Washington in Focus

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WA Bill’s Changes to Public Pension Funding Could Cost Taxpayers, Critic Warns May 22, 2025

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(The Center Square) - For years, Washington state’s public pension system has been considered one of the best funded in the nation. However, one critic of a new bill passed by the state Legislature warns that it could undermine the system’s solvency in the long term and at the expense of taxpayers. One of the key factors in actual assumptions is determining the assumed rate of return on investments that fund the system, which in turn determines how much the state Legislature must contribute.

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‘Largest Tax Increase in State History’: Gov Signs Wa’s $78B Operating Budget Into Law May 21, 2025

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(The Center Square) – Gov. Bob Ferguson repeatedly said he would look for budget savings and efficiencies before agreeing to raise taxes on Washingtonians, but on Tuesday – the deadline for doing so – he signed Washington state’s nearly $78 billion, two-year operating budget into law that raises taxes by more than $9 billion over the next four years.The operating budget includes several tax increases, including a new business and occupation gross tax on storage units.

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Seattle’s High Buy-Rent Gap Stirs Policy Debate May 20, 2025

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(The Center Square) – Housing market experts say rent control is a factor in Seattle having one of the biggest cost gaps between renting and buying. According to a recent study from Bankrate, the Seattle metro area has a buy-rent gap of 119.5%, behind only San Jose (185.6%) and San Francisco (190.7%), two other tech hubs. Sean Flynn, executive director at the Rental Housing Association of Washington, says the tech sector brought more high-wage jobs into Seattle, which drives up the price of homes and mortgages.

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Weekend Edition | Labor Board Investigating Employee’s Union Dues Complaint May 17, 2025

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(The Center Square) – A Washington state labor board is investigating a complaint filed by an employee with the city of Everett regarding dues paid to the local union after that employee attempted to opt out. While the National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation, representing the employee, claims the incident highlights ongoing problems with the process by which public workers can opt out of paying union dues, the local union and the city of Everett argue it was an administrative mistake that has since been resolved. In 2018, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled 5-4 in its Janus decision that forcing public sector employees to pay dues to the union represented a violation of their First Amendment rights. In response, states such as Washington enacted new laws regarding the process by which public workers can opt out. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Spokane County Proposes Regional Task Force to Revive Jail Funding Measure May 15, 2025

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(The Center Square) - Spokane County is preparing to establish a regional task force over the coming weeks to develop a tax proposal to fund a new jail after the last push fell short in 2023. The Board of County Commissioners and the Spokane Valley City Council both discussed the initiative during separate meetings on Tuesday. Commissioner Chris Jordan said the city of Spokane may bring it to a vote in the next few weeks, highlighting the regional collaboration.

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WA State Labor Board Investigating Everett Employee’s Union Dues Complaint May 14, 2025

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Redmond Light Rail Extension Opens Amid Years of Delays, Budget Changes May 13, 2025

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(The Center Square) – Sound Transit opened its downtown Redmond extension after a year delay and $98 million tacked on after originally planned. The 3.4-mile extension of the 2 Line opened for service Saturday with two new stations at Marymoor Village and Downtown Redmond. The latest extension is the first Sound Transit 3 project.

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Weekend Edition | Sound Transit Economic Reality & Spokane's Homelessness Plan May 10, 2025

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(The Center Square) – Much of the funding for Sound Transit’s projects, including ST3, has come from federal grants. In the past seven years, it has secured a total of $3.8 billion, with $9 billion expected in future grants for ST3. However, as the transit system struggles to recover its pre-pandemic ridership volumes, the agency faces a growing fiscal challenge due to what a spokesperson says are rising property values and increased construction costs. Those challenges could affect how much money it can expect, or need, from the federal government. In an email to The Center Square, Media Relations Manager John Gallagher wrote that “the agency has been transparent about the financial headwinds that we face on capital projects. We anticipate coming to the Board later this year with an update to the financial plan.” Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Economic Reality May Force Sound Transit to Revise Its Financial Plan May 09, 2025

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WA Family at Center of Fight Over Trans Athletes Heartened by Federal OSPI Probe May 08, 2025

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(The Center Square) – A family in East Wenatchee, Wash., at the center of the controversy surrounding transgender athletes in girls’ and women’s sports, tells The Center Square they are reenergized now that the federal government has launched an investigation into the Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. On Wednesday, the U.S. departments of Education and Justice announced their Title IX “Special Investigations Team” joint initiative, alleging that the state’s public schools agency has imposed gender-inclusion requirements on school districts in possible violation of federal law. President Donald Trump has signed an executive order to ban transgender athletes from competing in women's and girls' sports.

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