Washington

Washington state governor expected to sign new bill ending prohibition on municipal broadband

by
Washington state governor expected to sign new bill ending prohibition on municipal broadband

Rep. Drew Hansen sponsored Washington’s net neutrality law in 2017, with support from Governor Inslee. Now he’s helped get a public broadband bill through the legislature. (Courtesy photo of HouseDemocrats.WA.Gov.) Washington municipalities will be able to offer broadband service direct to consumers across the state later this year under legislation approved by Governor Jay Inslee. … Read more

Capital gains tax in Washington state: Is it about fairness and funding, or will it drive away startups?

by
Capital gains tax in Washington state: Is it about fairness and funding, or will it drive away startups?

The Washington State Capitol building in Olympia. (Flickr photo via Tom Sparks) Technicians, business owners, public order attorneys and individuals have weighed in favor of and against a proposed capital gains tax in Washington state this week. A remote hearing by the House Finance Committee was attended by 3,900 people, 2,380 of whom supported SB … Read more

Washington state to enter Phase 3 of COVID recovery; Biden to urge vaccines for all by May 1

by
Washington state to enter Phase 3 of COVID recovery; Biden to urge vaccines for all by May 1

Jay Inslee, Washington Governor. (Photo by the Governor of Washington State) Washington Governor Jay Inslee announced Thursday that all counties in the state will move into Phase 3 of the COVID-19 Roadmap To Recovery. The change will bring new levels of capacity for indoor restaurants, a limited number of spectators at sporting events, and a … Read more

‘Widespread failure to comply’: Why Washington state’s AG is suing Google, again

by
Bob Ferguson

Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson. (GeekWire File Photo / Dan DeLong) [Editor’s Note: This story originally appeared in journalist Eli Sanders’ “Wild West” newsletter, which covers internet-related legal issues. Subscribe here.] Think how fast the Google search results come in. “Practically immediately” has long been a corporate goal. At this moment, Google often combines results … Read more

Second Wave: Meet the 11 startups picked for Washington state’s maritime accelerator

by
Second Wave: Meet the 11 startups picked for Washington state’s maritime accelerator

A representation of the new Maritime Innovation Center in Fishermen’s Terminal near the Ballard neighborhood of Seattle. (Port of Seattle picture) The Port of Seattle and the nonprofit strategic alliance Washington Maritime Blue continue their efforts to combine the region’s longstanding maritime heritage with the modern innovation economy when they launched a new startup accelerator … Read more

Data breach exposes 1.6 million Washington state residents who filed unemployment claims in 2020

by
Data breach exposes 1.6 million Washington state residents who filed unemployment claims in 2020

Washington State Auditor Pat McCarthy. (Photo of the state examiner) The Washington State Auditor’s office is investigating a security incident that compromised the personal information of more than 1.6 million people who filed for unemployment in the state in 2020. Auditor’s office, Pat McCarthy, accused a third party software provider called Accellion, whose services are … Read more

Washington state eases COVID-19 restrictions for Seattle region

by
Washington state eases COVID-19 restrictions for Seattle region

Seven counties in Washington will be easing their COVID restrictions starting Monday. Governor Jay Inslee announced Thursday that COVID-19 restrictions will be eased in seven counties in West Washington starting Monday. These include counties with technology centers like Seattle, Redmond, and Bellevue, as well as Tacoma and Olympia. Most of the state will remain in … Read more