Washington denies federal request for personal data on recipients of food stamps
(WASHINGTON STATE STANDARD)—Washington state refused to comply with the federal government’s recent request for personal data on residents who receive or apply for food stamps. The U.S. Department of Agriculture, early last month, told states it wanted records of all applicants and recipients for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, since 2020. The records include names, […]
Ferguson signs $77.8 billion budget with largest tax hike in WA state history at $9.4 billion
Washington Governor Bob Ferguson entered office warning that a $16 billion dollar budget shortfall over the next four years would require spending cuts and, as a last resort, higher taxes. On Tuesday, the first-term Democrat appeared satisfied with lawmakers’ work to close the financial gap, signing a two-year state budget and a tax package to produce […]
Latest deadline in Washington Legislature fells more bills
More legislation fell by the wayside Friday, February 28, in the Washington Legislature, including bills on signature gathering for ballot initiatives, free school meals and ballot box tampering. Friday was the deadline for bills to pass through fiscal committees, like Senate Ways and Means and House Appropriations. With a multibillion-dollar deficit hanging over the session, […]
RIP: Bills that didn’t survive the WA Legislature’s Policy Committee deadline
OLYMPIA—Bills dealing with cow burps, the state flag, and changes to police traffic stop standards are among the first to land in the legislative graveyard this year in Olympia. This session, lawmakers in the state House and Senate have introduced nearly 1,800 bills. To stay alive, much of that legislation needed to get voted out […]
