By Bill Lucia | Editor
Much of the $3.5 million Washington state made available to help people during December’s flooding has gone unused. Gov. Bob Ferguson partly blames the narrow eligibility criteria for who can access the aid, and says he’s talked to lawmakers about possibly changing the guidelines to avoid a similar situation with a future disaster. Meanwhile, the deadline for individuals to apply for federal flood assistance is June 10. The pot of state funding is separate from the federal aid.
Also in today’s edition…
A top adviser departs from the governor’s office.
A Washington Democrat votes with Republicans in favor of a federal parental rights measure.
And, with higher Affordable Care Act health insurance prices, missed premium payments begin to stack up.
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A house near Concrete is seen surrounded by floodwater on Dec. 17, 2025. (Photo by Eli Voorhies for Washington State Standard)
By Jake Goldstein-Street
Of the total state aid, $1 million was handed out to more than 2,600 households, according to state officials. But another $2.5 million available for cash assistance remains mostly unspent.
As of last week, just $175,000 of that remaining sum had been distributed, officials said. The money can go toward a variety of immediate needs, as well as hotel expenses and other housing costs for people displaced by flooding. The aid is limited to $350 for a single person and a maximum of $1,125 for a family of five. To access the money, people needed to have major home damage. They also needed to fall below a certain income threshold and live in one of six counties.
On the federal side, nearly $7 million has gone to over 700 households in Washington affected by flooding.
Jaime Martin served as external relations director for Gov. Bob Ferguson until resigning in April 2026. (Photo courtesy of Jaime Martin)
By Jerry Cornfield
Jaime Martin, Gov. Bob Ferguson’s external relations director since November 2024, left the governor’s office last month for a job in the private sector. Martin, an enrolled member of the Snoqualmie Tribe, is believed to be the first Native American to serve on the senior staff of a Washington governor. She is viewed as a driving force behind a groundbreaking executive order Ferguson issued last October to strengthen the state’s relationship with tribal governments. Martin will begin a new job next month at the Kilpatrick, Townsend & Stockton law firm.
By Shauneen Miranda
A bill the U.S. House approved yesterday would block federal funding from public schools that don’t follow certain guidelines related to student gender identity.
The legislation would require parental consent before an elementary or middle school can update a student’s pronouns, gender markers or preferred name on records. Additionally, it calls for schools to get parents’ permission before changing “sex-based accommodations” to allow a student to access a locker room or bathroom consistent with their gender identity. The bill would also bar federal school aid from being used to “teach or advance concepts related to gender ideology.”
Washington Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez was among eight Democrats who voted with Republicans in favor of the bill. Fifteen House members did not vote.
By Julie Appleby, KFF Health News
Enrollment in Affordable Care Act health insurance plans is falling as some customers struggle to make premium payments. People buying the insurance were hit with average premium hikes of 26% this year. At the same time, federal subsidies that helped cover the cost expired. Now, experts are watching for missed payments.
The sharpest drop in people paying premiums, based on limited data, is in Georgia, which saw a 28% decline in April compared with the same period a year ago, according to one analysis. Payment failure rates, year over year, as of February, were 15.7% in Washington and 8.5% in California.
With enrollment in Affordable Care Act plans declining and turbulence in the market, it’s likely insurers could raise rates again next year.
ICYMI
WA’s transgender prisoner policy is target of new federal investigation | by Jake Goldstein-Street
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