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You can’t make housing more affordable by making it more expensive
I’ve been a builder for 17 years and have seen many changes in our industry, good, bad, and those with unintended consequences; one of these decisions with consequences being the 2018 changes to the state energy code. As a co-founder of Built Green, I am a proponent of energy-efficient housing. When asked by former Governor […]
Energy & Environment
‘Last ditch’ effort for harvest plan consensus
It’s been five years since the Washington Farm Forestry Association (WFFA) first submitted its alternative harvest plan to the Forest Practices Board (FPB) as...
Angling for LCFS policy continues
Although a low carbon fuel standard (LCFS) bill reintroduced from last session and passed by the state House appears to be going nowhere in...
Education
Picking Peter’s pocket to pay Paul: Lazy McCleary ‘fix’ leaves critical infrastructure projects out...
Old Mother Hubbard
Went to the cupboard,
To give the poor dog a bone;
But when she got there
The cupboard was bare,
And so the poor dog had...
Attacking the gap: the bridge from class to career
After years spent mired in the Supreme Court’s McCleary decision and battling over education funding, the legislature is now uniquely aligned around one major...
Growth
Hefty bank tax stands as judge upholds title-only bills
This legislative session three bills proposing to end the use of title-only legislation failed to clear their original committees prior to the cutoff date....
High court upholds ST3 car tab tax
The Washington State Supreme Court ruled this week in a 7-2 decision that a provision in a 2015 state law authorizing the ST3 motor...
Healthcare
Single-payer system would require $28 billion in new taxes
This year the state legislature passed SB 5526 which created a standardized health plan through the public health care exchange. Business and industry groups opposed...
Contemplating a single-payer system
Washington state lawmakers this session considered several bills intended to reduce healthcare costs. However, while the approach focuses on capping the rates by health...
Healthcare “standardized” plan proposal passes
The Washington state lawmakers in the final days of session approved legislation intended to lower healthcare costs, but opponents say it will have the...
Business
A move to regulate drinks for kids clears state Senate
The Feb. 13 Senate floor debate over a bill restricting what default beverages a restaurant can offer on its kids’ menu transformed into a...
‘Last ditch’ effort for harvest plan consensus
It’s been five years since the Washington Farm Forestry Association (WFFA) first submitted its alternative harvest plan to the Forest Practices Board (FPB) as...
You can’t make housing more affordable by making it more expensive
I’ve been a builder for 17 years and have seen many changes in our industry, good, bad, and those with unintended consequences; one of...