Washington in Focus

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WA four-year revenue forecast drops almost $900 million Sep 26, 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.

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Seattle mayor proposes adding $4M to city's immigration office next year Sep 23, 2025

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(The Center Square) – Amid talks of increasing federal immigration enforcement in Seattle, Mayor Bruce Harrell’s 2026 budget proposal would increase the city’s immigration office budget by more than 60%. Harrell’s proposed budget – which has yet to be fully revealed – would add $4 million to the Seattle Office of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs. According to Harrell’s office, this new funding would protect programs that “support Seattle’s immigrant and refugee communities impacted by federal policy shifts and programs threatened by federal funding cuts from the Trump Administration.”

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Washington’s pension system gamble Sep 18, 2025

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(The Center Square) – As Washington state is forecast to run out of money by 2027 despite a historic tax increase during this year’s legislative session, that fiscal crisis could be exacerbated several years later if new actuarial assumptions for the pension system don’t pan out. During session, state lawmakers enacted Senate Bill 5357, which altered the assumed rate of return for pension investments from 7% to 7.25%.

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WA GOP chair agrees with Trump that Antifa protesters are ‘paid agitators’ Sep 17, 2025

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(The Center Square) – A day after President Donald Trump endorsed the prospect of designating Antifa as a domestic terrorist organization, Washington State Republican Party Chair Jim Walsh says he is convinced, like the president, that many Antifa protesters are “paid agitators.” “We've seen examples of that sort of behavior here in Washington,” Walsh texted The Center Square on Tuesday.

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Seattle committee fast-tracks zoning bills ahead of upcoming budget season Sep 16, 2025

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(The Center Square) – The Seattle Land Use Committee expedited a slew of bills related to zoning and construction codes to Tuesday's city council meeting amid upcoming budget deliberations. Council bills 121045 and 121047 would amend the city’s municipal code and existing building code in order to limit hurdles for housing construction, one of the top priorities of Seattle leaders.

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Weekend Edition | ‘Conflict of interest’ alleged in complaint against Solicitor General Noah Purcell Sep 13, 2025

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(The Center Square) – A complaint against Solicitor General Noah Purcell with the Washington State Executive Ethics Board has been rejected for investigation despite allegations that the decision by Executive Director Kate Reynolds was made amid a conflict of interest. According to emails obtained by The Center Square, Reynolds has previously written that she reports to Purcell. Last month, Purcell wrote a response to the Washington State Bar Association on behalf of Attorney General Nick Brown related to an ethics complaint filed against him. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

‘Conflict of interest’ alleged in complaint against Solicitor General Noah Purcell Sep 11, 2025

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Let's Go Washington launches parents' rights, girls in sports initiatives Sep 10, 2025

Show notes

(The Center Square) – Let’s Go Washington, a political action committee founded by businessman Brian Heywood, launched two new initiatives to the state Legislature on Monday morning. One concerns parental rights, and the other concerns protecting girls in sports. “The first one will be a repeal of [House Bill] 1296 essentially; 1296 is the legislative gutting of [Initiative] 2081, which was the parents’ bill of rights,” Heywood told The Center Square last week. “It focused on making sure that parents knew what was going on with their kids at school, and schools not having the authority or the ability to keep secrets from parents.”

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King County Councilmember Balducci Demands Swift Fix After Audit Bombshell Sep 09, 2025

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(The Center Square) – King County Councilmember Claudia Balducci is calling for a quick response from the county to address major fiscal oversight issues within the Department of Community and Human Services. On Aug. 26, the King County Committee of the Whole was briefed on recent county audit findings revealing that DCHS made policy choices amid an increase in fiscal responsibility without installing a safety net to monitor whether the funds were being used appropriately.

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Weekend Edition | Washington Businesses Preparing for New Retail Sales Taxes To Hit Consumers October 1st Sep 06, 2025

Show notes

(The Center Square) - One month from Labor Day, a slew of Washington businesses will be subject to new retail sales taxes, which will be passed onto consumers. The 2025 Washington State Legislature passed Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill (ESSB) 5814, which added new business activities to the definition of retail sales. Those new taxes will be collected starting Oct. 1. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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