Eastern Adams County's Only Independent Voice Since 1887
Eastern Adams County's Only Independent Voice Since 1887
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OLYMPIA – A package that pays for free passes on public transportation for young people and upgrades to major bridges are all part of a 16-year transportation funding plan approved by the Washington State Senate. The Senate approved the proposed revenue sources for the $17 billion ‘Move Ahead Washington’ transportation investment package on a 29-20 vote on Feb. 15. The bill sponsored by Transportation Committee Chair Sen. Marko Liias, D-Everett, now goes to the House for consideration. The plan includes funding for transit pr...
OLYMPIA – Homeless people would have quick access to shelters and other facilities under a $815 million, multi-agency plan supported by Gov. Jay Inslee. Flanked by Democrat officials from King County, Seattle, Spokane and Tacoma on Feb. 3, the governor pressed the Legislature to pass Senate Bill 5662. The bill would create an intergovernmental coordination office to reduce the number of homeless camps by helping people get into permanent housing. "We have to move more quickly...
OLYMPIA – Environmental activists hope mandatory conservation of key habitat will help salmon runs recover, but opponents worry farmers will pay a price. House Bill 1838, the Lorraine Loomis Act named in honor of the late Northwest Indian Fisheries commissioner, will make public and private property off-limits for development and other uses near salmon bearing waterways. Prime sponsor of the bill, Rep. Debra Lekanoff, D-Anacortes, said salmon play a vital cultural and economic role in the state. “Salmon are an important par...
OLYMPIA – Young adults will be able to access a fund years from now to give them a boost if lawmakers pass a bill aimed at narrowing the gap between the rich and poor. Rep. Monica Stonier, D-Vancouver, sponsor of House Bill 1861, said the Washington Future Fund Trust would serve as a savings and investment account for babies born under the state’s Medicaid program, Apple Health. Beginning in 2024, a minimum of $3,200 will be set aside for each eligible child to access between their 18-31 birthdays. “I think it’s an excitin...
OLYMPIA – Early childhood education is so critical to student success that now some educators are pushing for enrollment in school by age 5. Currently, Washington parents are allowed to delay their child’s enrollment with the local school system until age eight. If Senate Bill 5537 passes, they’ll be the last in the nation to do so. The Senate Early Learning & K-12 Education Committee held a public hearing on the bill Jan. 14. “By adjusting the compulsory age to five we are...
OLYMPIA – Immediate action must be taken to address climate change, the housing crisis, transportation, and education, Gov. Jay Inslee said in his annual State of the State address Jan. 11. "We face a variety and dimension of demands greater than ever as we enter 2022," he said. "We must take action this day to keep and strengthen our commitments to those in need right now and in the future." With a 2021-23 budget supplemented with leftover COVID relief funds and new f...