TJ Martinell
TJ Martinell is a native Washingtonian and award-winning journalist. Born and raised in Bellevue, he’s been involved in the news industry since working at his high school newspaper.
His investigative reporting for various community newspapers in the Puget Sound region has been recognized by the Washington Newspaper Publishers Association and the Society for Professional Journalists.
A graduate of Eastern Washington University, he has a B.A. in journalism and was the news editor of EWU’s student university newspaper.
Stakeholders weigh in on USMCA deal
U.S. House Democrat leaders this week announced a deal has been reached with President Trump regarding the U.S.-Canada-Mexico Agreement (USMCA) to replace the North...
Preserving small forestland through estate planning
The 20th anniversary of the Forests and Fish Law has coincided with renewed concern among policymakers regarding the health of small forestland owners who...
Sound Transit increases ST3 property tax
The Sound Transit Board of Directors has voted overwhelmingly in favor of a one percent property tax increase that is expected to generate an...
Bellingham City Council to hear climate action proposal
The Bellingham Climate Action Plan Task Force this week approved its final report on carbon emission reduction policies that include banning the use of...
Conservation strategy “lays off” working forestland
The state Board of Natural Resources (BNR) at a Dec. 3 meeting approved a new Long Term Conservation Strategy (LTCS) for the marbled murrelet,...
“Back to the Future” with tax structure study
Despite year after year of surplus revenue, Washington state’s tax structure continues to receive scrutiny from legislators – the latest coming from the Tax...
Ecology director to resign
Ecology Director Maia Bellon has announced her resignation just weeks following a letter from U.S. Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers questioning her congressional testimony on...
Forest health funding tax proposed
The state Department of Natural Resources (DNR) in recent years has developed a fire protection strategy plan as well as a long-term forest health...
Is income “property” in Washington state?
For more than 80 years the Washington state Supreme court has ruled that income is property as defined by the Washington state constitution, which...
State grappling with forecasted revenue shortfalls
Although a new report by the state Economic and Revenue Forecast Council (ERFC) estimates state tax collections will increase $300 million for the 2019-21...
Future growth in Washington
The Growth Management Act (GMA) has guided local and regional planning since the state legislature approved it in 1990. In the nearly three decades...
Trade disputes cost Washington households $1 K per year
As the most trade-dependent state in the nation with one third of its jobs tied to foreign commerce, Washington has been hit particularly hard...
State revenue projected to climb
Washington state can expect another two years of increased revenue, according to a new report from the state Economic and Revenue Forecast Council (ERFC)....
Lawsuit challenges “title-only” bills
In the last days of this year’s legislative session, state lawmakers – without any prior discussion – introduced and passed a new tax on...
Forest stakeholders: Science should inform water typing rule
The state Forest Practices Board for 20 years has been working on a water typing rule that determines where fish habitat protected by state...
Do Washingtonians “own” their income?
A Washington Supreme Court ruling last week involving a city of Seattle rental ordinance overturned a century of property case law. Now, the city...
Building blocks for new I-5 Bridge
Talks between Washington and Oregon state lawmakers have finally begun on a replacement or alternative to the Interstate 5 Bridge spanning the Columbia River...
Foresters cry “end run” around harvest plan
The Washington Farm Forestry Association (WFFA) for more than four years has been working with the state on its alternative harvest proposal for small...
USMCA could “soften rough edges” on trade
President Trump a year ago announced plans to withdraw from the North American Trade Agreement (NAFTA) between Canada and Mexico. Now, Congress is under...
Voters reject new REET tax
If the outcome of Nov. 5 election’s advisory votes are any indication, Washington voters have little stomach for new taxes – of the 12...
Washington’s timber sales backlog
Washington state currently manages 2.1 million acres of working forest state trust land, and that responsibility carries with it a legal mandate to generate...
Stakeholders: Put the brakes on conservation plan
As the state Board of Natural Resources (BNR) prepares to vote next month on a habitat conservation plan (HCP) for the endangered marbled murrelet,...
State economy holds steady amid recession talk
The latest forecast from the state Economic and Revenue Forecast Council (ERFC) shows that Washington’s economy is holding steady despite increased talk of a...
Bellingham climate action proposal could cost homeowners big
The state legislature this year passed a law requiring that Washington utility providers convert to 100 percent carbon-neutral energy by 2035. Now, the city...
“Horror franchise” of income tax efforts lives on
In an eerily pithy decision, the Court of Appeals rejected without further elaboration a request by plaintiffs to reconsider its decision regarding the city...
EPA to clarify “Waters of the United States”
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in 2015 adopted a rule regarding “Waters of the United States” that determines what bodies of water are subject...
“Politics on steroids”: The fight over water quality standards
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) last month closed the public comment period for a proposed withdrawal of its water quality standards for Washington state,...
“Complete rewrite” for forest action plan
Now that the state Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has assessed the health of eastern Washington forestland, State Forester George Geissler says it’s time...
Puget Sound LCFS could add $.57 to gas prices
After its failed efforts to impose a low carbon fuel standard (LCFS) across the state during the last two legislative sessions, the Puget Sound...
Commission approves driverless car recommendations
The Washington State Transportation Commission (WTSC) next month will submit a report to Governor Jay Inslee and the state legislature regarding the testing and...
Sound Transit car tab fee injunction denied
A Pierce County Superior Court judge has denied an injunction request preventing Sound Transit from collecting any more of its motor vehicle excise tax...
Labor, trade issues continue to hurt Washington farmers
While trade disputes and labor costs continue to affect Washington agriculture, Wenatchee-based McDougall & Sons, Inc. co-owner Scott McDougall says the situation could get...
Crossroads ahead for road usage charge
The Washington State Transportation Commission (WSTC) in December will deliver a report to the legislature outlining recommendations on a road user charge (RUC) fee....
Local road funds off track
Washington State Department of Transportation officials have recently described their $700 million annual funding gap as a “glidepath toward failure.” Now, a Joint Transportation...
Farmers: Flawed EPA study puts family farming at risk
Washington family dairy farmers are calling on the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to conduct a scientific review of its 2013 study claiming dairy farmers...
Tourism: Marketing Washington’s appeal
After seven years as the only state with no tourism agency, the state legislature in 2018 revamped those efforts by creating the Washington Tourism...
Restructured excise tax could harm business, development
In a move that has stakeholders raising red flags about business investment in Washington and housing affordability, the state legislature earlier this year approved...
Tour highlights state’s manufacturing sector
The state of Washington’s manufacturers has gained the renewed attention of state lawmakers and business groups interested in the sector’s long-term health, and the...
Despite mildest wildfire season in years, stakeholders urge caution
Although the final tally has yet to be made, this year’s wildfire season in Washington state is likely to be the mildest in terms...
Plaintiffs target Sound Move car tab
Now that Sound Transit has rejected a settlement offer in a lawsuit filed against its ST3 motor vehicle excise tax (MVET), the plaintiffs want...
Pension council rejects lower growth assumptions
In a 3-3 vote, the state Pension Funding Council rejected a motion at a Sept. 30 meeting to lower the assumed rate of return...
Growth may not signal prosperity, planner cautions
With an economy that continues to outperform the rest of the country, Washington appears to be prospering. According to the latest report by the...
Committee prepares recommendations on “no man’s land”
The state Wildland Fire Advisory Committee will vote next month on recommendations for the state legislature to consider on how to address “no man’s...
Seattle “all over the place”: Income isn’t money
Throughout the two-year court fight over Seattle’s income tax ordinance, the city has argued that the tax doesn’t violate the state constitution or state...
Rent control could prompt housing shortage
The average monthly rent for an apartment in Seattle is $2,130, a three percent increase from 2018, according to Rent Café. In July 2016,...
Ecology proposes new spill limits for dams
The state Department of Ecology is proposing to increase the maximum amount of water that can be spilled over the lower Columbia and Snake...
Crafting smart state tax policy
Tax policy analysts featured at the Association of Washington Business 2019 Policy Summit on Sept. 18 agree on one thing: the state tax code...
WSDOT: State transportation system on “glidepath to failure”
Beginning in the 2021-23 biennium, the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) will no longer pave highway ramps or sections of the freeway where...
Chelan PUD voices support for Snake River dams
The Chelan PUD commissioners this week voted unanimously in favor of a resolution opposing the removal of eight dams on the lower Snake River....
Trade war slows freight activity
The ongoing trade war between the U.S. and China has put the damper on freight activity – not just for Washington state but across...
Capital gains income tax proposals loom next session
This year’s legislative session saw several unsuccessful proposals to enact a capital gains income tax. Comments made by lawmakers at a Sept. 13 House...
