The King County Council greenlit a proposal that will boost the minimum wage in unincorporated King County to $20.29 an hour, one of the highest in the country.

Councilmembers Girmay Zahilay, Rod Dembowski, Teresa Mosqueda and Jorge L. Barón co-sponsored the measure, which aims to lift wages in unincorporated areas to match those of nearby cities. For example, the current minimum wage is $16.28 an hour in Skyway, a county neighborhood next to the city of Tukwila, which has a minimum wage of $20.29. Seattle’s minimum wage is $19.97 per hour and the state’s is $16.28. 

This ordinance impacts only unincorporated areas of King County, and would not include cities like Redmond or Bellevue that abide by the state’s minimum wage, or cities like Renton, where voters recently set a city minimum wage of $20.29, which starts in July.

The proposal, which would also need a signature from King County Executive Dow Constantine, would take effect on Jan. 1, 2025, and could be subject to increase based on inflation at that time. 

There would be exceptions for small businesses with lower revenues and fewer employees. Businesses with 15 or fewer employees and an annual gross revenue of less than $2 million would be allowed to pay employees $17.29 an hour, $3 less than the proposed legislation. This difference would decrease annually by 50 cents until there is no difference in 2030. 

Businesses with 15 or fewer workers but have an annual gross revenue of $2 million or greater, and businesses with more than 15 but fewer than 500 employees, would have an hourly minimum wage of $18.29. This difference would decrease annually by $1 until there is no difference in 2026. 

Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson has filed a subpoena to try to force the Seattle Catholic Archdiocese to turn over records on suspected sexual abuse, he announced Thursday.

In July 2023, the Attorney General’s Office requested massive amounts of information from the archdioceses of Seattle, Yakima and Spokane, so it could map the extent and details of sexual-abuse incidents, the number of priests involved and the transfers of suspected priests from assignment to assignment. So far the three archdioceses have not provided the requested information, Ferguson said.

“We need a public accounting of childhood abuse,” Ferguson said.

Consequently, the Attorney General’s Office filed the subpoena in King County Superior Court, requesting a May 22 hearing. The three archdioceses share a common trust fund that is used to compensate victims of sexual abuse, and Ferguson wants access to those records as well.

In a written statement, the Archdiocese of Seattle said it had been generally cooperating with the AG’s office without specifically addressing the breadth of the information sought in the attorney general’s requests and subpoena.

“Sexual abuse of minors and vulnerable adults is an issue the Archdiocese of Seattle takes very seriously and has been proactively addressing for more than 40 years,” the statement said, noting that the church has taken many steps toward preventing abuse, including reporting abuse, supporting victims and their families and publicizing their actions. “We have a good understanding of the content of our files and we have no concern about sharing them with the Attorney General lawfully and fairly,” the statement said.

Michael Pfau, a Seattle attorney whose firm specializes in abuse cases, estimated that over the past 23 years his firm has represented roughly 90 sex-abuse victims in the Spokane Archdiocese, fewer in the Yakima Archdiocese and “hundreds” in the Seattle Archdiocese. His firm has successfully obtained records from the archdioceses, but he noted that the Attorney General’s Office’s requests are much broader than asking for a specific file on a specific person.

Lifelong Catholic Mary Dispenza, 84, of Bellevue, attended Thursday’s press conference. As an elementary-school girl in the Los Angeles area, she was sexually abused by a priest. 

“Even at the age of 7, I knew it was wrong. … In my own way, I felt ashamed.” She “buried” those memories until she was 52 — even during a 15-year period as a nun. “I didn’t share with anybody, but I talked to God,” she said. 

“All the dioceses in the world need to become transparent. … There is no justice without truth-telling,” Dispenza said. 

Ferguson, also a lifelong Catholic, said: “I don’t speak much about my faith. … But what the church is doing is inconsistent with the teachings of Jesus. … The church needs to be transparent about what happened.”

The attorney general’s office can instigate only civil actions in Washington, not criminal actions. Whenever the AG’s office handles criminal cases, it does so at the request of a county prosecuting attorney’s office. 

The number of students experiencing homelessness in Washington has grown by about 15% compared to the school year when the pandemic began, according to new data from the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction.

OSPI reports 42,436 students were homeless or had insecure housing during the 2022-23 school year compared to 36,996 during the 2019-2020 school year, while the total population of students enrolled in public school decreased during that time.

The every-other-year report to the Legislature explains that the number of homeless students reported in the past few school years may have decreased during the pandemic because school districts had difficulty identifying and serving those students.

The report breaks down the homeless student population by ethnicity, and notes that while 3.8% of all public school students statewide have experienced homelessness, the percentages are greater among Native Hawaii and Pacific Islander students (11.8%), Black or African American students (7.4%), Native American or Alaskan Native students (7.2%) and Hispanic or Latino students (5.4%).

The federal definition for students who are entitled to special services related to homelessness is different from the generally accepted definition of what it means to be unhoused. This report follows this broader definition and offers some detail about the students’ living situations.

About 76% of homeless students are “doubled-up” or sharing the housing of other people due to the loss of their housing, economic hardship or a similar reason. Another 6.4% are living in hotels or motels, 10.9% live in temporary shelters and 6.7% are unsheltered or living in a car, campground, abandoned building or substandard housing.

OSPI also reports that more students experiencing homelessness fail to graduate than the general student population, more are reported as truant and have poorer attendance overall and more were suspended or expelled from school. 

On Thursday morning, Washington Supreme Court Commissioner Michael Johnston issued a ruling upholding a temporary statewide ban on the sale of high-capacity magazines for guns.

Earlier this month, Cowlitz County Superior Court judge Gary Bashor ruled that the state Legislature’s 2022 law banning high-capacity magazines is unconstitutional. Commissioner Johnston issued an emergency stay immediately following Bashor’s ruling to temporarily keep the state ban in place.

Johnston’s April 25 ruling extends the temporary ban on the sale of high-capacity magazines while the case makes its way through the appeals process.

In September 2023, Washington State Attorney General Bob Ferguson sued Gator’s Custom Guns in Kelso. The suit alleged the store had offered more than 11,400 high-capacity magazines for sale since the state ban on magazines with more than 10 rounds went into effect in July 2022.

After Bashor issued his ruling overturning the ban on April 8, Ferguson successfully petitioned the state Supreme Court for an emergency stay, arguing the law was both constitutional and critical for addressing mass shootings. Limited-capacity magazines force shooters to stop and reload more frequently, giving people time to escape or disarm the shooter, he argued.

In the ruling today upholding that emergency stay, Johnston emphasized the use of high-capacity magazines in mass shootings. He wrote, “The State contends there is an unacceptable public safety risk if I do not impose a stay and the trade in [high-capacity magazines] resumes.”

The brief continues, “It is all but certain mass shootings will occur in Washington. This legislation will not necessarily prevent them from happening, but it will increase potential victims’ chances of survival. By declaring the statute unconstitutional and enjoining its enforcement, the superior court deprives Washington’s citizens of needed protection enacted by their elected representatives.”

Johnston also cited the rush to buy high-capacity magazines in the 90 or so minutes between Bashor’s ruling and Johnston’s issue of an emergency stay.

Today’s ruling states that Gator’s Guns boasted on social media that they sold high-capacity magazines to about 250 customers in that brief window on April 8.

King County was awarded a $6 million grant from the Washington State Department of Commerce to create more than 400 electric-vehicle charging ports throughout the county. King County Executive Dow Constantine announced the grant on Tuesday, and says this is part of the county’s mission to expand its zero-emission vehicles. 

King County applied for this grant in a joint effort with 20 partners around the region – for example, community centers, multifamily housing, retail businesses – places where these charging stations will be installed. The charging grant was made possible through the state’s cap-and-invest program, Climate Commitment Act. 

These charging ports will be available to the public in 55 locations, including nine King County charging sites, 13 multifamily residential buildings and 16 other locations like Metro bus bases. 

Installation could begin in three months in areas that already have charging stations, and take longer for areas that do not, said Ross Freeman, King County Fleet Electrification and Electric Vehicle Infrastructure planner. 

King County, along with other public agencies, have been moving toward lowering carbon emissions from vehicles. King County Metro Transit has a combination of diesel and hybrid vehicles, but they’re making the move to fully battery-operated buses, Freeman said. The county recently created a fully electric base for 120 zero-emission buses. 

Freeman said about 10% of King County support vehicles are electric. These vehicles perform operation check-ups or service locations. About 5% of other vehicles are fully electric, but, Freeman said, a majority of county vehicles are hybrid. 

Earlier this year, the state Department of Commerce announced that it will spend $85 million to expand access to electric vehicle charging throughout the state, including in Yakima, Vancouver and Spokane.

The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday declined to review a state ruling that rejected a challenge to the Washington Voting Rights Act, upholding the constitutionality of the law.

The decision ends James Gimenez’ constitutional challenge of the state voting rights act. Gimenez, a Latino voter, claimed that three other Latino voters who sued Franklin County for suppressing their voting rights did not have standing because the WVRA provides protections for minority groups, and Latinos are the numerical majority in Franklin County.

Gimenez filed a motion to dismiss the case, then appealed to the Washington Supreme Court, arguing that the state’s voting rights act did not equally protect all races that end up in the minority.

The Washington Supreme Court ruled against Gimenez last year, stating that the three Latino voters could sue the county because the Washington Voting Rights Act indeed protects all Washington voters from discrimination on the basis of race, color and language minority.

The original case was concluded two years ago, after the three voters, along with the League of United Latin American Citizens, settled with Franklin County in May 2022. As part of that settlement, commissioners will now be elected in a district-based system for both the primary and general elections.  

The state passed the Washington Voting Rights Act in 2018, with the intention of streamlining voting rights act enforcement and outlining steps to address remedies through resolution instead of through the courts.

A dozen Washington school districts were recognized with the first-ever Purple Star Awards earlier this month for their support of active-duty military families. The state Legislature approved the program last year to recognize school districts that demonstrated a commitment to addressing the needs of students in families serving in the military. 

The school districts are 

• Bremerton School District
• Central Kitsap School District
• Cheney School District
• Clover Park School District
• Medical Lake School District
• North Mason School District
• North Thurston Public Schools
• Oak Harbor Public Schools
• Peninsula School District
• Steilacoom Historical School District
• Sumner-Bonney Lake School District
• Yelm Community Schools

To receive the award, school districts need to provide tools and support for students of active-duty military families in their school through tending to the social and emotional barriers students face when their parents are deployed or when they relocate and transfer to a different school. It is also a requirement for the district to host a military recognition event to demonstrate a military-friendly culture or to publicize the district’s support for active-duty military families. 

These school districts work with the Interstate Compact Council, which helps children of military personnel when moving from different schools. One example of this is giving their teachers training on how to better serve their students from active-duty military families. 

Washington has 39,860 children of active-duty military and 19,411 children of National Guard members and reservists, according to the Defense Manpower Data Center. 

The Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction and the Washington Association of School Administrators jointly administer the designation, which will be in place for the districts for two years.  

Washington State University plans to launch its new apple variety in a few years, but is asking the public now for possible names. The university launched an online survey and contest seeking suggestions on what to name the apple currently known as WA 64. The deadline to enter is May 5.

It will be WSU’s second new apple launch in a decade, after the 2019 debut of Cosmic Crisp. 

WA 64, in the works for more than 20 years, is a hybrid of Honeycrisp and Cripps Pink, a variety better known by its trademark name, Pink Lady. WSU is in the process of selecting a commercial partner who will manage the rollout of the apple to Washington growers and nurseries. Trees are expected to be widely available to growers by 2026, and the apple is expected to appear in grocery shows by 2029, according to a WSU news release. 

Cosmic Crisp was also developed through WSU’s apple breeding program. Cosmic Crisp, a crossbreed of Enterprise and Honeycrisp grown exclusively in Washington, is among the top 10 best-selling apple varieties in the U.S. by sales and volume, according to WSU, citing Nielsen data. 

WSU pursued further development of WA 64 because it showed good eating and storage quality. Developers describe WA 64 as crisper and juicier than Cripps Pink and slightly less crisp and juicy than Honeycrisp, providing sweetness and acidity that falls between the two varieties.

The contest is open to U.S. residents 18 and older. Besides suggesting a name for WA 64, participants will also answer several questions, including how they came up with their suggested name and about their fresh apple purchasing habits. The winner chosen will receive a prize package that includes a variety of WSU items, including a gift box of WA64s and Cougar Gold, the university’s famed canned cheese.

Crown Prince Haakon of Norway will be in Seattle on April 17 and 18 to discuss environmental efforts like the green transition and advancing the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. 

With Seattle’s maritime industries in mind, the Crown Prince will discuss new technology and sustainability with representatives from the state. There will be a conference at the National Nordic Museum in Ballard. 

In 2019, Norway and Washington signed a memorandum of understanding to boost trade relations and create sustainable technology to enhance their maritime economies. 

Other Norwegian officials will attend: the minister for digitization, Norwegian State Secretary Kristina Sigurdsdottir Hansen and representatives of Norwegian businesses and the ministry of energy. Members of the delegation also have plans to visit Amazon and Microsoft.

Seattle has a strong Nordic heritage; Many immigrants came to the city and worked as fishermen, loggers, farmers, miners and boat builders. Prince Haakon’s father, King Harald V, visited Ballard in 2015, since the neighborhood is where many Scandinavian immigrants settled. He said the landscape of Seattle was similar to parts of Norway.  

It’s not the first time that royalty has visited Seattle. In 1976, King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden came to Seattle. Prior to his visit, the City Council created the Ballard Avenue Landmark District and the king issued a special proclamation at the ceremony.

Shortly after, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip paid the city a visit in March 1983. It was the last stop on their West Coast tour. 

Washington is set to create a state-run automatic retirement savings system for workers who don’t already have access to an employer-based retirement system.

Washington Saves will require businesses without retirement plans for employees to allow their workers an opportunity to contribute to an individual retirement account (IRA) via an automatic payroll deduction through the Washington Small Business Retirement Marketplace. Employers will be required to enroll employees who have had continuous employment of one year or more in the program at default contribution rates. Employees may opt out. Washington Saves will launch for enrollees in 2027, according to a press release from the office of State Treasurer Mike Pellicciotti, who requested the legislation.

According to an analysis by AARP in 2022, about 43% of Washington workers in the private sector work for a company that doesn’t offer retirement plans — about 1.2 million people. Lack of access also varies by demographics — 66% of Hispanic workers, 47% of Black workers and 43% of Asian American workers do not have access to an employer-provided plan in Washington. Overall, 42% of all men and 44% of all women do not have such a plan. The legislation that created the system, Senate Bill 6069, was signed into law on Thursday by Gov. Jay Inslee. It passed the Legislature this year, with final votes of 55 to 41 in the House and 35 to 12 in the Senate.

Oregon established the first state-run automated individual retirement savings system in 2017, and several other states, including California, Maryland and Virginia, have followed suit, according to Pew Charitable Trusts.