TJ Martinell

1 week ago | thecentersquare.com | TJ Martinell

(The Center Square) – In 1996, Sound Transit promised voters that a light rail line to Everett would be given top priority for its next transportation package, with the ultimate vision of a regional light rail system connecting central Puget Sound. Almost 30 years later, the regional transit agency is now in the initial planning phases to fulfill that promise, with the initial section of the Everett extension tentatively scheduled to open in 2037 and the entire line in 2041.

1 week ago | thecentersquare.com | TJ Martinell

(The Center Square) – Elected officials within the Washington State Economic and Revenue Forecast Council have expressed reluctance to adopt a rate of assumed revenue growth that would presume an extra $1 billion in the state’s coffers during the 2027-29 biennium. However, depending on feedback from the State Attorney General’s Office, they legally may not have a choice on the matter. Among ERFC’s responsibilities is to adopt forecasted revenue growth for budgetary purposes.

2 weeks ago | thecentersquare.com | TJ Martinell

(The Center Square) – As Congress contemplates repealing California’s ability to impose stricter emission standards than the federal Clean Air Act that is currently also implemented in Washington state, the trucking industry continues to receive criticism for not cooperating with its implementation. Meanwhile the trucking industry continues to reiterate its stance that the regulations are not based in the realities of existing technology.

2 weeks ago | dispatchnews.com | TJ Martinell

For years, Washington state’s public pension system has been considered one of the best funded in the nation. However, one critic of a new bill passed by the state Legislature warns that it could undermine the system’s solvency in the long term and at the expense of taxpay-ers. One of the key factors in actual assumptions is determining the assumed rate of return on investments that fund the system, which in turn determines how much the state Legisla-ture must contribute.

3 weeks ago | thecentersquare.com | TJ Martinell

(The Center Square) - For years, Washington state’s public pension system has been considered one of the best funded in the nation. However, one critic of a new bill passed by the state Legislature warns that it could undermine the system’s solvency in the long term and at the expense of taxpayers. One of the key factors in actual assumptions is determining the assumed rate of return on investments that fund the system, which in turn determines how much the state Legislature must contribute.