Editorial: Use WA capital gains tax bonanza on schools most in need of repairs
It was a controversial idea. Tax the state’s ultra-wealthy on the proceeds from the sale of stocks, bonds and businesses above $250,000 and direct the money to Washington’s K-12 schools, child care and early childhood education. It passed the Legislature in 2021 and this year survived a legal challenge at the state’s highest court. Now the first batch of golden eggs has hatched to the tune of $849 million in the state’s first year of collecting the capital gains tax, $600 million more than projected. In Olympia, those aren’t golden eggs. Those are Fabergé eggs. Now state lawmakers must remain true to the law and refrain from ogling the hundreds of millions of unexpected dollars with designs on using it elsewhere. Continue reading at Seattle Times. (Karen Ducey)

How will ‘missing middle’ zoning impact Seattle housing?
Seattle’s job and population growth have outpaced the building of new housing. The city still needs to add at least 112,000 new units of market-rate and subsidized housing by 2044 to meet demand. And while apartments will continue to be a key part of that puzzle, they do nothing to add to the much-needed supply of homes people can own. Enter missing middle housing: two- to six-unit homes that provide greater density than single-family houses. Now, thanks to the state Legislature’s new missing middle zoning law, developers will be able to build four- to six-home projects across Seattle. So what’s next for the city? Continue reading at Crosscut. (Amanda Snyder)

Feds release plans for $2.6B in climate and fisheries spending
Washington state and Native American tribes in the Pacific Northwest are positioned to score some of $2.6 billion for climate and fisheries programs the Biden administration unveiled on Tuesday. But how much of the money could eventually end up in this corner of the country isn’t yet clear. “Natural events are challenging us,” Cantwell said, adding that the programs outlined on Tuesday are geared toward “trying to build better natural infrastructure to help us weather the storm, really weather the storm, and try to save fish.” Continue reading at WA State Standard (Getty Images)

Associated Press
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Aberdeen Daily World
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Bellingham Herald
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Seattle Times
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Editorial: Use WA capital gains tax bonanza on schools most in need of repairs (Mullet)

Spokesman Review
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WA State Standard
Feds release plans for $2.6B in climate and fisheries spending

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KOMO 4 TV (ABC)
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Cascadia Daily News
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Crosscut
How will ‘missing middle’ zoning impact Seattle housing? (Bateman)
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MyNorthwest
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