Seventy percent of WA students have access to free school lunches

The Last Reefnetters, a five-part docuseries, centers around the innovative method of reefnet fishing developed by the Lummi Nation and other Northern Straits Salish tribes thousands of years ago. Following punitive legislation, environmental damage and devastation caused by a budding cannery industry looking to capitalize on a seemingly abundant resource, the practice was all but removed from the tribes’ culture. 

Today, just 12 captains with a reefnet fishing license are left in the world, and only one of them is an enrolled tribal member. Filmmaker Samuel Wolfe follows the Salish Sea’s last reefnetters, examining the legal, spiritual and cultural subtext that intertwines them.

The Last Reefnetters broadcasts Friday nights at 8:50 p.m. on Cascade PBS and streams through the Cascade PBS app. Watch the first episode here.

The docuseries was the Season 3 recipient of the Cascade PBS Origins grant. Each year, the stories told in Origins reflect the makeup of our region from an insider’s perspective: stories grounded in ancestry, connection, culture, influence and rootedness. In that spirit, the key requirement is that the filmmaker needs to be part of the community they are documenting (i.e., Indigenous stories told by Indigenous filmmakers, Latino stories told by Latino filmmakers, etc.). 
 
The winning project is awarded $40,000 toward their production costs. The Cascade PBS Original Productions team also supports the filmmaker through the process. From identifying the project budget and talking through the concept all the way through scripting and editing, we are here to support and advise to ensure the project stays on track. 

Submissions for the next season of Cascade PBS’ Origins are now open. Submissions close April 18. 

The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) this week filed a complaint against REI Co-op, after finding the retailer illegally withheld benefits packages from workers at unionized stores. 

The NLRB is seeking an order that would require REI to retroactively give unionized workers wage increases and bonuses that match those at non-union stores. REI has until April 2 to respond to the complaint, and a hearing is scheduled for Dec. 9. 

Eleven REI stores have unionized since 2022 in a contentious organizing battle that’s shaken the Washington-based outdoor co-op’s progressive reputation. None of the unions have yet secured a contract. Union organizers recently tried to nominate pro-labor candidates to the co-op’s board of directors for this year’s board election, but the board did not nominate either of them for a membership vote.

The complaint filed Thursday alleges that REI violated several aspects of the National Labor Relations Act by refusing to bargain in good faith and withholding annual pay raises and bonuses at stores that voted to unionize. This was done at least since February 2024 to “discourage employees” from engaging in union activity, the complaint said.  

The complaint lists nine stores across the country where benefits were allegedly withheld, including the REI in Bellingham, the only Washington store that has voted to unionize. 

Dan McCann, an REI employee in Bellingham, said in a statement provided by the union that REI withheld “thousands of dollars” from himself and his unionized co-workers. 

“This complaint is a victory for workers like me who have been retaliated against by REI because we joined a union,” McCann said. 

In an emailed statement, REI said it “has negotiated — and will continue to negotiate — in good faith with stores that have chosen union representation.” 

“Federal law requires us to bargain in good faith on all aspects of the employment agreement, including pay and benefits, rather than making unilateral changes,” the statement said. “We’re actively negotiating these topics with the union, so no pay changes have been implemented — there’s nothing to ‘withhold.’” 

The complaint specifically alleges that REI excluded unionized employees from annual “merit pay” wage increases and from participating in the company’s “summit pay plan” — REI’s annual bonus program for employees. Those benefits have been part of REI’s workers’ benefits package for over a decade, the union said. Workers at non-union stores have continued to receive those benefits, the complaint said.

In a statement, the REI union said the complaint is “the first step to rectifying REI’s ongoing illegal union busting.” 

“We call on REI leadership to comply with the remedies the NLRB is demanding, return to the bargaining table with real proposals and real decision makers, and finally live up to the progressive values it claims to uphold,” the union said. 

Unionized REI workers recently rallied outside the flagship REI store in downtown Seattle and called on REI members to protest the company’s direction by casting “withhold” votes in this year’s REI board of director elections. 

Note: This story was updated on 3/22 to correct the title of the National Labor Relations Board. 

This article originally appeared in the Washington State Standard.

Ralph Munro, Washington’s longest-serving secretary of state and a moderate Republican who achieved unusually broad popularity across the political spectrum, died early Thursday at his convalescent home in Lacey. He was 81 and had struggled with multiple health issues for the past several years.

Current Secretary of State Steve Hobbs announced his predecessor’s passing, saying Munro “embodied the drive and attitude of a true statesman.”

Munro was remembered for many things as word of his death spread quickly around Olympia and the wider Pacific Northwest. During his life, Munro championed diverse causes, from orca protection, voting expansion and disability rights to immigration, international trade, polio eradication and historic preservation.

“Ralph was known for moderation, civility and bipartisanship. He certainly exuded that in his role as secretary of state,” recalled friend and longtime collaborator Sam Reed, who succeeded Munro in office.

In elective office, Munro was one of the last Republicans able to consistently win statewide as Washington trended bluer and bluer. He squeaked into office as secretary of state in 1980 at age 37 and was reelected four more times until he chose to retire at the end of 2000.

During his tenure, Munro strongly advocated for expanding vote-by-mail. Washington also established “motor voter” registration on his watch, which encourages residents to register to vote when they apply for or renew a driver’s license. He also ushered in Washington’s first address-confidentiality program to protect victims of domestic violence and stalking. That program allowed victims to receive mail through the secretary of state’s office in order to keep their actual addresses secret.

Munro faced minimal competition for re-election in his later campaigns. His political ads on the radio memorably entailed 30 seconds of bagpipe music with a brief tagline stating, “This interlude brought to you by” the Munro campaign.

Munro raised one son, George, with his first wife, Karen. He divorced, remarried and divorced again late in life. He has three grandchildren. Munro also is survived by a daughter in Minnesota, Christi Stoll, with whom he reconnected in recent years.

The Washington State Standard published a longer version of this article on March 20, 2025.

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This article originally appeared in The News Tribune.

Pierce County has announced $17 million in affordable-housing investments made possible by revenue from the Maureen Howard Affordable Housing Sales Tax.

In 2023, the Pierce County Council approved the sales tax that collected one-tenth of 1% of sales to leverage additional revenue for affordable-housing investments. The tax was named after Maureen Howard, a prominent advocate for the homeless in Tacoma who died in January 2023.

Pierce County Executive Ryan Mello said even though the $17 million investment covers a diverse range of projects across a broad scope, many more affordable-housing units will need to be built in the coming decades.

A county report stated that on average, the county would need to produce over 2,300 units per year of housing affordable at or below 50% of area median income (AMI) through the year 2044. According to Pierce County, the region’s area median income is around $98,200 per household.

The round of investments announced by the county March 4 will account for more than 350 affordable-housing units.

Habitat For Humanity will receive $1.1 million for the purchase and rehabilitation of 20 single-family homes owned by Pierce County Housing Authority.

Homeownership Center of Tacoma will receive $139,132 for construction of two new single-family homes on two parcels.

Mercy Housing Northwest will receive more than $3.6 million for development of 80 units of affordable housing near the planned Bus Rapid Transit corridor for households earning less than 60% of AMI, with 20% of units set aside for families with a disability.

Pierce County Housing Authority will receive $892,857 for the acquisition of an affordable-housing building in Parkland with 56 units.

Urban Black Community Development will receive $1 million for acquisition and rehabilitation of three historic buildings in downtown Tacoma to preserve 78 affordable-housing units, primarily studios and one-bedrooms for 50% or below AMI.

Bridge Meadows will receive $5.5 million for development of 60 new affordable-housing units serving households earning less than 60% of AMI, including 44 units for seniors and 16 town homes for families with children who have experienced the foster-care system.

Beacon Development Group and Greater Christ Temple Church are to receive more than $4.6 million for development of 65 new affordable-housing units for seniors earning less than 50% of AMI, with 13 units to be set aside for permanent supportive housing to assist those experiencing homelessness.

Greater Lakes Mental Healthcare will receive $33,000 for operation and support of the Cedars apartment complex, which consists of 15 studio apartments for single adults with a mental illness and earning less than 30% AMI.

AHAT Homecare will receive $116,000 for operation and support of two adult family homes for low-income individuals living with HIV and AIDS.

A longer version of this article originally appeared in The News Tribune on March 17, 2025. Cameron Sheppard is a WSU Murrow News Fellow at The News Tribune.

Washington’s economic future is uncertain, a financial forecast released Tuesday shows. The projection from the state Economic and Revenue Forecast Council reflects lower-than-expected state tax collections over the next four years, possible federal funding cuts and the Trump administration’s proposed tariffs.

Tax collections will be up about $54 million through June of this year, according to the forecast. But in the budget cycle ending in 2027, the state can expect about $479 million less revenue than anticipated in a forecast from last November. Revenue is expected to fall another $420 million between June 2027 and 2029.

State economists blame the declining revenue on reduced consumer spending and lower income. The federal government’s actions add another layer of uncertainty, said Dave Reich, executive director of the Economic and Revenue Forecast Council. “We don’t know exactly what’s going to happen,” he told the Council Tuesday. “We’re in a changed world.”

The dip in state revenue is not surprising to state budget writers, but it won’t make their job this legislative session any easier.

Lawmakers already face as much as a $15 billion shortfall over the next four years, due to lower-than-anticipated revenue and costly new programs planned to go into effect over the next few years. Because Washington requires lawmakers to balance budgets four years out, they’ll need to find a way to close that gap.

Senate Ways and Means Chair June Robinson (D-Everett) said Tuesday’s forecast was expected. “While it doesn’t change the broader fiscal challenges we face, it reinforces the need for a balanced and sustainable approach as we finalize the 2025-27 operating budget,” she said in a statement.

In total, the revenue forecast gives lawmakers nearly $71 billion to work with when writing their budget for the next two years. Between 2027 and 2029, the state can expect about $76.4 billion in revenue.

Democratic lawmakers will release their budget proposals early next week and will have until April 27 to finalize them.

Meanwhile, Senate Republicans have already released their budget proposal, which includes no new taxes and focuses on trimming spending.

“Legislative budget writers should take heed and show restraint going forward, especially with the uncertainty about actions at the federal level that could affect our situation,” Republican budget leader Sen. Chris Gildon (R-Puyallup) said in a statement.

Gov. Bob Ferguson has proposed continuing to intercept the child support payments of low-income families as a way to help balance Washington’s estimated $12 billion budget deficit. 

For decades, Washington has punished poor parents, primarily mothers, who access welfare benefits by garnishing their child support payments. A Cascade PBS investigation last year found that Washington took more than $41 million in 2022 from some of the state’s poorest families.

A bipartisan bill that passed by a near-unanimous vote last year required the Department of Social and Health Services to significantly curb the controversial practice by 2026. But in his recent budget proposal, Ferguson seeks to push back the change an additional three and a half years, which he projected would save $13.7 million over the next biennium.

State Rep. Travis Couture, R-Shelton, who sponsored last year’s bipartisan bill, said raising taxes on poor families is the wrong way to balance the budget and he intends to offer alternative cuts if Democrats take up the governor’s proposal.

“There’s a lot of different line items we can save in our budget that don’t harm poor people,” Couture said. “The only thing we’re delaying here is lifting people out of poverty.”

Ferguson has not ruled out tax increases to address the state’s budget shortfall, but has said he will prioritize cutting spending and put forward $4 billion in cuts.

“Given our budget situation, we very carefully examined proposed or adopted spending not yet implemented,” Governor’s Office spokesperson Brionna Aho wrote in an email response. “Delaying implementation does not take away a current benefit from Washingtonians.”

Democrats are expected to release their budget proposals in the coming weeks. They may decide not to take up Ferguson’s suggestion.

Garnishing child support has a long history but has fallen out of favor in recent years. More than half of U.S. states have begun moving away from the longstanding practice, which is legal and dates at least to the 1970s.

Washington legislators have repeatedly dipped into child support as a revenue source over the years, most recently in 2011. In 2021, a bill sponsored by Sen. Manka Dhingra, D-Redmond, redirected a small portion of payments back to families. 

As a Cascade PBS news reader, you may have questions about the recent headlines regarding public media, from threats to federal funding to the closing of PBS national’s DEI office. We want to address these issues, how they impact this crucial public service, and share what you can do to protect the future of public media. 

The majority of Cascade PBS funding comes from the community – giving from individuals like you, grants from foundations and local underwriting. Cascade PBS also receives a grant from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), for which funding is currently at risk in Congress. On average, our CPB grant represents about 10% of our annual operating budget. 

Cascade PBS remains committed to the principles of diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging. This work is at the heart of what we do to serve all members of our community and team. More information on our commitment to this work can be found on our website. 

PBS stations are nonprofit organizations, owned locally by the communities they serve. They are individually managed and foster deep community connections through local reporting, events and programs. Each year Cascade PBS provides: 

• Powerful local journalism and storytelling, with essential information and invaluable insights about our region. 

• Cultural preservation, ensuring our unique local stories are documented and shared. 

• Thoughtful local events that celebrate our communities. 

• Educational programs that help children make significant strides in literacy, math and science. 

• Free sample lesson plans and educational resources for teachers. 

You can read more about the impact of the Cascade PBS newsroom in our 2024 Impact Report, and our 2024 Investigations Impact Report, and about the impact of Cascade PBS more broadly in our 2024 Annual Report.

We need community support now more than ever. Here are a few ways you can get involved in protecting the programs and services you care about: 

• Make your voice heard. Connect with Protect My Public Media to learn more about funding for public media in the U.S. federal budget and contact your U.S. Senators and Representative. 

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If you have any questions or concerns about what you see in the headlines, please don’t hesitate to reach out to our Donor and Audience Relations team. 

Seattle Schools Superintendent Dr. Brent Jones announced Monday that he is resigning from his position effective Sept. 3, 2025.

In a video statement posted to the Seattle Public Schools website, Jones said he is leaving to spend more time with his family. The Seattle Times reported that Jones confirmed that he will move to California, where his wife Dr. Janine Jones was appointed vice chancellor for graduate affairs at the University of California at Santa Barbara earlier this month.

The district intends to announce its plans for the superintendent search process in the coming weeks.

Jones has headed the state’s largest school district since 2021, when he was appointed on an interim basis after the resignation of Superintendent Denise Juneau. The school hired Jones for the permanent position in March 2022.

Jones cited the district’s successes at academic recovery, equity and inclusion, expanding student support services, and strengthening community partnership during his tenure at Seattle Public Schools. He also oversaw challenges, such as a withdrawn plan to close schools due to tightening budgets, and a teacher’s strike in 2022.

Before taking on the top job at Seattle Public Schools, Jones had several previous positions at Seattle Public Schools, including chief equity, partnerships, and engagement officer. Additionally, he held posts at the Kent School District and King County Metro Transit.

The City of Cle Elum and a housing developer have agreed to enter mediation to settle on an installment plan for the city to pay a $22.3 million judgment, avoiding municipal bankruptcy.  

The city, population of about 2,200, is on the hook for $22.3 million — five times its annual general-fund budget — after an arbitrator ruled in November in favor of housing developer Sean Northrop and his LLC, City Heights Holdings, over the provisions of a 2011 development agreement regarding Ederra, a new community of 1,000 houses. The arbitrator came to the $22.3 million figure based on the delays caused by the city not executing the agreement as written.  

In January the Cle Elum City Council voted to look into municipal bankruptcy, stating there was no other option. Municipal bankruptcy in Washington is rare — North Bonneville is the first and only city to pursue this option when it filed in 1991.  

Cle Elum Mayor Matthew Lundh said in a news release he was glad City Heights Holdings was willing to enter mediation to work toward a “realistic and sustainable resolution.”  

“A settlement that balances the City’s financial realities with its obligations is the only viable path forward — without it, Chapter 9 bankruptcy remains our only alternative,” Lundh said in the news release. 

The city agreed to make a $50,000 payment to City Heights Holdings to enter mediation, which will be applied toward the cash judgment. Mediation starts March 24.