In The News

Newly proposed Washington legislation seeks to more permanently fund facilities like Maddie's Place in Spokane that treat substance-exposed infants. Click here to learn more.

OLYMPIA – The road from parking lot to affordable housing complex could get smoother under a new law proposed in the Legislature and heard before the Senate Housing Committee on Wednesday. A bill, introduced by Marcus Riccelli, D-Spokane, would expand a 2022 law that incentivized the sale of open parking lots and gave tax deferrals to companies that flip it into ...

As lawmakers gear up to return to Olympia for the short legislative session that’s scheduled to run from Jan. 12 to March 12, Spokane business groups, government boards and elected officials have been preparing their wishlists. However, just as the city of Spokane and Spokane County had to figure out how to address budget deficits this fall, Washington’s budget writers will need ...

Just months after Gov. Bob Ferguson signed a Washington law to keep medical debt off consumers’ credit reports, the Trump administration is looking to block such policies. The federal Consumer Financial Protection Bureau now says federal law preempts laws like Washington’s. The federal agency’s position is a reversal from the Biden era. Backers of Senate Bill 5480, which stops collection ...

Each year, Washington joins a shrinking list of states that don’t require students to take a course in financial literacy before graduating from high school. That’s a concerning statistic for the state’s top financial officer, Treasurer Mike Pellicciotti. Not to be confused with economics, the study of systems of money — the type of course the treasurer is advocating for — includes ...

Hoping to spur the development of affordable housing, Spokane Mayor Lisa Brown unveiled a series of reform proposals Monday to make development cheaper, building codes simpler, and financing projects easier. Spokane’s population is expected to grow by more than 23,000 people between 2020 and 2046, requiring over 13,000 homes to accommodate population growth – but it also needs to build another ...

A Washington county saw its housing supply dry up amid an influx of new residents during the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, Washington state has passed a law that offers developers an incentive to replenish that county's stock with affordable options. Gov. Bob Ferguson has signed a bill to waive utility connection fees for new affordable housing developments for low-income renters and homebuyers ...

Gov. Bob Ferguson and other public officials reinstated their commitment Monday to the unfinished North Spokane Corridor as construction crews work on the highway’s bridging above the Spokane River. Spokane Mayor Lisa Brown and members of the Spokane City Council, Spokane County Commission and the Legislature joined Ferguson in celebrating the bipartisan effort to advocate for the project’s completion by 2030 ...

Washingtonians’ medical debt will not be included in their credit reports, under a bill that Gov. Bob Ferguson signed into law on Tuesday. Having medical debt can create a spiraling effect and prevent people from getting approved for car or home loans or apartment rentals. Medical debt can also cause providers to deny services to patients with outstanding bills or dissuade ...

Washington is experiencing a tough budget deficit, inflation is easing but still high as people feel pinched at the grocery store, and financial institutions nationwide are forecasting a recession closer to the end of this year, all of which could have real impacts on the average Washingtonian. Goldman Sachs, a multinational investment bank and financial services company, forecasts a 35% chance ...