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 […]
29th of March 2017
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 […]
13th of December 2016
Seattle City Council Rent-Control Runaround
The Seattle City Council continues its streak of government-intrusive policies, on Monday unanimously passing restrictions on how much landlords can charge tenants for move-in costs. You can read all about it in The Seattle Times: It’s not rent control, which state law prohibits Seattle from enacting. But City Councilmember Kshama Sawant thinks this ordinance is the […]
7th of July 2016
6th of July 2016
New Special Report: The Growth Management Act at 25 Years
Today we're releasing our Special Report on the Growth Management Act (GMA), Washington's comprehensive land-use law, which was fully enacted 25 years ago. Our report covers the GMA's history and chief components, focuses specifically on how the GMA has worked in two counties, Snohomish and Spokane, and offers recommendations for improving the act. In addition to […]