New regulatory reform for small business
This week Gov. Jay Inslee signed into law House Bill 1120, a regulatory reform bill sponsored by state Rep. Norma Smith (R-Clinton). According to a news release from Rep. Smith, the legislation was in response to an audit conducted by the State Auditor’s Office (SAO) last year that found many state agencies were not complying with […]
April 20 , 2017 - Mary Strow
School-siting bill clears state House, heads to governor's desk
Legislation long sought by overcrowded school districts to grant flexibility for building new schools cleared its final legislative hurdle this week. The state House Tuesday approved changes made by the Senate last week to House Bill (or as it’s now known as, Engrossed Substitute House Bill) 1017, which allows school districts – in some circumstances – to build […]
April 13 , 2017 - Mary Strow
April 10 , 2017 - Mary Strow
Pew Research: More than two-thirds of federal spending goes to social insurance
The Pew Research Center last week broke down how federal dollars are spent. The vast majority of spending is on social-insurance programs such as Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid: When thinking about federal spending, it’s worth remembering that, as former Treasury official Peter Fisher once said, the federal government is basically “a gigantic insurance company,” […]
April 05 , 2017 - Mary Strow
WRC Annual Dinner: May 23 in Bellevue
You’re invited to join us at our Annual Dinner on Tuesday, May 23, at the Meydenbauer Center in Bellevue. Our guest speaker is Ian Toner, Chief Investment Officer of Verus Investments, whose topic will be “Working Without A Map? How Phase-Shift Changes in Politics, Markets, and Economies Might Impact Our Future.” Here are the details: […]
April 04 , 2017 - Mary Strow
March 31 , 2017 - Mary Strow
New Special Report: Proposals For A State Capital Gains Tax
We’re out today with a Special Report looking at proposals in the Legislature for a state capital gains tax. You can read it here. Here are some highlights: Both Gov. Inslee and the House Democratic Caucus have proposed capital gains taxes. Washington residents would have to pay tax on federally-defined gains. Nonresidents would pay capital […]
March 29 , 2017 - Mary Strow
Relief may be in sight for school districts with school-siting bill
This year’s contender for the Little Legislation That Could, House Bill 1017, appears to finally be on its way to passage in the state Legislature. The bill, allowing schools to be sited outside of the state Growth Management Act’s officially-designated “urban growth areas,” has been on legislators’ plates for awhile. During executive session of the […]
March 28 , 2017 - Mary Strow
March 23 , 2017 - Mary Strow