Housing as “critical infrastructure”
The state Growth Management Act (GMA) remains a primary focus for stakeholders who are trying to address Washington state’s housing shortage and lack of...
Will future RUC revenue be protected?
The Washington State Transportation Commission (WSTC) for eight years has studied the concept of a road usage charge (RUC) in which drivers pay a...
Private ferry route may replace WSDOT service
While King County looks at ferry service across Lake Washington, the state Joint Transportation Committee (JTC) is exploring the idea of a private ferry...
“Uphill” battle remains for single-payer healthcare work
For more than a year a state work group has explored the idea of a universal healthcare system in Washington state with forthcoming recommendations...
Defining “public use” for broadband
The legislature last year enacted a law creating the State Broadband Office (SBO) within the state Department of Commerce to expand access to all...
Analyst says healthcare system “at crossroads”
Within the debate over healthcare reform in the U.S. are conflicting philosophies regarding how the system should operate and who ultimately should make health...
Washington’s budget woes
State lawmakers since May have been calling for a special session to address a significant operating budget revenue shortfall for the current biennium. Framing...
PSE signs agreement for new Oregon wind farm
Puget Sound Energy (PSE) has signed a new agreement with Portland-based Avangrid Renewables to build a 28,000 acre wind farm in north central Oregon...
King County GHG goal, policy “disconnect”
A criticism often leveled against government environmental efforts is the disconnect between climate goals and what is actually achieved. Washington state and local governments...
The politics of transportation revenue
The Statewide Transportation Needs Assessment Advisory Panel is looking at potential new taxes or fees to aid an underfunded system throughout Washington state, and...
GMA’s top-down approach to housing could intensify
Since the early 1990s the state Growth Management Act (GMA) has directed regional and local zoning policy regarding economic development and housing to prevent...
Seattle’s spending priorities matter to businesses large and small
The Seattle City Council last month passed a new payroll tax intended to help plug shortfalls in the city budget, and there’s a strong...
New legal precedent set for public pension policy
The Washington Pension Funding Council recently voted to maintain a 7.5 percent assumed rate of growth for pension investments to ease financial pressure on...
Trucking’s future role in RUC program
Although the trucking industry isn’t included in Washington state’s ongoing exploration of a road usage charge (RUC) program as an eventual replacement for the...
Budget cuts could undermine hatchery production
After years of trying to reestablish its pre-Great Recession funding levels, the Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) is looking at potential...
I-5 Bridge talks remain cautious
More than two years after the Washington state legislature created an interstate committee to restart the I-5 Bridge replacement process, the political fallout from...
Helping small businesses pivot to digital
As small businesses throughout Washington adjust to the challenges presented by the evolving regulations regarding COVID 19, it has become increasingly clear that in...
Pension council rejects lower growth assumptions
The Pension Funding Council voted 4-2 at its July 29 meeting to keep a 7.5 percent assumed rate of growth for investments a week...
State tourism branding efforts complicated by pandemic
The state economic shutdown in response to the COVID-19 pandemic has only complicated efforts by the Washington Tourism Marketing Authority (WTMA) to promote the...
Could JBLM relocate to accommodate a future airport?
The Washington State Department of Transportation’s (WSDOT) Aviation Coordination Commission over the next two years must come up with several potential locations for a...
Unfunded liability drops as committee recommends lower pension rates
The state Select Committee on Pension Policy has voted to lower the assumed rate of return for the state’s public pension investments from 7.5...
Is single payer health care a nonstarter?
Although Washington state’s Universal Health Care Work Group has yet to make formal recommendations to the state legislature on how to implement a single...
Seattle City Council approves new payroll tax
Just over two years after passing and repealing a job tax ordinance, the Seattle City Council voted at a July 6 meeting in favor...
High court to decide I-976 fate
The state Supreme Court will decide the fate of Initiative 976 sponsored by Tim Eyman, following oral arguments at a June 30 hearing and...
Study: Rent control would wipe out year’s worth of housing
In recent years, efforts at both the local and state levels have been made to restrict control of rental property by landlords. A proposal...
EPA draft rule could undermine lower Snake River dam operations
While a new environmental impact statement (EIS) by three government agencies operating the lower Snake River dams opposes breaching them to aid salmon recovery,...
Work group to develop health system recommendations
A state Universal Health Care Work Group formed last year is working on recommendations to the state legislature regarding a universal, or single-payer, health...
New taxes under consideration for state transportation
Prior to the state-ordered shutdown due to COVID-19 and the passage of Initiative 976, the state transportation infrastructure was already suffering from a significant...
We need 5G now more than ever
This has been an impactful year. With a pandemic that has left many people working and learning from home, it became clear that without...
Department of Energy joins Hydropower Research Institute
Several years ago a group of public and private utilities along with several federal government agencies formed the Hydropower Research Institute (HRI), a data-sharing,...
Mixed reaction to Stampede Pass rail line
A consulting group will soon release a final report on its study of passenger rail service from Seattle to Spokane via the Stampede Pass...
State audit offers Sound Transit cost reduction strategies
Keeping Sound Transit project costs within budget has been a concern starting with the 1996 Sound Move project and has persisted in recent years...
State faces $4.5 billion budget shortfall
The latest revenue forecast released by the state Economic and Revenue Forecast Council (ERFC) revealed what most state officials and legislators already expected: a...
Group outlines plan for EV truck infrastructure
A group of West Coast utilities are collaborating on long-term planning for an interstate electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure for EV trucks in hopes...
State Actuary: Pay now or later for obligations
The State Actuary’s Office plans to review the public pension system’s actuarial gains or losses at the end of the month. However, there are...
Businesses groups protest heavy fines for confusing guidelines
As businesses reopen across the state, many are struggling to comply with what industry advocates argue are inconsistent and ambiguous safety guidelines issued by...
Air pollution unaffected by traffic decrease, data show
One of the many arguments proponents have made for either a regional or statewide low carbon fuel standard (LCFS) to reduce the amount of...
Growers prepare for harvest amid COVID-19
As summer approaches, Washington growers are preparing for a harvest marked by additional safety precautions due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Along with the extra...
Sound Transit faces massive revenue hit
One of the major objections raised by Sound Transit advocates against a recent legislative proposal to reduce the ST3 motor vehicle excise tax by...
Shutdown raises concerns over government power
A Chelan County Superior Court judge this week ruled that a lawsuit against Governor Jay Inslee’s stay home order can move forward. The use...
Economic forecast released; officials urge special session
A new update from the state Economic and Revenue Forecast Council (ERFC) offered little surprise as to an economic downturn resulting from the COVID-19...
“Make or break” summer for craft breweries
Although only one of the 420 craft breweries in Washington state has closed since businesses were shuttered due to the COVID-19 outbreak, the next...
Commuting in a post COVID-19 world
The temporary shutdown of businesses and the forced telecommuting implemented by major employers in the central Puget Sound region has resulted in a tremendous...
Trade impacts “mixed bag” for agriculture
Though the full effects of the COVID-19 response on Washington trade have yet to be determined, a new report by the Washington Council on...
PSE signs agreement for renewable natural gas
In an effort to promote the use of renewable energy, the state legislature last year passed HB 1257 which allows gas companies to sell...
Feds invalidate state law on crude oil transport
A federal agency has invalidated a 2019 state law regulating crude oil transportation, concluding that a federal law preempts the state requirement. The move...
Retailers work to shift sales, marketing tactics
As retailers prepare for expanded operations after an initial reopening on May 8, many have already shifted their marketing and business strategies in response...
Emergency labor rule avoids “potential food shortage”
The state Department of Labor and Industries (L&I) and the Department of Health have approved an emergency rule for H-2A worker housing that provides...
Businesses, legislators advocate flexibility, autonomy with reopening policies
Governor Jay Inslee has unveiled additional details about how businesses such as restaurants can partially reopen, along with information about the latest state efforts...
Court overturns state bank tax
A King County Superior Court judge has ruled a 2019 state bank tax unconstitutional for violating federal law after it was initially upheld regarding...
Washington meat supply backlogged, but stable
While the appearance of rationing policies in grocery stores today for meat and beef products similar to those used for toilet papers in March...
