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The Morning Wire: It’s budget-deal day as Legislature’s adjournment nears

Plus: a truce in the weed wars, unionization for the Legislature’s staff, and more redistricting weirdness Today’s the day the big budget compromises get rolled...Read More

The Sunday Observer: Paving over the locals for green energy but not for housing density

We’re in the final week of the Legislature’s session when lawmakers must negotiate a complex deal to get out of town. Friday marked the last...Read More

OpEd: Ease restrictions on ADUs to address housing crisis

On a warm Saturday morning in early October, we at Habitat for Humanity Seattle-King County opened the doors to 13 new permanently affordable homes where...Read More

Judge strikes down capital gains tax

Conservative opponents of the capital gains tax got what they were looking for out in Douglas County — a full-throated declaration that the tax adopted...Read More

Indoor mask mandate to end March 12

Joining Oregon and California, Gov. Jay Inslee plans to end the indoor mask mandate in most places on March 12, a week earlier than planned....Read More

Redistricting commission settles open-meeting lawsuits, accepts token punishment

In the latest chapter of the state’s tortured redistricting process, the Washington Redistricting Commission agreed to settle two lawsuits that challenged its redrawn maps of congressional...Read More

Financial impact disclosure for ballot initiatives inches forward

Many members of the Legislature have long yearned for checks on the ballot initiative process, which frequently leaves lawmakers constrained with unwelcome marching orders from...Read More

Lyft, Uber cut a deal with Teamsters over driver pay, benefits, and protections

Gig-economy giants Lyft and Uber have cut a deal with the Teamsters Union over driver pay, benefits, and protections statewide.  Rep. Liz Berry’s House Bill 2076 passed...Read More

Another chunk of Inslee’s green buildings package dies

Another piece of Gov. Jay Inslee’s push to reduce carbon emissions from buildings died at Tuesday’s house of-orign deadline. As we noted in The Sunday Observer a...Read More

Budget-writers’ new problem: How to spend another $1.4 billion

The Legislature’s budget writers have a fresh problem they likely welcome: What to do with an additional $1.4 billion? The fresh money arrived Wednesday morning...Read More