WA inspectors must be let inside Tacoma ICE detention center, Bush-appointed judge rules
TACOMA [Jake Goldstein-Street]—The private company that runs a Tacoma ICE detention center must allow state inspectors inside after years of refusing, a federal judge ruled Thursday. But U.S. District Court Judge Benjamin Settle, a Bush appointee, ruled the Florida-based operator of the Northwest ICE Processing Center, The GEO Group, doesn’t need to admit officials from […]
Let’s Go Washington turns in over half-a-million signatures on IP26-645 to repeal income tax bill
TUMWATER — Let’s Go Washington delivered 511,408 signatures Thursday to the Washington Secretary of State’s office for Initiative to the People IP26-645, an effort to repeal the state’s newly enacted 9.9% tax on annual household income above $1 million and to bar state and local governments from imposing taxes on overall individual income. The submission […]
SCOTUS Upholds State Laws Barring Biological Males from Girls’ Sports Teams; Let’s Go Washington applauds ruling
WASHINGTON, D.C. — In a 6-3 decision, the United States Supreme Court ruled Tuesday, June 30, that states may maintain separate sports teams for girls and women based on biological sex without violating Title IX or the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. Schools, athletic associations and state legislatures now have firmer ground to […]
SCOTUS agrees to hear SB-5599 that exempts shelters from notifying parents about gender care runaways
WASHINGTON, D.C.—The United States Supreme Court agreed Monday, June 29, to hear a constitutional challenge to Washington state law Senate Bill 5599 (SB-5599), that allows licensed youth shelters and host homes to notify state child welfare authorities instead of parents when runaway minors seek gender-affirming care or reproductive health services. “Big case. Our team at […]
Washington, California and Québec sign historic carbon market agreement
SEATTLE—Washington state on June 25 signed a historic carbon market linkage agreement with California and Québec, setting the stage for large-scale greenhouse gas reductions and long-term investment in clean energy across the jurisdictions. “This is a historic milestone in our climate partnership,” Governor Bob Ferguson said. “At a moment when the federal government is abandoning […]
COMMENTARY: The answer to our state’s high taxes is a revolt at the ballot box
Do the people of Washington have it worse than Americans did 250 years ago when it comes to taxation? It’s a timely question as we approach the semiquincentennial of the Declaration of Independence – and the answer is at least a qualified “yes.” The 27 complaints laid out by the Founding Fathers include how the […]
‘Washington is a great place to do business,’ Governor launches Economic Development Council
SEATTLE—Governor Bob Ferguson, at the Garden Terrace of the Seattle Convention Center Summit Building on Thursday, June 25, announced the launch of a new Governor’s Economic Development Council, a partnership of small businesses, labor, Tribes, educators and large employers in tech and aerospace to guide Washington’s economic strategy. Washington state’s economy is the 9th largest […]
Washington’s gas tax is going up, but state transportation revenue is falling short
OLYMPIA [Jerry Cornfield]—Washington state’s gas tax, already among the highest in the nation, is going up next week. The state’s per-gallon fuel tax of 55.4 cents will climb 1.1 cents on July 1. The 2% bump is the first of the annual inflationary adjustments required by a 2025 law. With the increase, Washington’s gas tax will […]
$35M campaign finance fine against Meta upheld by WA Supreme Court
OLYMPIA [Jake Goldstein-Street]—Facebook’s parent company, Meta, must pay the largest campaign finance fine in Washington state history, the state Supreme Court affirmed in a split decision Thursday. Meta urged the justices to declare a state law unconstitutional under the First Amendment to avert the $35 million penalty. The social media conglomerate repeatedly hadn’t provided required records for digital […]
Future 42 asks if taxes keep going up, then why are budget shortfalls getting worse?
Governor Bob Ferguson recently warned state agencies to prepare for difficult budget decisions in the years ahead. In guidance sent to agency leaders, the administration pointed to familiar pressures: inflation has driven up costs, Washington’s population has grown significantly over the past decade, and maintaining public services is becoming more expensive. Those factors are real. Anyone who […]
