Author: TJ Martinell | The Center Square

(The Center Square) – The Washington state Department of Social and Health Services spending since 2015 has nearly tripled from $9 billion to $25.4 billion, a 182.22% increase heavily driven by long-term care cost increases due in part to an aging population. Since the 2013-15 budget, long-term care spending grew from $3.8 to $12.9 billion, and now represents half of DSHS’…

(The Center Square) – Washington state faces deficit spending by 2028 as lawmakers just hit taxpayers with the state’s largest combined tax increase – all driven by massive state spending increases over the past decade, an investigation of state budgets by The Center Square found. Washington state spent about $80 billion in the 2013-15 budget but is set to…

(The Center Square) – Despite passing the largest tax increase in state history amid record revenue levels, Washington state’s wallet may be empty by the end of the 2025-27 biennium, according to a new report by the state Economic and Revenue Forecast Council. While ERFC members noted during its Tuesday meeting that the news comes just as the state is…

(The Center Square) – Proponents and critics of a Washington state bill regarding public health continue to argue over the exact impacts it will have on matters such as vaccine mandates or restrictions in response to the outbreak of a virus. Rep. Dan Bronoske, D-Lakewood, is the sponsor of House Bill 1531, which declares that…

(The Center Square) – A Washington bill would authorize the state to issue up to $1.6 billion in bonds to expedite the construction of a new bistate bridge to replace the existing one across the Columbia River between Vancouver, Wash., and Portland, Ore., which would be paid back with toll revenue. However, some lawmakers raised concerns…

(The Center Square) – A federal judge in Seattle, Wash., has issued a temporarily restraining order against President Donald Trump’s executive order regarding gender reassignment procedures on youth, which can include puberty blockers and mastectomies, in response to a lawsuit filed by the state Attorney General’s Office. The lawsuit filed by Attorney General Nick Brown…

(The Center Square) – Last month, President Donald Trump signed an executive order banning medical providers from performing gender reassignment or affirming procedures, such as mastectomies or prescribing puberty blockers, to individuals below the age of 19. In response, many medical centers and hospitals have since suspended those services. Meanwhile, some states such as Washington have filed lawsuits against the…

(The Center Square) – In anticipation of mass deportations of illegal aliens by newly-elected President Donald Trump, Washington state Gov. Bob Ferguson has signed an executive order intended to provide services for children of those deported. While Attorney General Nick Brown has filed a multistate lawsuit in response to Trump’s executive order overturning birthright citizenship, Ferguson said…

(The Center Square) – A collection of state trucking advocacy groups is calling on Gov. Jay Inslee and incoming Gov. Bob Ferguson to put the brakes on implementing new regulations that they warn could severely disrupt operations in Washington and elsewhere. Washington state is tied to California’s Advanced Clean Trucks program, which directs the trucking industry…

(The Center Square) – Earlier this month, state officials reported that the operating budget faces a $10-12 billion deficit over the next four years. Unlike during the Great Recession, the budget deficit isn’t due to a decline in revenue, as many of the state’s tax collections are at record levels while other new taxes have been imposed. Although the…