🍺 DUI limit bill dies in Senate

Childcare Subsidies Are on the Chopping Block

WA state is facing a hefty deficit and is looking for cuts, and lawmakers in both the House and Senate are looking to make some of those in childcare. Those cuts could amount to half a billion dollars over the coming years, and the cuts deal with how providers of childcare are reimbursed when children attend daycare through Working Connections Childcare. [Washington State Standard]

• Who Receives Aid? Aid is available to Washington families earning 60% below the state median income. Currently, providers can receive a month of subsidies if a qualifying child only attends one day a month. [Washington State Standard]
• Senate vs. House Plans: The Senate plan would cut that subsidy, so if a child attends one day, they’d receive 15 days of subsidy. The House plan will go by absences. If a child is absent 10 or less days, the provider receives a full month of care. If they are absent for 11 days or more, they receive half a month of subsidies. Keep in mind we are only counting weekdays here, so it’s not a full 30 days, but rather 21 - 23.
• These Cuts Could Be Disastrous: These cuts could impact as many as 14,000 families, and for many, are the key to employment and stability. In 2024, Washington state ranked as the fifth most expensive state for childcare. In doing my research for the newsletter, I found out that, unlike healthcare and basic education, childcare is not constitutionally protected. [KXLY]

DUI Limit Bill Stalls in the Senate 🍺

The current allowable blood alcohol concentration (BAC) in Washington State is 0.08%, and a bill to lower it stalled in the Senate after being backed in a nearly identical bill in the House. If enacted, the bill would have lowered the BAC to 0.05%, making it among the strictest in the nation. This bill comes as alcohol-related traffic fatalities have risen over the past few years, but opponents of the bill say it will drive customers away from bars and wineries, while progressive democrats say it could result in overpolicing and profiling. In case you’re curious what a BAC of 0.08% looks like, The Stranger made a fun video about it. Advocates hope the bill will pass in the next legislative period. [Seattle Times]

Protests Against ICE, Rideshare Companies Bring Out Washingtonians 🚫

The good people of Seattle and Washington state exercised their First Amendment rights this week, protesting at a Tukwila City Council meeting on Monday night because ICE plans to lease office space at Riverfront Technical Park. They also protested outside the Sabey Corporation Headquarters on Wednesday night. At the same time, members of Washington’s Drivers Union also protested outside Uber’s engineering offices on Wednesday to demand that they stop adding new drivers in an already saturated market. One driver said they made $5 in a six-hour shift the previous week. Uber said the decline in trips has more to do with rising costs instead of an oversupply of drivers.

Amazon Leaving Longtime Office Near Its Seattle Headquarters 🏢

Amazon is not planning to renew its lease at 1915 Terry Ave in Downtown Seattle. Nicknamed Kumo, the building is 7 stories and owned by Seattle Children’s. This comes after over 1,400 Seattle employees were laid off from Amazon back in January. [GeekWire]