Blog

New brief: A Newly Expanded SEPA Threatens Washington's Competitiveness

As part of the State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA), the Department of Ecology and other agencies have recently used expanded scopes of review for certain proposals. Under these scopes, the agencies are considering impacts that go beyond state borders, to an unprecedented extent. In a new policy brief, we look at what is happening, outline […]

Filing week begins: Quiz candidates on education funding, transportation, and the skills gap

This is the filing week, when candidates declare their intent to run in the 2014 elections. This year’s ballot includes all 10 U.S. House seats, including the open seat in the 4th District in Eastern Washington where Doc Hastings is retiring, the secretary of state’s office said. Also on the ballot are all 98 members of […]

NW Clean Air Agency finds no emissions problems from coal transport

The Northwest Clean Air Agency monitored air quality near a Bellingham rail crossing for twenty months – months during which coal was safely transported by rail through the crossing – and found, well, no problems. The Bellingham Herald reports: During the 20 months when the monitor was on the job sampling particulate pollution, it registered air […]

Headline writers give lawmakers an incomplete

Detect a pattern? Washington legislature adjourns; punts on big issues Legislative session ends without tackling some major issues State budget OK’d by Legislature, but much left undone Lawmakers pass budget, little else, as session ends

Transportation plan released in Senate today – next steps uncertain

Senate Transportation Committee co-chair Sen. Curtis King, R-Yakima, today released a $12.4 billion transportation plan. Video coverage of the press conference here. King writes in his cover letter to the governor and legislative transportation leaders that he wants to “restart negotiations,” a theme echoed at the press conference by Majority Leader Rodney Tom and others. As […]

State announces expanded environmental review of Longview commodity export terminal, continuing uncertainty and threatening investment

Today’s announcement that the Department of Ecology will undertake an expanded review of the Millenium Bulk Terminals near Longview confirms expectations that the state would subject the trade terminals – it’s more than coal – to a costly, lengthy, and uncertain permitting process. The announcement prompted swift reaction from the Alliance for NW Jobs and […]

It's a competitive world: Management prof recommends Microsoft move to San Francisco

It’s no secret that much of the world covets Washington’s twin economic engines, aerospace and technology, anchored by Boeing and Microsoft. And it’s no secret that this state occasionally takes its prosperity for granted. Every so often, Boeing will remind lawmakers that complacency is not a prize-winning strategy. But for the most part, Olympia tends […]

Work suspended on Panama Canal expansion

According to the Wall Street Journal, work on the Panama Canal expansion has been suspended, due to a dispute over who will pay for $1.6 billion in cost overruns: The pace of work on the project, 70% of which is finished, has been slowing over the past few weeks, as GUPC [the consortium running the […]

Putting the focus back on increasing economic opportunity for all

In my column, I comment on the president’s State of the Union address and the shift in focus from inequality to opportunity. The new opportunity emphasis was previously discussed here and is examined in this New York Times story. I also highly recommend this Robert Samuelson column explaining why inequality is not the problem. To create “ladders […]

Gov's State of the State: Increase minimum wage, boost education spending, fund transportation package

In his State of the State address yesterday, Gov. Inslee introduced themes likely to resonate through the November elections.  Whether they will gain bipartisan  approval in the divided Legislature is less probable. The headlines: a minimum wage increase, $200 million in new education funding (including the oft-suspended teacher COLA) paid for with unspecified tax increases, […]