Washington in Focus

(The Center Square) – A Washington state Democratic lawmaker is expressing “regret and guilt” over legislation she supported that she believes has contributed to an explosion in juvenile crime and lives lost. Rep. Lauren Davis, D-Shoreline, penned an op-ed in The Seattle Times last weekend detailing eight different policies that have “contributed to the juvenile crime wave.”  Support this podcast:...

(The Center Square) – A Seattle-based nonprofit focused on “harnessing political power and leadership among young Washingtonians” is busing people to Spokane next Friday to campaign for progressives. The Washington Bus organization is a 501(c)(4) that endorses candidates and transports young adults around the state to canvass in other communities. The Washington Bus Education Fund, an affiliated 5...

(The Center Square) – Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell has signed two executive orders in anticipation of President Donald Trump deploying the National Guard in the Emerald City. The first executive order accuses Trump of “unprecedented and unwarranted actions deploying the National Guard and federal military troops to American cities. The use of federal military forces in local communities without con...

(The Center Square) – Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell has signed two executive orders in anticipation of President Donald Trump deploying the National Guard in the Emerald City. The first executive order accuses Trump of “unprecedented and unwarranted actions deploying the National Guard and federal military troops to American cities. The use of federal military forces in local communities without con...

(The Center Square) – Just hours after her police chief deemed the policy unenforceable, Spokane Mayor Lisa Brown pledged Tuesday to revise her new camping ban so officers can cite for unlawful camping. Business leaders pleaded with the Spokane City Council last summer to reinstate another camping ban approved by nearly 75% of voters, but the progressive majority refused. They decided to pass Brow...

(The Center Square) – Washington state’s Substance Use Recovery Services Advisory Committee, or SURSAC, heard a presentation at Monday’s meeting that rattled some committee members. SURSAC was established through legislation in 2021 to provide recommendations to lawmakers on substance use policy and treatment options.  Support this podcast: https://secure.anedot.com/franklin-news-foundation/ce0525...

(The Center Square) – A new slate of taxes goes into effect on Wednesday. The changes were passed as part of the 2025-27 biennial budget package, which lawmakers approved in May, and are projected to generate billions in revenue. The changes include an expansion of the retail sales tax to several new services and increased B&O tax rates for financial institutions and large service businesses. Host...

(The Center Square) – As the Washington State Attorney General’s Office Domestic Extremism and Mass Violence Task Force prepares a charter, debate continues over whether the task force can define what constitutes DVE or not, if it includes legally protected speech and activities. “I think the premise of trying to fix a domestic extremism problem in the state is problematic,” task force member Wall...

(The Center Square) – A new slate of taxes goes into effect on Wednesday. The changes were passed as part of the 2025-27 biennial budget package, which lawmakers approved in May, and are projected to generate billions in revenue. The changes include an expansion of the retail sales tax to several new services and increased B&O tax rates for financial institutions and large service businesses.  Sup...

(The Center Square) – As tensions rise, Spokane Regional Emergency Communications sent a letter to the Spokane City Council on Friday requesting time to clear up some confusion before the two split ways. The SREC Executive Board of Directors decided to remove the city from the regional dispatch network in June, following years of failed negotiations. The final split is scheduled for January after...

(The Center Square) – In June, the Washington State Economic and Revenue Forecast Council’s revenue forecast anticipated that state coffers would run dry by 2027 despite record revenue levels and following the largest tax increase in state history. Now, ERFC’s updated revenue forecast anticipates the state will have almost $900 million less coming in than before over the next four years, which is...

(The Center Square) – Let’s Go Washington, the conservative political action committee behind two new initiative campaigns, says signature gatherers had petitions stolen and were intimidated and threatened in three separate incidents on Monday. “We've only been gathering for two days, and this all happened within the last day,” LGW Communications Manager Hallie Balch told The Center Square on Tues...

(The Center Square) – In June, the Washington State Economic and Revenue Forecast Council’s revenue forecast anticipated that state coffers would run dry by 2027 despite record revenue levels and following the largest tax increase in state history. Now, ERFC’s updated revenue forecast anticipates the state will have almost $900 million less coming in than before over the next four years, which is...

(The Center Square) – Amid talks of increasing federal immigration enforcement in Seattle, Mayor Bruce Harrell’s 2026 budget proposal would increase the city’s immigration office budget by more than 60%. Harrell’s proposed budget – which has yet to be fully revealed – would add $4 million to the Seattle Office of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs. According to Harrell’s office, this new funding would...

(The Center Square) – As Washington state is forecast to run out of money by 2027 despite a historic tax increase during this year’s legislative session, that fiscal crisis could be exacerbated several years later if new actuarial assumptions for the pension system don’t pan out. During session, state lawmakers enacted Senate Bill 5357, which altered the assumed rate of return for pension investme...

(The Center Square) – A day after President Donald Trump endorsed the prospect of designating Antifa as a domestic terrorist organization, Washington State Republican Party Chair Jim Walsh says he is convinced, like the president, that many Antifa protesters are “paid agitators.” “We've seen examples of that sort of behavior here in Washington,” Walsh texted The Center Square on Tuesday.  Support...

(The Center Square) – The Seattle Land Use Committee expedited a slew of bills related to zoning and construction codes to Tuesday's city council meeting amid upcoming budget deliberations. Council bills 121045 and 121047 would amend the city’s municipal code and existing building code in order to limit hurdles for housing construction, one of the top priorities of Seattle leaders.  Support this p...

(The Center Square) – A complaint against Solicitor General Noah Purcell with the Washington State Executive Ethics Board has been rejected for investigation despite allegations that the decision by Executive Director Kate Reynolds was made amid a conflict of interest. According to emails obtained by The Center Square, Reynolds has previously written that she reports to Purcell. Last month, Purcel...

(The Center Square) – A complaint against Solicitor General Noah Purcell with the Washington State Executive Ethics Board has been rejected for investigation despite allegations that the decision by Executive Director Kate Reynolds was made amid a conflict of interest. According to emails obtained by The Center Square, Reynolds has previously written that she reports to Purcell. Last month, Purcel...

(The Center Square) – Let’s Go Washington, a political action committee founded by businessman Brian Heywood, launched two new initiatives to the state Legislature on Monday morning. One concerns parental rights, and the other concerns protecting girls in sports. “The first one will be a repeal of [House Bill] 1296 essentially; 1296 is the legislative gutting of [Initiative] 2081, which was the pa...

(The Center Square) – King County Councilmember Claudia Balducci is calling for a quick response from the county to address major fiscal oversight issues within the Department of Community and Human Services. On Aug. 26, the King County Committee of the Whole was briefed on recent county audit findings revealing that DCHS made policy choices amid an increase in fiscal responsibility without instal...

(The Center Square) - One month from Labor Day, a slew of Washington businesses will be subject to new retail sales taxes, which will be passed onto consumers. The 2025 Washington State Legislature passed Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill (ESSB) 5814, which added new business activities to the definition of retail sales. Those new taxes will be collected starting Oct. 1. Hosted by Simplecast, an Ad...

(The Center Square) - A Washington State Economic and Revenue Forecast Council report found that the state’s commercial real estate excise tax revenue has fallen to pre-2020 levels before the Legislature altered the REET rate. Through 2019, the state’s REET imposed a flat rate of 1.28 % of the value of the transactions, though local governments could impose their own REET on top of that. During th...

(The Center Square) - One month from Labor Day, a slew of Washington businesses will be subject to new retail sales taxes, which will be passed onto consumers. The 2025 Washington State Legislature passed Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill (ESSB) 5814, which added new business activities to the definition of retail sales. Those new taxes will be collected starting Oct. 1.    Support this podcast: ht...

(The Center Square) – In less than a year, Seattle has conducted 34% of spot repairs to city sidewalks that were promised over the next eight years. In the first Seattle committee meeting in two weeks, the Seattle Department of Transportation briefed the city’s transportation committee on the work being done to improve sidewalks: a major goal of the eight-year, $1.55 billion Transportation levy. ...