The newly adopted state budget closes a $16 billion projected shortfall with nearly $3 billion in cuts, including delayed program expansions, reduced health care investments, and the phasedown of select services. While lawmakers avoided furloughs and preserved reserves, the final plan postpones or scales back several cornerstone initiatives.
The expansion of the Fair Start for Kids Act is delayed until after 2029, postponing new entitlements to subsidized preschool and child care for low- and middle-income families. Increased provider rates and broader eligibility under the Working Connections Child Care Program were also deferred—savings that total over $1 billion.
Nearly $92 million intended for student financial support was transferred to the general fund. That includes $88.9 million from the Washington Student Loan Account, $1.75 million from the Medical Student Loan Account, and $945,000 from the State Financial Aid Account. While current obligations remain funded, these shifts limit capacity for future loan and aid expansion.
A public early learning program for children from birth to age 3—serving about 200 low-income families—received no funding in the final budget. The program had included both child care and wraparound health and support services.
The state delayed plans to cover FDA-approved weight loss drugs under Medicaid, barring coverage without future legislative approval. It also reduced funding by more than $6 million for a Medicaid-like program for undocumented adults, limiting enrollment and postponing broader implementation.
Abortion access funding was cut from $15.8 million to $7 million over two years. The consolidated funding covers provider grants, staffing, security, and outreach, narrowing the state’s support amid increased out-of-state demand.
The budget is now on Gov. Bob Ferguson’s desk. He must sign or veto it by May 17.
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Justices ruled the 2022 law does not violate the right to bear arms, finding magazines over 10 rounds are not protected as “arms” and are not essential for self-defense.
The new law applies to most rental homes statewide, including single-family units, and makes Washington one of the few states with rent control protections.
Federal officials say the law, which requires clergy to report child abuse even if disclosed in confession, may violate religious freedom protections.
The court found new federal funding rules conflict with congressional authority and local law, pausing restrictions tied to DEI and immigration compliance.
Attorney General Nick Brown argues the executive order unlawfully bypasses environmental reviews and threatens state climate efforts; 14 other states joined the lawsuit.
More than 150 unionized aircraft fuelers at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport reached a tentative deal with Swissport (a global airport services provider) just days after voting unanimously to authorize a strike.
The $107 billion pledge will more than double the foundation’s spending, allowing it to distribute $200 billion over the next 20 years before winding down operations.
Facing pushback from moderates and a sobering CBO report, House GOP leaders are retreating from their most aggressive Medicaid reduction proposals.
The report projected that up to 10 million people could lose coverage under some plans, including efforts to reduce federal matching rates for Medicaid expansion enrollees and impose per-capita spending caps on states. Those provisions would have left states with multibillion-dollar budget shortfalls, likely forcing cuts to services, eligibility, or provider payments.
Speaker Mike Johnson confirmed this week that such structural changes are no longer under consideration, a move aimed at holding together his slim House majority amid concerns from Republicans in swing districts. The Congressional Budget Office warned that these options would disproportionately impact states that expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act, including several where Republicans face tight reelection races.
Still, other cost-cutting proposals remain on the table. Republicans are considering new work requirements for beneficiaries, more frequent eligibility verifications, and limits on how states tax hospitals and other providers to generate matching federal funds. These narrower changes could still result in millions losing coverage and are central to GOP efforts to secure up to $880 billion in Medicaid savings.
The University of Washington has suspended 21 students and banned them from campus after a pro-Palestinian protest escalated into a building occupation that led to 31 arrests and more than $1 million in property damage.
The demonstration began Monday evening, when dozens of protesters seized the Interdisciplinary Engineering Building on UW’s Seattle campus. Participants barricaded entrances, blocked streets, and set dumpster fires, prompting a lockdown and a multi-agency police response. Law enforcement cleared the building after several hours, arresting individuals on charges including trespassing, vandalism, and disorderly conduct.
University officials described the event as “dangerous, violent, and illegal,” citing vandalized equipment, defaced murals, and fire hazards inside and outside the building. The protest group, identified as Students United for Palestinian Equality and Return (SUPER UW), said the occupation was in opposition to the ongoing war in Gaza and issued a statement that praised the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks—remarks condemned by university leadership as antisemitic.
The protest has drawn national scrutiny, prompting a federal civil rights review by the Trump administration’s Task Force to Combat Antisemitism. The task force is pressuring UW to take additional steps to protect Jewish students and prevent future campus disruptions. In response, UW says it is cooperating fully and pointed to recent efforts to improve campus climate, including new oversight roles, anti-discrimination training, and policy updates.
Governor Bob Ferguson and Attorney General Nick Brown both supported the university’s response and law enforcement actions, stressing the need to balance free speech with public safety and legal accountability.
The Interdisciplinary Engineering Building remains closed, and additional disciplinary actions are expected in the coming weeks.
New area code to be added for the Seattle area
Starting June 10, new phone numbers in the 206 area will be assigned the 564 code as the original pool of 206 numbers has been exhausted. Existing 206 numbers will not be affected.
Year-over-year increase in Seattle-area tourism in 2024
According to a Visit Seattle report, 40 million people visited Seattle last year, a 5.3% rise from 2023 and 95% of pre-pandemic levels, with total visitor spending reaching $8.8 billion.
Bartell Drugs locations still operating in the Puget Sound region
Rite Aid, which acquired the local chain in 2020, says all remaining stores could close in the coming months unless a buyer steps in during bankruptcy proceedings.
The Bill Dawson Trail will close May 12 for five years (through 2030) to support construction of the new Portage Bay Bridge, which will replace the aging, earthquake-vulnerable structure with seismically stronger bridges and a new biking and walking trail across Portage Bay. The closure cuts off a key link between Montlake Boulevard and Montlake Playfield. When it reopens, the trail will connect directly to new regional paths and three acres of new open space atop a freeway lid.
Seattle Fire crews performed a rope rescue Sunday morning after a man became stranded on a steep hillside near 32nd Avenue W and W Galer Street. Firefighters used an aerial ladder to reach and lift him to safety. The man sustained minor injuries; it’s unclear how he ended up on the slope.
Tensions have reignited at Denny Blaine Park after a police patrol led to the removal of a nude sunbather, prompting backlash from LGBTQ+ advocates and an apology from Seattle’s police chief. The incident, which follows years of disputes between park users and nearby residents, now figures in a broader legal and political fight over the park’s future.
Construction is underway on a new 100,000-square-foot maintenance facility at Amtrak’s King Street Yard to support the arrival of new trains in 2026. The upgraded SoDo site will improve turnaround times, safety, and reliability for the Cascades line, Coast Starlight, and Empire Builder service, with full completion expected by 2027.
I can see it right over my shoulder here, I’m looking out at the Port of Seattle right now, and we currently have no container ships at berth.
