Gov. Jay Inslee
Inslee wants to spend $50M more to combat opioid crisis
Gov. Jay Inslee is calling for another $50 million in state spending to fight the flow of illegal opioids into Washington and to provide services for people with substance use disorder. The governor included the funding in the budget proposal he will ask state lawmakers to consider in the upcoming legislative session, which begins in […]
Initiative poses extra hurdle for merging of Washington, California carbon markets
Gov. Jay Inslee and Democratic legislators see linking Washington’s cap-and-trade program with carbon markets in California and Quebec as a critical next step for the signature climate policy and are pushing ahead to make it happen. But a ballot measure to repeal the Climate Commitment Act may slow their pursuit – unless they are willing […]
West Coast leaders urge feds to reverse decision allowing natural gas pipeline expansion
State attorneys general in Oregon, Washington and California and two Oregon-based environmental groups are asking federal energy regulators to reconsider their approval of a natural gas pipeline project that would increase the flow of gas through the Northwest. Federal regulators voted unanimously Oct. 19 to allow Calgary-based TC Energy to expand the capacity of its […]
Petitions filed for initiative to erase Washington’s ambitious climate law
Washington’s controversial carbon pricing scheme drew fire and praise Tuesday as critics turned in signatures for an initiative to repeal the program, while its architects, including the governor, vowed to fight the measure should it reach the ballot. Shortly before 1 p.m., opponents, led by a hedge fund manager and the leader of the state […]
Consumer spending drives another $200M in expected state revenue growth
Washington’s economy is churning a little slower as consumers keep spending but homes aren’t selling at the pace they were a year ago. A new revenue forecast released Monday projects state tax collections will reach $66.9 billion for the two-year budget cycle that began July 1, an increase of $191 million from what chief economist […]
State hauls in nearly $900M from first year of capital gains tax
Washington’s new capital gains tax brought in $890 million in its first year, state officials said Wednesday. Those proceeds, garnered from the state’s wealthiest residents, will be funneled into early learning and child care programs, and to school districts in need of dollars for construction and renovation projects. “The new funds could not come at […]
Inslee appointees oppose merging Washington’s carbon market with California, Québec
Gov. Jay Inslee is pressing ahead with plans to combine Washington’s carbon market with ones in California and Québec despite opposition from a statewide panel of his own appointees. The Environmental Justice Council says the merger could hurt communities where pollution causes the most harm and weaken existing air quality improvement programs. Council members informed […]
Less driving but more deaths: Spike in traffic fatalities puzzles lawmakers
Traffic deaths are lingering near historic highs in most states despite less driving overall, prompting policymakers to consider deploying more police or installing automated monitoring such as speed cameras to curb speeding and reckless driving. People are driving fewer miles than they were in 2019, but more are dying on roadways. Traffic deaths spiked 18% […]
‘We’re burying them every week’: Tribes call on Inslee to declare opioid emergency
Misty Napeahi has been to hundreds of funerals for people who’ve died from opioid overdoses. “We’re burying them every week,” Napeahi, the vice chairwoman of the Tulalip Tribes of Washington, told Gov. Jay Inslee at a meeting between tribal and state governments last week. Napeahi, alongside other tribal leaders, is calling on Inslee to declare […]
Traffic deaths are down in Finland. WA leaders will travel there to find out how
As Finland saw traffic fatalities plummet last year, Washington tallied a record number of deaths on its roads. Next month, state lawmakers and transportation officials will travel to the Nordic nation to learn how it’s succeeded in making traveling safer on its roadways. Sen. Marko Liias, D-Edmonds, chair of the Senate Transportation Committee, will be […]
Washington sets out to merge its carbon market with California and Québec
Washington’s campaign to aggressively curb climate-damaging air pollution entered a new phase Thursday with a decision to pursue linking the state’s carbon market with ones in California and Québec. Washington Director of Ecology Laura Watson made the expected announcement, calling it “the best path” to addressing the “moral imperative of protecting Washington and the planet […]
Washington fine-tunes its options for boosting electric vehicle sales
Susan Baird-Joshi spent many hours the last few months helping draw up Washington’s ambitious plan for rapidly electrifying cars and trucks in the state. As a member of the Electric Vehicle Advisory Council, the data scientist weighed in on dozens of ideas considered in drafting the long-term strategy to accelerate purchases of battery-powered vehicles – […]