Ferguson signs more bills as legislative session nears its end
A new law signed Tuesday could make it easier for Black, Native and Korean American families in Washington to purchase their first homes.
The new law expands the Covenant Homeownership Program.
That helps home buyers with their down payment if they’re descended from someone affected by racist real estate practices in Washington before 1968.
Many Republicans, like Rep. Travis Couture (R-Allyn), opposed the bill, saying it’s unconstitutional and expensive.
"We don't have money falling off the trees around here," he said.
But the program includes its own funding source: fees on certain legal documents. Lead sponsor Rep. Jamila Taylor (D-Federal Way) said the expansion is both legal and long overdue.
"We're holding true to the promise to those who have been denied for many, many generations," she said.
The existing program mostly helps buyers in less expensive areas like Pierce County. The expansion could open doors in pricier markets like Seattle.
Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson also signed a bill aimed at helping people who have medical debt to secure credit.
Ferguson signed a bill sponsored by Spokane Democratic Senator Marcus Riccelli.
It prohibits hospitals, collection agencies and others from reporting medical debt for individuals to credit bureaus.
"This bill does not erase medical debt, but it removes barriers caused by that debt by lessening the impact to Washingtonians’ credit scores," Ferguson said during the bill signing ceremony. "It is important legislation for all sorts of reasons, but medical debt is a huge, huge issue in this state and all across the country."
The governor also signed a bill that requires health insurers to provide coverage that allows women to receive a full year of refills of birth control.
Waste Management marks Earth Day with newly renovated recycling facility
The recycling facility next to Spokane’s Waste-to-Energy plant has been made more efficient, thanks to a recent $18-million renovation.
The plant’s owner, Waste Management, offered tours Tuesday to mark Earth Day.
Its director of recycling, Rob Jones, said the company expects to be able to push 37% more material through the new automated system.
That’s good for productivity, he said, and good for the 40 employees who work there.
"With the heavy automation and technology does come the opportunity to upskill our employees because now we naturally need a lot more maintenance-centric folks," Jones said.
He said the new plant includes more efficient robotics and optical sorters that can identify and pick materials off of moving conveyor belts based on their color, size and weight.
Lance Beck from the Spokane Valley Chamber of Commerce said the facility’s benefits go beyond the process of recycling.
"What we see with the technological advancements here is the opportunity for the value of this facility," Beck said. "And what it exports out the back end of it could potentially bring new business to our market in those industries that reuse that bulk, recyclable export."
Waste Management said it also performed similar upgrades at its two recycling facilities in western Washington.
Transportation budget proposal would raise gas, diesel taxes
The new proposal for Washington state’s next transportation budget would increase the state’s gasoline tax by six cents a gallon starting this summer.
It would be the first gas tax increase since 2016, raising the levy from 49.4 cents per gallon to 55.4 cents per gallon.
The proposal would then have the tax increase by 2% each following year.
It’s part of a larger revenue package that’s the result of bipartisan negotiations in the state legislature.
The proposal is expected to bring in about three point two billion dollars, nearly half of which would come from the gas tax hike.
Other parts of the package include increases in the diesel fuel tax, a $30-per-ton weight fee on heavy-duty trucks, added taxes on luxury vehicles and private jets, and a one-dollar-per-attendee fee on operators of stadiums and other venues with a capacity of 17,000 or more.
The money would go toward highway megaprojects and the Washington State Patrol.
Federal funding freezes continue to hit community organizations
A freeze on federal funds is affecting multiple organizations in Washington and Idaho.
Palouse-area nonprofits focused on helping with emergency food services have had their funding frozen with little or no explanation.
Deanna Bren, the executive director of United Way Whitman County, said normally, federal funds flow through her organization to local nonprofits.
Many of the organizations focus on getting food to people in crisis, like Alternatives to Violence of the Palouse.
"A lot of times these women are fleeing domestic violence and they are stepping into an unknown kitchen — they don’t have anything with them," she told NWPB. "And so this provides really essential food for their family during a crisis situation."
Funds to bring in emergency food for these nonprofits comes through FEMA. Bren said she has no idea if or when the funds will come through.
Head Start to resume programs in Central WA after funding pause
More than 400 children are returning to their classrooms following the arrival of federal funds for Early Head Start and Head Start programs in Central Washington.
On Friday, April 18, Inspire Development Centers received over $4 million from the U.S. Administration for Children and Families. Programming in Central Washington had been suspended last week due to a lack of funding.
The funds will allow Inspire to continue its Early Head Start and Head Start programs in Washington state.
"The balance of funds will allow us to complete this program year, which will get us through … I think the beginning of July," Jorge Castillo, CEO of Inspire, said.
Castillo mentioned that the funds will also help cover a few weeks of next year's program, which begins in the fall.
He said the program's future in 2026 remains uncertain. That will depend on the budget set by the Trump administration.
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Reporting by Joshua McNichols, Doug Nadvornick, Owen Henderson, Lauren Paterson, Johanna Bejarano.