Homeland Security’s ‘welfare’ check on Idaho migrant students raises school privacy questions
In other parts of the country, the welfare checks have resulted in children being taken out of their homes and put back into government custody
WA Democrats propose new tax on real estate sales over $3M to fund affordable housing
Supporters estimate the tax could raise nearly $300 million every two years. Republicans argue it could drive up costs for renters.
Patients stuck in Washington hospitals pose quandary for state lawmakers
Health officials and hospital operators want to see further action to help patients with conditions like dementia and mental health disorders transition.
The outlook for new statewide renter protections in Washington
After failed attempts this year, the debate over how to best shield tenants from unaffordable price hikes will likely return in the next legislative session.
New law pushes Washington cities and counties to plan for climate change
They’ll have to incorporate strategies to cut emissions and better withstand natural disasters and severe weather into their long-term plans.
High gas prices fuel talk of anti-gouging measures, cap-and-trade tweaks
Washington’s new climate policy is taking heat for the state’s highest-in-the-nation prices at the pump. But the law’s backers say oil companies are to blame.
How local laws restrict the location of subsidized housing
New research looks at how zoning policies push these homes into pockets of the Puget Sound region where jobs and services are lacking compared to wealthier areas.
In northwest WA, trouble brews over river bacteria locals say is flowing in from Canada
Farmers and others in Whatcom County want Gov. Inslee and British Columbia officials to help solve the pollution problems in the Nooksack River watershed.