Washington in Focus

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Weekend Edition | Seattle mayor signs executive orders in anticipation of National Guard deployment Oct 11, 2025

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(The Center Square) – Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell has signed two executive orders in anticipation of President Donald Trump deploying the National Guard in the Emerald City. The first executive order accuses Trump of “unprecedented and unwarranted actions deploying the National Guard and federal military troops to American cities. The use of federal military forces in local communities without consent of local authorities is inconsistent with American principles of democracy and the right of states and cities to self-govern, risks escalation of conflict, and undermines public trust.” Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Seattle mayor signs executive orders in anticipation of National Guard deployment Oct 09, 2025

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Spokane mayor confirms upcoming changes to camping ban amid lack of enforcement Oct 08, 2025

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(The Center Square) – Just hours after her police chief deemed the policy unenforceable, Spokane Mayor Lisa Brown pledged Tuesday to revise her new camping ban so officers can cite for unlawful camping. Business leaders pleaded with the Spokane City Council last summer to reinstate another camping ban approved by nearly 75% of voters, but the progressive majority refused. They decided to pass Brown’s proposal instead, despite having had an opportunity to restore the will of the people by a council vote.

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Drug crisis advisory committee gets update on involuntary treatment outcomes Oct 07, 2025

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(The Center Square) – Washington state’s Substance Use Recovery Services Advisory Committee, or SURSAC, heard a presentation at Monday’s meeting that rattled some committee members. SURSAC was established through legislation in 2021 to provide recommendations to lawmakers on substance use policy and treatment options.

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Weekend Edition | October brings new taxes for Washington businesses and consumers Oct 04, 2025

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(The Center Square) – A new slate of taxes goes into effect on Wednesday. The changes were passed as part of the 2025-27 biennial budget package, which lawmakers approved in May, and are projected to generate billions in revenue. The changes include an expansion of the retail sales tax to several new services and increased B&O tax rates for financial institutions and large service businesses. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

WA AGO task force member: ‘No way’ to define domestic violent extremism Oct 02, 2025

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(The Center Square) – As the Washington State Attorney General’s Office Domestic Extremism and Mass Violence Task Force prepares a charter, debate continues over whether the task force can define what constitutes DVE or not, if it includes legally protected speech and activities. “I think the premise of trying to fix a domestic extremism problem in the state is problematic,” task force member Walla Walla County Sheriff Mark Crider told colleagues at the organization's Sept.

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Oct. 1 brings new taxes for Washington businesses and consumers Oct 01, 2025

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Regional dispatch network asks Spokane to save it a seat at the table next week Sep 30, 2025

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(The Center Square) – As tensions rise, Spokane Regional Emergency Communications sent a letter to the Spokane City Council on Friday requesting time to clear up some confusion before the two split ways. The SREC Executive Board of Directors decided to remove the city from the regional dispatch network in June, following years of failed negotiations. The final split is scheduled for January after the city had asked the state to claw back years of funding so it could prop up its own public safety answering point.

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Weekend Edition | WA four-year revenue forecast drops almost $900 million Sep 27, 2025

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(The Center Square) – In June, the Washington State Economic and Revenue Forecast Council’s revenue forecast anticipated that state coffers would run dry by 2027 despite record revenue levels and following the largest tax increase in state history. Now, ERFC’s updated revenue forecast anticipates the state will have almost $900 million less coming in than before over the next four years, which is being attributed in part to national policies such as Federal Reserve interest rates and President Donald Trump’s tariff policies, but also a decline in residential construction. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Let’s Go Washington signature gatherers endure stolen petitions, insults, threats Sep 26, 2025

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(The Center Square) – Let’s Go Washington, the conservative political action committee behind two new initiative campaigns, says signature gatherers had petitions stolen and were intimidated and threatened in three separate incidents on Monday. “We've only been gathering for two days, and this all happened within the last day,” LGW Communications Manager Hallie Balch told The Center Square on Tuesday.

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