Serving Franklin County, WA
Serving Franklin County, WA
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COLFAX — A local lawmaker is co-sponsoring a pair of bills that would give some workers in Washington state a reprieve from the long-term care tax. Rep. Joe Schmick, R-Colfax, is co-sponsoring the bills with Rep. Peter Abbarno, R-Centralia. The bills would reopen a limited opt-out period for WA Cares and let individuals who have paid into the program transfer benefits to a spouse. WA Cares deducts 58 cents per $100 earned for every worker to fund a limited lifetime benefit – up to $36,000 – for long-term care costs. Befor...
OLYMPIA – Some lawmakers are reconsidering sobriety checkpoints and automated enforcement cameras in a bid to bring the number of road deaths down in the state. Traffic deaths in Washington hit a high in 2022, with 750 fatalities, the highest number since 1990, according to the Washington Traffic Safety Commission. And while 2023 statistics are not complete yet, by July 31, 417 people had died on Washington’s roads – on pace to surpass the number of 2022 deaths. “What we’ve done to date is not having the impact we want,” Tr...