Washington in Focus

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Spokane County Considers Hiking Certain Construction Fees by More Than 1,500% Aug 19, 2025

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(The Center Square) – Building in Spokane County could become much more expensive soon, as local officials consider hiking several permitting fees for the first time in years, some by more than 1,500%. Spokane County Public Works charges a variety of fees to cover its costs, but many of those have sat stagnant for over a decade. While neglected for years, the Board of County Commissioners has a more than $20 million deficit to balance ahead of 2026, and adjusting these fees could help close that delta.

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Weekend Edition | Report: Washington Ranks 36th for Best States To Live In Aug 16, 2025

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(The Center Square) – A new WalletHub report ranked Washington as the 36th best state to live in this year, with Idaho landing second overall due to affordability and law enforcement staffing per capita. Much of the West Coast fell below the bottom half of the charts, with California at 32nd and Oregon at 39th on the list. WalletHub Analyst Chip Lupo told The Center Square that rapid growth in Seattle and other cities a few decades ago outpaced the development of infrastructure, creating several issues. The lack of infrastructure, paired with booming population growth, makes it challenging to manage crime, affordability and the availability of services. Washington boasts a strong economy, but the state also faces a ballooning budget and the lowest number of law enforcement officers per capita nationwide.

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Report: Washington Ranks 36th for Best States to Live In 2025 as Idaho Lands 2nd Aug 15, 2025

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WA State Fair Accused of Excluding Pierce County Republican Party Aug 14, 2025

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(The Center Square) – For the first time in many years, the Pierce County Republican Party will not have a booth at the Washington State Fair in Puyallup, Wash. – better known to locals as the Puyallup Fair. Signature-gathering efforts for citizen initiatives and GOP merchandise are the purported reasons for Washington State Fair officials telling Pierce County Republican Party Chair Dave McMullan that he would have to relocate the party’s booth to a different area this year.

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Seattle Braces for Big Drop in Tourism as Sales Tax Revenue Stays Flat Aug 13, 2025

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(The Center Square) – Seattle is expected to see a 27% drop in international overnight visitors this year, with generated sales tax revenue remaining flat. The Seattle Office of Economic and Revenue Forecast anticipates sales tax revenue to total $344.7 million in 2025, a 1.26% increase year-over-year from $340.4 million in 2024. The small bump in revenue comes as the city is set to address a $143 million budget deficit.

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Weekend Edition | Republicans hopeful as primary results show two tight legislative races Aug 09, 2025

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(The Center Square) – Initial returns from Tuesday’s primary election in Washington state show an extremely tight race in the 26th Legislative District, which includes Gig Harbor, Port Orchard and Bremerton. Rep. Michelle Caldier, R-Gig Harbor, who has served six terms in the state House of Representatives, is running for the state Senate seat against Sen. Deb Krishnadasan, D-Gig Harbor. Krishnadasan was appointed to the seat in late 2024 to fill the vacancy left by Emily Randall, who was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

AGO’s Seattle Office Space Rental Costs Double in a Decade Aug 07, 2025

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(The Center Square) – Costs of renting office space for hundreds of employees in the Washington State Attorney General’s Office has more than doubled in the last decade, according to an analysis of fiscal data by The Center Square.The largest recipient of AGO spending, according to fiscal.wa.gov, for the past several biennia has been BPP 800 Fifth REIT LLC, which operates 800 Fifth Avenue in downtown Seattle.

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Primary Election Day in WA; Turnout Projections and Key Races Aug 06, 2025

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(The Center Square) – Tuesday is primary election day in Washington state. Ballots must be postmarked or placed in a ballot drop box by 8 p.m. Tuesday to be counted. Washington has a top-two primary, which means that in candidate races, the top two vote-getters advance to the general election regardless of party affiliation.

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HUD: ‘Success Is No Longer Being Measured by the Number of Housing Units Filled' Aug 05, 2025

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(The Center Square) – A Spokane native now overseeing much of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development across the Northwest says the Housing First model is failing American taxpayers. President Donald Trump issued an executive order at the end of July, rebuking the approach as his team brought HUD Regional Administrator Chris Patterson back into the fold. Patterson, who oversaw Region 9 during Trump's first term, now leads Region 10, including Alaska, Idaho, Oregon and Washington.

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Weekend Edition | Will Governor Ferguson Extend Ban on Auto-Deletion of Public Records? Aug 02, 2025

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(The Center Square) – The end of a six-month suspension of a policy that for years allowed for the auto-deletion of Microsoft Teams or instant messages at Washington state agencies after one week is approaching. Microsoft Teams is a cloud-based team collaboration software that allows users to communicate, set up meetings, and share files within a workspace environment, typically via email. 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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