Murray, Riccelli sound alarms about Medicaid cuts
U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) is calling on Washingtonians who are concerned about cuts to Medicaid to pick up their phones and contact Republicans.
Last week, lawmakers in D.C. passed a budget framework slashing $880 billion in funding for Medicaid and other health care programs. About 1.8 million Washington residents are covered by the program.
In a press conference at the Washington State Capitol Monday, Murray said among those who will get hit the hardest by these cuts are those living in central and eastern Washington’s rural districts.
"Here in our state, Washington’s 4th and 5th congressional districts, the only two represented by Republicans have the highest proportions of people who rely on Medicaid,” she said.
Spokane state Senator Marcus Riccelli also spoke.
"By delaying this care, we will see a flood of people end up in already burdened emergency rooms, particularly in rural areas where hospitals are already on the brink of cutting services or closing their doors," Riccelli said. "Simply put, cutting Medicaid will mean cutting lives short in Washington state."
According to a report published by the Washington State Health Care Authority in June 2024, 70% of children in central Washington’s District 4 are on Medicaid, and 54% in eastern Washington’s District 5 are enrolled in the program.
As U.S. Senator hosts private forum, protesters demand Mike Crapo hold public town halls
About 200 people lined up on Chinden Avenue in Garden City Monday to protest U.S. Sen. Mike Crapo as he held a private forum inside the Riverside Hotel.
Protesters held signs calling out South African billionaire Elon Musk’s role in the federal government and asked the senator to “do his job.”
“I am dramatically worried about the increasing presence of oligarchy in our nation,” said protester Matt Bruender. “Basically, the billionaires club running the show, calling the shots and not listening to what the people want.”
Walking down the street, Rebeka Magana said she wanted Crapo to hold public town halls.
“He's not doing the work of his constituents. I mean, just the mere example today is that he's having a closed door meeting without constituents,” she said. “It's a pay to play situation, shutting out all of our voices. This is not what a democracy is. Our government is in a definite constitutional crisis right now. “
Crapo’s last public meeting took place in Sandpoint, Idaho in August 2022. As the Trump administration overhauls the federal government, protesters demanded the senator's opinion about the impact of the new president’s policies in Idaho.
Another roughly 200 people attended the luncheon organized by the Boise Metro Chamber. Recording was not allowed during the closed door event.
Crapo said the layoffs happening at the federal level were a “work in progress” and reiterated his support for nuclear energy. He also said he has met with President Donald Trump who told him he would not cut Medicaid benefits.
Kootenai County gets proactive disaster declaration
Idaho Governor Brad Little issued a state disaster declaration Monday to support emergency efforts to prevent flooding in Kootenai County.
Rainfall and early spring runoff in Fourth of July Creek has resulted in some infrastructure damage near Dudley and River road that could end up causing a washout of nearby roads, homes and farms.
"The combination of damaged infrastructure and rising runoff creates a dangerous scenario," said Gov. Little in a statement. "Taking these steps are critical to preventing further damage and protecting the public as Idaho heads into spring."
The disaster declaration will allow for more funding and resources to go toward efforts by groups like Idaho Office of Emergency Management, Idaho Transportation Department, and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to repair and reinforce the site and mitigate further damage to culverts and floodgate structures.
The state is encouraging residents in low-lying areas near River Road to stay alert, monitor local emergency communications, and report signs of flooding or erosion to local authorities.
Butterfly populations have declined, but ecologists say they're resilient
A first-ever comprehensive study of butterfly populations across the United States shows dramatic declines in most species. Overall, about 22% have died off in just 20 years. And 114 species have declined by 40% or more.
Former Washington State University postdoctoral fellow Collin Edwards is the lead author for the study. He developed the model that synthesizes butterfly data from diverse sources nationwide.
Though the report’s findings are hard to take, he said butterflies can be quite resilient — because they have very fast generation time and often lay thousands of eggs per year.
"If we give them good conditions, they really have the chance to recover rapidly," he told KNKX public radio. "The populations can really explode when we make things better for them."
The three main causes of the decline are pesticides, climate change and habitat loss.
Edwards said allowing flowering plants and weeds to grow year-round without pesticides — even in small patches — could make a big difference. He said the study was funded almost entirely by the US Geological Survey and the US Fish and Wildlife Service.
WA legislature sees bipartisan support for a housing streamlining bill
The Washington House of Representatives' Committee on Housing heard a bill Monday aimed to streamline the process of building more housing that’s neither single-family nor large apartment buildings.
This category, which includes townhomes, duplexes and other multifamily buildings, is called “middle housing.”
Washington Senate Bill 5471 would allow zoning changes to permit multiplex buildings on single-family lots in developing urban and rural areas of the state to increase housing density.
The bill already passed unanimously in the state senate on Feb. 19, 2025.
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Reporting by Noel Gasca, Owen Henderson, Julie Luchetta and Bellamy Pailthorp.