Plan to raise cap on property tax growth collapses in WA Legislature
Democratic state lawmakers dropped their bid Monday to repeal a voter-approved limit on property tax growth in Washington, excising one of the most controversial revenue-raising ideas they’ve pursued in this year’s legislative session. The proposal, embedded in House Bill 2049, sought to allow an increase in the growth factor from the current 1% cap to as much […]
WA State Senate adopts new rule restricting press in chamber to ‘maintain decorum’
OLYMPIA—In a voice-only vote, the Washington State Senate on Wednesday, March 27, overwhelmingly adopted a rule within its last four weeks of the Legislative Session to restrict members of the press from “the wings” and adjacent areas of the of the Senate unless accompanied by a sitting senator or senator’s staff member. The members of […]
House Democrats push 200% increase on property tax cap
OLYMPIA—Democratic state lawmakers are aiming to erase a voter-approved limit on annual property tax hikes as a way, they claim, to generate hundreds of millions of dollars for public schools and local governments. The state House Finance Committee held a hearing Tuesday on House Bill 1334 which would repeal a 1% cap on annual growth for property […]
With final speech, Inslee bids adieu as Washington governor
OLYMPIA—Washington Governor Jay Inslee used his final State of the State speech to a joint session of the Legislature on Tuesday to frame a 12-year legacy that spanned a pandemic, historic natural disasters, unmatched expansion of government and a quixotic bid for president. The three-term Democrat told members of the House and Senate that serving in the […]
Making sense of Washington state’s multi-billion-dollar budget hole
OLYMPIA (The Washington Standard)—Washington state’s budget is, to put it nicely, in a world of hurt. There’s a big gap between what the state is collecting in taxes and what it needs to pay for its commitments in education, human services, health care, corrections and other day-to-day government operations. On paper, the chasm is billions […]
Here are the pros and cons for each statewide initiative
Ballots for the November 5 General Election have already hit mailboxes throughout Snohomish County and the polls are now open for early voting in Washington. Those who have started the early voting process may have noticed a set of ballot initiatives in their Voters’ Pamphlet. The Lynnwood Times broke down the pro and con arguments […]
WSDOT awards Port of Everett a $4.3 million CCA grant to electrify South Terminal
EVERETT—The Port of Everett was one of 11 recipients awarded a capital grant, funded with Climate Commitment Act (CCA) funds, by the Washington Department of Transportation’s (WSDOT) Port Electrification Program. The Port of Everett was awarded the $4.3 million competitive grant in August to be used to help fund a $5.8 million project to construct […]
Voters will see budget effects of initiatives on Washington ballots
OLYMPIA—Legal wrangling ended in the state’s high court August 9 over the four initiatives that Washington voters will decide this November. Washington’s Supreme Court ruled that information about how three of them could affect the state budget will appear alongside the measures on the ballot. In a two-page ruling, justices affirmed a lower court’s decision […]
WA Democratic Party pushing to keep Robert Kennedy Jr off ballot
The state Democratic Party wants presidential hopeful Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (RFK Jr) kept off the ballot in Washington this November. It contends the 4,181 signatures submitted by We the People in support of Kennedy’s nomination were not collected at a party convention as required by state law, making him ineligible to be one of voters’ choices. Kennedy’s […]
Something is rotten in the State of Denmark/Washington
THE SETUP – Undisclosed Hearings to invalidate the Initiatives Friday afternoon I received an urgent phone call informing me that, “The Washington State Supreme Court is deciding a case in two hours on the Let’s Go Washington initiatives.” The case has been in motion since January 2024. We have received not one word nor one […]
