Your morning news digest | Wednesday, Feb. 27
Washington Republicans // Federal Way spat // Medicare for All // Child care costs // Sobriety in Georgetown // Required sex-ed // School layoffs
Washington Republicans break from Trump
Two Washington Republicans have broken with the president and voted in favor of a measure to block his national emergency declaration.
Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler and Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers said they voted Tuesday to overturn his attempt to build and fund a southern border wall because they're about preserving Congressional powers.
J'accuse, Federal Way
Mayor Jenny Durkan is accusing Federal Way of sending its homeless people to Seattle so they could find shelter during our recent snow storms.
Durkan said she wants to see a regional response so services are available where people live. She said Federal Way's response to the snow was to authorize $1,000 in bus tickets for people.
But Federal Way Mayor Jim Ferrell is pushing back, saying while they did authorize the money they didn't tell the homeless where specifically to go.
Medicare for All
In other Congressional news, Rep. Pramila Jayapal is expected to introduce a new "Medicare for All" bill today. It would move everyone to a single-payer system within two years of passage.
There's no word yet on how it would be funded, but Jayapal said she has several ideas in mind,including taxing the wealthy and even repealing Republican tax cuts.
Analysts say it has little chance of passing, but that it helps support the Democratic agenda ahead of the 2020 elections.
Child Care Bill
Washington Sen. Patty Murray announced a bill this week that would set a cap on child care costs, so that families would pay no more than 7 percent of their income on child care.
Murray's proposal could face a difficult road in Congress. It would require new funding approvals. A similar version died last year without ever receiving a vote.
Sober Georgetown
Neighbors in Seattle's Georgetown neighborhood say they want answers about plans to move a sobering center to their area. Its currently located in South Lake Union.
Georgetown residents said at a meeting Tuesday with King County officials they have enough problems with crime and homelessness and don't think placing a sobering center in an area that also has lots of bars is a good idea.
Other meetings are planned in the future. Officials would like to move the center to Georgetown by the summer.
Sex ed requirement
A push to require sex-ed in Washington state has some school districts on defense. A bill is moving through the Senate to mandate sex-ed in schools by 2020.
Dr. Rich Schulte is for sex education, but against the statewide requirement, saying it would receive backlash, making it ineffective.
"I think it's much more likely that if the demand comes from parents and teachers at the local level, I think it's going to be more effective than if it comes from a distant legislature in Olympia," he said.
Other opponents of the bill worry it could encourage sexual activity. The bill's sponsors say it's needed to help prevent sexual harassment, and to reduce risky sexual behavior.
Layoffs in Puyallup schools
District managers tell the Puyallup Herald they're looking at layoffs so they can cover the pay raises they gave to teachers following their strike at the beginning of the school year.
Staff will be notified by May 15 if they could lose their job.
