From The Center Square

  • ‘This is serious’: Violent crime in unincorporated Pierce County alarms officials

    (The Center Square) – Gun crime trends in unincorporated Pierce County have officials worried. According to data presented to the Pierce County Public Safety Committee, in 2024, there have been 58 crimes involving firearms in unincorporated Pierce County through March 2024. There were 20 cases in March alone. “That’s really concerning seeing these numbers because I think it’s pretty high,” Pierce County Councilmember Paul Herrera said at Monday's committee...

  • California lawmakers seek to limit self-checkout to reduce theft, combat racism

    (The Center Square) - California lawmakers who say self-checkout, not thieves, are responsible for theft now want to limit the use of self-checkout machines. The union sponsoring the bill says there should be one employee for every two self-checkout stands, which would only be available for those purchasing 10 items or less, and that the use of anti-theft devices is a product of “racial bias.” Opponents say theft is caused by thieves, not self-checkout machines, and that a new...

  • Report shows Spokane County falling behind in meeting housing supply needs

    (The Center Square) – While fewer Spokane County households are cost-burdened than in years past, the Washington State Department of Commerce says more people are becoming homeless in the area. The department’s Affordable Housing Advisory Board released its 2023-2028 Housing Advisory Plan on Monday, outlining trends across each county as the state grapples with a housing affordability crisis. The board attributed Washington’s challenging housing market to several...

  • Former Washington Democratic lawmaker wins award for charter school support

    (The Center Square) – The The National Alliance for Public Charter Schools has honored a former Washington state lawmaker with one of its annual Charter School Changemaker Awards for ongoing efforts to champion charter schools in the Evergreen State. Eric Pettigrew, a Seattle Democrat, served in the state House of Representatives from 2003 to 2021. He was an advocate for the charter school movement long before nearly any other Democrat was on board. “It definitely...

  • Illinois’ electric vehicle rebates may be scaled back

    (The Center Square) – Legislation in the Illinois General Assembly would make it more difficult to qualify for a rebate on an electric vehicle purchase. In January 2023, rebates of up to $4,000 for EVs and $1,500 for electric motorcycles became available in Illinois. In the first round, Illinois' EV rebate program cost taxpayers $19 million. That is nearly 4,900 purchasers of EVs getting $4,000 rebates. Of those, only about 10% were low-income individuals, despite the program...

  • Illinois quick hits: Nurses reach tentative agreement; fugitive caught after nearly 24 years

    Nurses reach tentative agreement After a year of bargaining, the nurses’ union in Joliet has reached a tentative agreement with Ascension St. Joseph. The Illinois Nurses Association said Monday that the union will review and vote on the new contract over the next two weeks. According to the union, the new deal ensures that nurses will only be pulled to areas of the hospital outside their specialty on a voluntary basis. Fugitive caught after nearly...

  • TurboTax error means 12,000 Oregon taxpayers might save money if the refile

    (The Center Square) - About 12,000 Oregon taxpayers who used TurboTax to prepare their 2023 federal and state tax returns may have a chance to reduce their tax liability or increase their refund by amending their state income tax return, according to the state's Revenue Department. Intuit, the company that made TurboTax, said its software program may not have picked the best deduction option for some taxpayers, causing potential overpayments to the state. Intuit...

  • Gov. Polis signs bill easing local rules for 'mother-in-law flats' in Colorado

    (The Center Square) – Coloradans might soon see more "mother-in-law flats" or "casitas" in their neighborhoods after new reforms signed into law on Monday. Gov. Jared Polis used the terms in a media release on Monday announcing he signed a bill into law that gives homeowners the freedom to build accessory dwelling units (ADUs). House Bill 24-1152 mandates that specific local municipalities allow the units and provides requirements and restrictions for local government...

  • Diversity programs at UNC losing $2.3M in funding to public safety

    (The Center Square) – Funding for diversity programs totaling $2.3 million is been transferred from diversity programs to public safety and policing at the nation’s oldest public university and flagship campus in the University of North Carolina System. The Board of Trustees approved the change Monday at a special meeting on the upcoming budget. The alteration could result in the loss of its diversity office, led by 12 regular staff including a vice provost making more than...

  • Florida to bolster its anti-human trafficking efforts with new law

    (The Center Square) — Florida will beef up its efforts to stem human trafficking after legislation was signed into law on Monday. Gov. Ron DeSantis signed House Bill 7063, a bill that will make important updates on how Florida combats human trafficking and extends the lifetime of the statewide Council on Human Trafficking within the Department of Legal Affairs. Under the new law, rest area service plazas, emergency rooms, massage parlors, strip clubs or other...

  • Watchdog: VA 'erroneously' paid out big bonuses to feds, under scrutiny

    (The Center Square) – The Department of Veterans Affairs has paid out hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars in bonuses to executives, according to a federal watchdog report. The VA Inspector General released a report detailing that the VA "erroneously" paid out about $11 million in bonuses to executives that were later found to be ineligible for those bonuses. The bonuses totaled as much as $100,000 for just one federal employee. Lawmakers...

  • Bob Ferguson threatens legal action against other Bob Fergusons on ballot

    (The Center Square) – Washington State Attorney General and gubernatorial candidate Bob Ferguson has threatened legal action against two other candidates running for governor who share the same name as him. Last week two men living in separate parts of the state, both also named Robert Ferguson, filed to run for governor. In response, the attorney general said at a Monday morning press conference that cease and desist letters had been sent to their homes, warning them to withdraw...