By Bill Lucia | Editor
A divided state Supreme Court yesterday rejected a citizen activist’s attempt to block a ballot statement about the budget effects of repealing the state’s new income tax on high earners. The court was split 4-4 in denying an emergency request to keep the so-called public investment impact disclosure for Initiative 645 off the fall ballot. The initiative aims to overturn the tax. Voters will consider it in November. One of the nine justices was out sick. Absent a majority, the motion was denied.
Also in today’s edition…
Worries that electricity ratepayers will get zapped with wildfire-related costs.
Gov. Bob Ferguson offers no clues about the status of tense talks between state negotiators and public employee unions.
And, more schools around the U.S. install panic alarms.
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By Jerry Cornfield
Citizen activist Arthur West is fighting against the public investment impact disclosures. State lawyers write these statements, which are supposed to be neutral and appear with ballot measures that would affect state revenue.
West’s denied emergency motion at the state Supreme Court was his final chance to prevent the statement for Initiative 645 from appearing on ballots.
Justices Charles Johnson, Sheryl Gordon McCloud, G. Helen Whitener, and Theo Angelis voted to grant the motion. Chief Justice Debra Stephens and Justices Steven González, Sal Mungia, and Colleen Melody voted to deny it. Justice Raquel Montoya-Lewis was ill.
Though he lost on the I-645 statement, West plans to keep battling to overturn the 2022 law requiring the statements. He believes Thursday’s divided decision is a promising sign that the court could eventually rule in his favor in the underlying case.
(Photo by Thianchai Sitthikongsak via Getty Images)
By Aspen Ford
Electric utilities around the Northwest are spending millions of dollars each year on projects to prevent power lines from sparking wildfires. There are concerns about how these costs could get passed to ratepayers. But when grid infrastructure does ignite a fire, the effects can be catastrophic, and the liability for utilities can soar into the billions.
“At some point, the system will break,” said Jake Gentle, a research manager at the Idaho National Laboratory who tests wildfire technology for grid infrastructure. “Unfortunately, the corporations are the ones that have to pay, which then bill the customers.”
Earlier this year, PacifiCorp settled a lawsuit over its lines allegedly starting six fires in Oregon and California, burning nearly 300,000 acres of public land. Thousands of residents also filed claims against the investor-owned utility. The company has agreed to pay $2.2 billion to settle roughly 90% of all claims, and it’s preparing to settle more.
Ferguson mum on labor talks with state workers
By Jake Goldstein-Street
Gov. Bob Ferguson didn’t comment when asked at an event in Seattle on Thursday about labor negotiations with unionized Washington state workers. He rebuffed similar inquiries from the Standard last week.
State employees briefly walked out of work on Monday, frustrated over negotiations that have seen Ferguson’s administration balk at wage increases over the next two years. A rally is planned for Saturday at the state Capitol.
Some workers have said they feel the Democratic governor isn’t living up to his campaign commitment to stand by workers. On that criticism, Ferguson said, “You can keep asking me, I don't have anything else to add.”
The deadline to ratify an agreement is Oct. 1 for it to be considered for funding in the next two-year budget that Ferguson will propose in December. Failing to meet that deadline can mean the existing contract is extended without a wage hike.
By Robbie Sequeira
Three states this year have enacted laws that require or allow schools to use mobile, wearable, wireless or silent panic alarms to quickly summon emergency responders. The new laws in Illinois, Virginia and West Virginia bring the number of states with such laws to 13, with 10 of them acting since 2023. Another dozen states have legislation pending. Washington legislators approved a law in 2025 that requires schools to collaborate with local law enforcement and others on this type of technology.
ICYMI
Uncounted late ballots jump in WA as fears of Postal Service delays intensify | by Jake Goldstein-Street
Penalty for ethics violations rises to $52K for WA state Rep. Tarra Simmons | by Jerry Cornfield
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