Tuesday, June 18

State law means more ‘middle housing’ is coming to Renton
House Bill 1110 was passed last year by the Washington Legislature to allow more “middle housing,” which describes housing such as duplexes, triplexes, fourplexes, fiveplexes, sixplexes, courtyard apartments, cottage housing and townhomes. Intended to encourage more development of middle housing, the bill requires cities to allow a broader range of housing in areas with mostly detached single-family homes. Continue reading at The Renton Reporter. (City of Renton)

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Washington voters want their lawmakers working all year long, poll finds
Most Washington voters want their lawmakers to be at the Legislature in session during the entire year, according to a new poll from the Northwest Progressive Institute, a non-profit based in Redmond. Of the 615 voters polled, 59% said they would support changing the Washington Constitution to allow the state House and state Senate to be in regular session year-round. The Constitution currently limits odd-year sessions to 105 days and even-year sessions to 60 days. The Legislature or the governor can call a special session, but those can’t last longer than 30 days. Continue reading at The Washington State Standard. (Laurel Demkovich)

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Eviction or intervention? Debating Washington’s eviction program as cases surge
The spike in evictions, and backlog of cases, in King County has prompted a debate over how well Washington state’s plan is working to help tenants facing evictions. Washington’s current eviction program…officially began in 2022. The state pays for attorneys to represent low-income tenants facing eviction. The Rental Housing Association of Washington, or RHAW, advocates for independent landlords in the state, many of whom find themselves in a position to go to court when a tenant doesn’t leave their unit. Starting in late 2023, some parts of Washington state began experiencing spikes in evictions shortly after pandemic-era protections began phasing out Continue reading at KUOW. (Allan Vega)

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Associated Press
Judge orders railway to pay tribe nearly $400 million

Axios
Scoop: Senate Dems line up behind Heinrich, Schumer’s bump stock ban
Biden moves to help half a million undocumented people married to citizens

Bellingham Herald
An Eastern WA salmon fishing tradition is being stopped. State says it got too popular
Bellingham officials raise Juneteenth flag in show of strength; challenged to ‘do the work’

Capital Press
Hops industry appears headed into market correction
Study suggests taking Washington farmland to create riparian buffers (Van De Wege)
Washington farm settles with AG over harassment, assault allegations

Columbian
Music publishers urge states to investigate Spotify
Lost chances to treat overdose survivors are documented in new Medicare study
Washington’s deadliest route is a well-traveled road that runs from Fife to Everett

Courier-Herald
State superintendent of schools says student privacy won’t diminish

Everett Herald
Marysville school board president resigns amid turmoil
Everett inches closer to Park District affordable housing plan
Lawmakers to confront Boeing CEO on mounting quality and safety issues
Editorial: U.S. Supreme Court ‘ducks’ reason on bump stocks

Federal Way Mirror
Opinion: People and their behaviors drive the legislative bus | Livingston (Wilson, Taylor)

Journal of the San Juan Islands
Washington’s wildfires: where we’ve been, where we are and where we’re going

News Tribune
We all scream when an ice cream truck spills tasty cargo on WA state highway
An Eastern WA salmon fishing tradition is being stopped. State says it got too popular
The biggest Juneteenth celebration in Washington is in Tacoma. Expect live music, food
Opinion: Students don’t have to take on massive debt. The trades need workers and they pay well

Peninsula Daily News
Jefferson County adopts summer fire regulations

Puget Sound Business Journal
Major landlords targeted by class-action lawsuits over pricing
Thousands of businesses could see overtime pay costs spike in July
Comment: Washington employers must close pay gap
Comment: Opinion: How Washington schools can replenish the workforce pipeline
Comment: Seattle needs to take its Stadium District seriously

Renton Reporter
State law means more ‘middle housing’ is coming to Renton

South Whidbey Record
New pursuit law changes rules of the road

Spokesman Review
Is Spokane’s housing market finally leveling? The average home in the county saw a slight decrease in value this year

Tri-City Herald
Fire scorches 200 acres, threatens homes and knocks out power north of Pasco

Washington Post
Most Americans approve of DEI, according to Post-Ipsos poll
What to know about Juneteenth and its historical significance
Biden to waive penalties for undocumented spouses of U.S. citizens
With obesity a major public health threat, U.S. panel releases guidelines for kids
Boeing CEO faces Senate hearing, hours after release of new whistleblower complaint

WA State Standard
Railroad owes nearly $400M to WA tribe, judge rules
Washington’s ferry system steers toward less choppy waters
Washington voters want their lawmakers working all year long, poll finds

Wenatchee World
Davis Canyon brush fire burns 2 acres
Peshastin Bridge closed, repairs to take about a month
Lake Chelan fire surpasses (sic) 3,800 acres, Stehekin meeting Tuesday
Leavenworth City Council votes to allow cottage homes in residential zones

KIRO 7 TV (CBS)
Former Seattle police chief Adrian Diaz comes out as gay
US Surgeon General says social media is a danger to youth mental health
Boeing’s CEO is appearing before a Senate panel as a new whistleblower emerges
Judge orders BNSF to pay Washington tribe nearly $400 million for trespassing with oil trains
‘Don’t be afraid to speak up’: Companies to pay $470,000 for failing to protect female farmworkers

KOMO 4 TV (ABC)
Public health, climate experts call summer heat a crisis as temperatures rise
Amazon Labor Union workers vote overwhelmingly in favor of an affiliation with Teamsters

KNKX Public Radio
Amazon’s struggling union joins forces with the Teamsters
Seattle Student Union says $2M telehealth plan isn’t enough

KUOW Public Radio
Eviction or intervention? Debating Washington’s eviction program as cases surge
More people die on south Seattle streets, where wide streets encourage fast driving
‘I am a gay Latino man,’ says former Seattle Chief Adrian Diaz after stepping down

KXLY (ABC)
Spokane County Emergency Management considering new alert for fast-moving wildfires

Cascadia Daily News
What makes Whatcom’s trash and recycling system unusual?
City outlines next six years of transportation network improvements 

Crosscut
Scientists seek ways to protect PNW rainforests from wildfires
UW grad students get 36% raise as academic unions gain traction

MyNorthwest
King County deputies recover 40 pounds of meth in massive drug bust
Marysville school board president steps down amid turbulent period for school district

The Urbanist
Metro Adding Hydrogen Buses, Auditor Casts Doubt on Fleet Electrification Strategy