Edmonds Community College may lose out on $37.8 million if lawmakers don’t finalize budget talks soon. Lawmakers have been at an impasse on the Hirst decision, halting the process of budget discussions – which will need to be finalized well before midnight Friday so that discussions about budget details can take place before the deadline hits. 

Washington ranks third in western states for per pupil spending on K-12 education, according to statistics recently released by the U.S. Census Bureau earlier this month.

21% of Washington’s rural highways are in poor condition and 5% of Washington’s bridges have been rated structurally deficient according to recent reports by national non-profit transportation research group, TRIP.

Highway 2, a scenic byway, will become the first electric-vehicle-friendly highway of its kind now that charging stations have been placed along the route from Everett to Spokane.

6,000 students failed to graduate in Washington this year after failing a mandatory biology test. However, students may get a free pass on this test in a compromise deal that is set to be voted on this week in Olympia – the passing of which would grant those students their diplomas.

Socialist Kshama Sawant shows, “a disappointing level of ignorance of SPD policies and clear disdain for the investigatory process and review that SPD is court-mandated to follow,” according to Seattle Police Chief Kathleen O’Toole. Her claims are in response to Sawant calling for a third-party investigation into and a public hearing with O’Toole about the death of Charleena Lyles.

Seattle’s income tax is, “not needed, not legal (and) not in your best interest.” Seattle wants to implement this tax by July 10^th – but as Washington Policy Center’s Jason Mercier explains, the problem with this idea of taxing rich people is that the tax never ends up just impacting the wealthy people in a city. (Read more here)

King County Sheriff John Urquhart says “everybody” knew about deputies being overpaid by $5.5 million over the last five years. “It’s no secret… it’s not the deputy’s’ fault. They are just cashing their paycheck.” The overcompensation in paychecks was due to a flaw in the payroll computer system that prevented accurate calculation of overtime work.

Seattle has the fastest-rising home prices in the nation, with costs increasing 12.9% compared to home prices last June – the next closest increase was Portland with 9.3% increase, for comparison.

Construction on the Riverfront Park in Spokane has reached its midpoint. The south bank features of the $64 million renovation are expected to be open to the public this coming spring.

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