State and county officials have recently highlighted a severe shortage of funding for transportation infrastructure in Washington that includes roads, bridges and highways. However, the overall problem stems from a variety of contributing factors that are causing one state legislator to call for an overhaul of the system. “I think the problem is really where the priorities are,” Rep. Keith Goehner...

King County voters may see a new climate levy lid lift on their ballots next year as county officials begin discussions to increase revenue to reduce climate impact efforts. The new motion would request King County Executive Dow Constantine to develop funding options to generate $1 billion in funding over a six- or nine-year period. Funds would be used for greenhouse gas reduction efforts and resp...

While Washington's Climate Commitment Act has generated more than $1 billion in less than a year to fund climate change initiatives, the Washington State Department of Transportation says they don't have enough money to replace infrastructure that's at the end of its lifespan. Although the state agency has for years warned of a “glidepath toward failure” regarding funding for road maintenance and...