New home costs may soar an additional $9,000 next year because of new statewide policy

OLYMPIA, Wash., December 3, 2023—The Washington State Building Code Council (SBCC) on November 28, adopted rules restricting the use of natural gas/propane appliances to adhere with lawmaker’s goals of building zero fossil-fuel greenhouse gas emission homes and buildings by the year 2031. The new effective date for all building codes is March 15, 2024. “Despite hundreds […]

Over 400,000 signatures submitted for initiative to repeal cap-and-invest scheme

KENT, Wash., November 21, 2023—Citizens action group, Let’s Go Washington, announced on November 21, that it has surpassed the signature threshold to submit Initiative 2117, that if enacted into law, will prohibit carbon tax credit trading, also known as “cap-and-invest,” and repeal provisions of the Washington Climate Commitment Act passed by the legislature on April […]

State regulators approve Puget Sound Energy rate case settlements

LACEY, Wash., December 23, 2022—On Thursday, state regulators approved hundreds of millions of dollars in rate increases for Puget Sound Energy electric and natural gas customers beginning January 1, 2023. PSE services natural gas to Snohomish County. The Utilities and Transportation Commission approved three settlement agreements establishing a multi-year rate plan for the company as required by […]

Puget Sound Energy to increase natural gas rates 17 percent for residential customers

BELLEVUE, Wash., October 6, 2022—On Monday, Puget Sound Energy (PSE) files with the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission (UTC) to increase natural gas rates effective on November 1, 2022. PSE services natural gas to Snohomish County. A typical residential natural gas customer the uses 64 therms per month would see an increase in their bill from $75.59 […]

Inflation jumps to 9.1% in June, real earnings down 3.6%

WASHINGTON D.C., July 13, 2022 – Today, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics announced that consumer inflation rose to a 41-year high of 9.1% in June, up from 8.6% in May. The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) increased 1% from May to June. Americans have not experienced such high consumer inflation since November of 1981. The all items less food and […]

U.S. bond yields surge as financial markets tumble, inflation jumps

All major indexes – Dow Jones Industrial Average, S&P 500, and the Nasdaq Composite – tumbled today, raising concerns of a looming recession following last week’s reports from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics of a 40-year high 8.6% consumer inflation rate and a 3.0% decline in real earnings for the month of May. According to […]

Inflation jumps to 8.5% in March, real earnings down 2.7%

WASHINGTON D.C., April 13, 2022 – Yesterday, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics announced that consumer inflation rose to a 40-year high of 8.54% in March, up from 7.87% in February. The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) increased 1.2% from February to March. According to the latest CBS News/YouGov survey conducted between April 5-8, with a nationally […]

Snohomish County residents brace for 0.1% sales tax increase April 1

SNOHOMISH COUNTY., Wash., March 22, 2022 – With just days until Snohomish County raises its local sales and use tax to fund affordable housing and behavioral health programs, is now the right time for an increase while the nation is experiencing a 40-year high consumer inflation? Beginning April 1, one tenth of one percent – […]

National inflation jumps to 40-year high at 7.9% in February, Seattle area at 8.1%

WASHINGTON D.C., March 10, 2022 – Today, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics announced that consumer inflation rose by another 0.8 percent in February after rising 0.6 percent in January, bringing national inflation to 7.9 percent over the last 12 months — the highest jump since January 1982. Inflation of food is the highest it […]