Special education spending, oversight top priorities for WA lawmakers
This year, Washington state lawmakers are making big promises to fund and improve the education services that help roughly 158,449 disabled kids around the state. After two years of dousing educational pandemic fires, lawmakers say they are returning to unfinished business — gaps in oversight regarding these critical services, and gaps in funding. “We’ve done so much policy work and so a lot of the focus is on making sure that we’re funding what we know we need,” said Senate Majority Leader Andy Billig, D-Spokane. Lawmakers will decide how the state spends its remaining cut of Washington’s $2.6 billion in pandemic-era education relief funds. And they’ll also discuss whether to buffer financial losses caused by falling enrollment, which the state’s top education official, Chris Reykdal, doesn’t expect will bounce back anytime soon. Continue reading at Seattle Times. (Kylie Cooper)

As death toll rises, push to lower the legal limit for driving drunk begins
Lawmakers set out Monday to lower the legal limit for driving drunk in Washington. The move comes as deadly crashes involving drivers who had been drinking alcohol are at levels not seen in more than a decade. Washington recorded 670 traffic fatalities in 2021 of which 202 people died in crashes involving an alcohol-impaired driver — the highest number since 2009, according to data compiled by the Washington State Traffic Safety Commission. At the proposed legal limit, Washington would join Utah with the toughest standard in the nation. Several speakers said since Utah enacted the change in 2019, it has had fewer crashes involving impaired drivers and fewer fatalities but no increase in arrests. And the revised standard didn’t hurt the bottom line of the hospitality and tourism industries, they said. Continue reading at Everett Herald. (Monroe Police Department)

Foam dock floats, laundry filters, hotel shampoo amongst newest bids to reduce plastic pollution
Everywhere they look, Pacific Northwest scientists find teeny-tiny plastic pollution. Broken down particles are in our water, falling out of the air, in salmon, shellfish and in our own bodies. Scientists, environmental advocates and Democratic lawmakers in Olympia and Salem have seen enough to make them seek more regulations. In Olympia, several Washington legislators are copying ideas previously passed by Oregon including holding manufacturers responsible for reducing their plastic packaging and increasing recycling over time. A freshman Democrat from Tacoma, state Rep. Sharlett Mena, proposed to ban those little plastic toiletry bottles and wrappers in hotels in favor of refillable bulk dispensers. And there’s a new try to pass a bottle bill for Washington, which would entail a 10-cent deposit and redemption system for most plastic, metal and glass beverage containers. Continue reading at KNKX. (Tom Banse)

Associated Press
Bill would force period tracking apps to follow privacy laws (Slatter, Dhingra)

Auburn Reporter
Housing costs, homelessness among top issues in WA, survey says

Axios
Ferry ridership surges from pandemic lows

Bellingham Herald
This Bellingham parking lot is being converted into apartments
 
Capital Press
New Washington Grain Commission chairman: Farmers, buyers at ‘critical point’

Columbian
‘The Swamps’: Residents of homeless camp in North Image face uncertain future

The Daily News
Washington state, Cowlitz County highlight special education, mental health needs in schools

Everett Herald
As death toll rises, push to lower the legal limit for driving drunk begins (Liias, Lovick)
Editorial: Limit food waste to feed more, pollute less

The Facts Newspaper
National workforce shortages strain public services
Important Update for Social Equity License Applicants: Maps

Kent Reporter
Congress, Biden give go-ahead to Howard Hanson Dam fish passage project

News Tribune
Bucking national trend, Tacoma recorded its highest tally of homicides on record in 2022

Olympian
Washington could become second strictest state for blood alcohol levels while driving (Lovick)

Port Townsend Leader
Dogs bring comfort to victims, witnesses (Thai)

Puget Sound Business Journal
Comment: Controversial capital gains tax could help many parents

Seattle Times
South Seattle warehouse to become hub for groups fighting food insecurity
Special education spending, oversight top priorities for WA lawmakers (Billig, Wellman, Pollet, Santos)

Skagit Valley Herald
Skagit Valley College hosts MLK Jr. Day of Service

Spokesman Review
Spokane pushes Legislature to exempt its trash incinerator from cap-and-trade program (Billig)
Anti-hazing bill ‘Sam’s Law’ appears in the Washington House for the second year

Walla Walla Union Bulletin
Walla Wallans march to honor, remember civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr.

Washington Post
Billionaires in blue states face coordinated wealth-tax bills (Frame)

Yakima Herald-Republic
Hundreds honor Martin Luther King Jr. with marches and other events in Yakima and Toppenish

KING 5 TV (NBC)
Grassroots effort led to King County being renamed to honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Pickleball fever fuels proposal for new license plate design featuring Washington’s state sport (Lovick)

KIRO 7 TV (CBS)
Annual Seattle rally, march commemorates Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Students push for gender-based pricing ban in Washington state (Dhingra)

KOMO 4 TV (ABC)
Fentanyl fuels record homeless deaths in Seattle area

KNKX Public Radio
Foam dock floats, laundry filters, hotel shampoo amongst newest bids to reduce plastic pollution (Mena)

KUOW Public Radio
Could the U.S. ban TikTok for everyone?

KXLY (ABC)
Is it time for Washington to have an official state dinosaur?
Heartbroken parents plea for more severe penalties for hazing (Goodman)

MyNorthwest
For some without a home, airport is source of shelter
Driving in Washington among the worst in the nation

West Seattle Blog
CONGRATULATIONS! Chief Sealth IHS student helps relaunch State Senate page program (Nguyen)