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Gov. Jay Inslee signed into law an automatic right for tenants to have an attorney, though it came with a catch — Inslee sent back two parts of the bill regarding landlord rental assistance. In a memo after the April 22 bill signing, Inslee said the measure lacked guidance for how landlords could qualify for the rental assistance. “It creates an entitlement for landlords to receive rent assistance without a sufficient framework to prioritize resources to those landlords who have the greatest need,” Inslee wrote in the relea...
OLYMPIA — A tax credit for working families in Washington passed the Senate in a bipartisan vote April 11, with lawmakers on both sides saying the exemption for low-income earners was a long time coming. “Expanding and fully funding the Working Families Tax Credit will make a difference for hundreds of thousands of Washingtonians who may face an unexpected cost – an auto repair, a sick child, a loss of hours at a job – that can lead to a downward economic spiral,” Sen. David Frockt, D-Seattle, said in a statement. The Worki...
OLYMPIA — A controversial statewide cap on carbon emissions scraped through the Legislature in a 25-24 vote late April 8 after lawmakers passed a Climate Commitment Act that majority Democrats say will boost the state’s economy and address a looming climate problem. “It’s good for our grandchildren’s children,” Sen. Reuven Carlyle, the bill’s sponsor, told the Senate during a six-hour debate on the bill. The program is estimated to cost $27.3 million and will likely bring in $228.5 million for the state to partly fund t...
The Washington House of Representatives passed a $10.94 billion transportation budget with some bipartisan support. The vote on April 2 was 87-11. The budget pays for expanded green transportation and improved roadways. Construction of a hybrid-electric ferry will get $152.5 million from the budget, along with $12 million toward electric vehicle grants and $15 million for reducing carbon emissions. The proposal also spends $726 million on fish passage barrier removals to comply with federal Department of Transportation...
OLYMPIA — Lawmakers passed a $6.23 billion capital budget April 2 in a unanimous vote, earmarking millions of state and federal funding for investments in community projects and public works — including projects in the cities of Cheney, Airway Heights and Eastern Washington University. “We’ve put together a budget that not only provides for the infrastructure needs of big urban centers, but prioritizes rural communities struggling to survive in the pandemic’s aftermath,” Rep. Mike Steele, R-Chelan, said in a statement....
OLYMPIA — As the end of an emergency eviction moratorium looms over thousands of Washington renters, a bill requiring landlords to have just cause for evicting a tenant passed the House of Representatives in a 54-44 vote March 7. “Stopping evictions means preventing homelessness,” Rep. Nicole Macri, D-Seattle, told the House as the bill’s primary sponsor. HB 1236 puts an end to “no-cause evictions,” which some described as yet another way for landlords to practice discrimination against tenants. The bill defines reasons lan...
OLYMPIA — Senate Bill 5107 would require counties with populations exceeding 50,000 to establish emergency housing and homeless shelters. The bill sponsored by Sen. Phil Fortunato, R-Auburn would also require mental health, employment and police resources. The law would also force these shelters to ban possession or use of alcohol and unprescribed drugs on the premises and to have a police presence during operating hours. At a Feb. 3 hearing, more than 400 people signed in as opposed to the bill, telling the Senate Housing an...
OLYMPIA — A proposed ban on the use of chokeholds, unleashed K-9 dogs and other use-of-force tactics by law enforcement is just the beginning of an effort by several state lawmakers to address police violence and its impact on marginalized communities. If passed, House Bill 1054 would ban several tactics, including the use of tear gas on civilians, shooting at or pursuing a vehicle, and the use of military-grade equipment by officers. Several community activists testified in a public hearing this morning saying these c...
