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...
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,...
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...
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...
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...
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,...
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...
Plaintiffs warn of “grave financial doom for Sound Transit,” offer settlement
Just days after the State Supreme Court heard oral arguments in a lawsuit against Sound Transit’s ST3 motor vehicle excise tax (MVET), the plaintiffs...
Planners should rethink growth strategies, says Strong Towns advocate
By 2040, Washington state is estimated to have a population of almost 9 million residents; that’s an increase of 1.4 million from its current...
Sound Transit fumbles facts with vehicle tax
An unexpected wrench has been thrown into the cogs of Sound Transit’s legal defense of its new motor vehicle excise tax (MVET) as part...
Auditor: Inspections delinquent for thousands of elevators
A new report by State Auditor Pat McCarthy has revealed that the state Department of Labor and Industries (L&I) is years behind on thousands...
Court asked to reconsider income tax ruling
The Washington State Division 1 of the Court of Appeals issued a ruling on the city of Seattle’s income tax ordinance that declared the...
Dealing with Washington’s drought
A drought was announced in Washington state in April, with 27 watersheds now included in the declaration. Although this hasn’t negatively affected some agricultural...
Washington fruit growers evade latest trade dispute
The latest escalation in an ongoing trade war between the U.S. and China has so far avoided hitting Washington fruit growers – while the...
Reforming the housing development process
Following a recent housing summit in Bellevue, the House Local Government Committee held a work session in Federal Way examining the various public policies...
Should Washington keep aerospace tax incentives?
In 2003, the state legislature approved a package of tax incentives related to the aerospace industry to ensure Boeing would produce its 787 in...
Long struggle ahead over water standards
The federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administer Andrew Wheeler last week signed a proposed rule repealing its water quality standards and restoring less stringent...
“Cosmic Crisp” bred for Washington growers
After more than two decades of development in collaboration with the Washington State University Tree Fruit Research and Extension Center, Washington producers plan to...
The fight to fully fund guest worker program
Washington farmers in recent years have increased the number of applications for H-2A guest worker visas while the federal government has decreased funding to...
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...
Lake Washington ferry service planned
A pilot program is in the works by a private developer to offer ferry service routes from South Lake Union to the 17-acre Southport...
Seattle income tax set for high court showdown
In a new ruling the Washington State Division 1 of the Court of Appeals has struck down the city of Seattle’s 2017 local income...
Addressing Washington’s housing affordability crisis
A housing summit in Bellevue involving various stakeholders from the private and public sectors could represent a turning point in a statewide housing crisis...
Navigating Washington’s housing crisis
Housing unaffordability similar to conditions in California was forecasted for Washington state during a July 8 housing summit in Bellevue. Whether or not Washington...
Is California Washington’s housing future?
Washington is experiencing a statewide housing shortage problem that is unlikely to change anytime soon, according to Washington Center for Real Estate Research (WCRER)...
Janus one year on – what’s next?
Since the U.S. Supreme Court’s Janus decision one year ago in which the court ruled that requiring public employees to pay union dues violated...
New taxes for transit?
Investments at the local and state levels on transit throughout Washington state isn’t keeping pace with economic growth, and new revenue sources such as...
Washington’s economy remains steady
Washington’s economy continues to outperform the nation and pad state coffers – tade disputes between the U.S. and countries like China notwithstanding. The latest...
The world of tomorrow with 5G
For enthusiasts of 5th generation (5G) mobile networks technology in the private sector, it’s hard to understate the positive impacts. The expansion alone is...
Seattle biz community hopes for “change election”
Last year, backlash from Seattle’s business community and other Seattleites led to the repeal of the city’s $275-per employee job tax. At the time,...
State sues EPA over water quality standards
Washington State Attorney General Bob Ferguson has filed a lawsuit against the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for repealing water quality standards that overrode those...
Swapping sales tax exemption for a refund: Will it work?
An upcoming change to the state sales tax exemption for nonresidents and the reaction by different business entities reflect the diversity of Washington’s economic...
Locals headed to small biz boot camp
Recent tariffs imposed by the U.S. on Chinese imports continue to affect small business members such as Krystal and Blake Garfield with the family-owned...
Shipping hub feels squeeze of regional growth
Santa’s workshop may be in the North Pole, but he has an outpost tucked away nearby in a place you might not expect: Tukwila,...
Lawmakers: Veto bank tax bill
Several top-ranking Republican state lawmakers and a Democrat senator are calling on Governor Jay Inslee to veto SHB 2167, arguing it was passed by...
