Austin Jenkins
Stories
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Health
Inslee orders delay in collection of new long-term care tax from workers
Washington Gov. Jay Inslee and Democratic leaders in the Legislature announced Friday a delay in the collection of a payroll tax to pay for a new long-term care insurance program in Washington.
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He’s 13-years-old, autistic and stuck in the hospital for the holidays. He’s not the only one
It's a growing problem in Washington: kids with developmental disabilities and complex behaviors who are stuck in the hospital with no reason for being there. Usually, they end up in the hospital after a crisis or an incident. But once the child is medically cleared to leave, their parents or their group home won't come get them citing inadequate supports to manage the youth's needs. While the state searches for alternative placements, the child waits.
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‘The situation is dangerous.’ Parents sound alarm over troubled in-home care provider
Mysterious bruises. An unreported burn. Two vulnerable clients left alone overnight. These are just some of the complaints that families are leveling against Aacres WA — a troubled residential care provider that gets tens of millions of dollars a year from the state to care for people with developmental disabilities. Now state officials say they’re investigating.
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Government
Voter redistricting maps by commission can go forth, WA Supreme Court says
In a surprise order Friday morning, the Washington Supreme Court declined to take on the job of drafting new congressional and legislative maps. Instead, the court declared that the state's Redistricting Commission had finished its work on time last month.
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Inslee offers support for temporary delay in new payroll tax for long-term care program
Washington Governor Jay Inslee says he would support a short-term delay in the implementation of a new payroll tax on workers. That tax is scheduled to take effect in January. It will fund a first-in-the-nation long-term care insurance program called WA Cares. Concerns have been raised about details of how the program will work.
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Government
More than 630 days and counting. When will Inslee’s state of emergency end?
For months, minority Republicans in the Washington Legislature have called for limits on the governor’s emergency powers. But now even some Democrats are expressing concerns about the open-endedness of the COVID-19 state of emergency and the limited role of state lawmakers.
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Government
Gov. Inslee appoints state Senator Steve Hobbs as new secretary of state
Washington Governor Jay Inslee has appointed Democratic State Senator Steve Hobbs to serve as the next secretary of state, replacing Republican Kim Wyman who is taking a job with the Biden administration.
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Government
A lone holdout. Why Washington’s secretary of state says she didn’t impose vaccine mandate
Washington has nine independently elected statewide officeholders. All but one of those elected officials has required their employees to get the COVID-19 vaccine. The holdout was the lone Republican.
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Third violent incident closes parkway on Washington’s Capitol Campus
Deschutes Parkway on Washington's Capitol Campus was closed by police for the third time this month following a violent crime.
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Are Washington Republicans about to lose their nearly 60-year lock on the secretary of state’s office?
Potential candidates to replace Washington Secretary of State Kim Wyman are already stepping forward after Wyman, a Republican, announced she will resign next month to take an election security position with the Biden administration. Gov. Jay Inslee, a Democrat, will appoint Wyman's replacement. That could spell the end of a nearly six decades Republican lock on the secretary of state's office.
