Budget previews, fentanyl, homelessness, WSP tox lab



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Events preview governor?s plans to tackle fentanyl, homelessness
A roundtable Monday in Everett gathered experts on the fentanyl crisis.

A Monday roundtable in Everett featured experts and stakeholders who shared their perspectives on the crisis of opioid use disorder.

On Monday in Everett, Gov. Jay Inslee and a group of experts discussed the dizzying statistics of the national fentanyl crisis. And on Thursday in Seattle, Inslee stood at the clean and vacant former site of a large encampment.

At Monday?s roundtable, leaders honed strategies to save lives and prevent young people from exposure to fentanyl. The drug is cheap and abundant. And it?s unpredictable ? a single dose of illicit fentanyl may be powerful enough to kill. In just the last four years, the statewide rate of opioid death has more than doubled.?The toll is especially high in Tribal communities where fatality rates are quadruple the state average.

?We know how serious this problem is. Fentanyl is deadly,? said Inslee. ?But there is a positive note ? we can be successful if we put our minds to this. Treatment works. We can help people recover. We can keep people from going down this dark alley.?

Inslee previewed a six-tiered strategy Monday to take down opioids through education, accessible health hubs, overdose prevention, treatment access, recovery bed capacity, and first responder supports.

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Gov. Jay Inslee shakes hands with a line of WSDOT workers.

Gov. Jay Inslee shakes hands with a line of WSDOT workers who removed 160 tons of debris from a Seattle encampment, now vacant thanks to state intervention. 30 of 33 former occpants of the site accepted housing.

And Inslee Thursday previewed his budget strategy [ [link removed] ] to reduce street homelessness and bolster housing inventory. The event was held near 1st Avenue and Michigan Street in Seattle, the former site of a large encampment and hundreds of tons of debris - now vanished. Such encampments are expensive to remove, and vital funding that permitted the removal of 30 encampments and housing for 1,000 former occupants has been exhausted.

?One may ask why is it necessary to invest this money. Well, it takes person-hours and we?ve got to hire people to do it,? said Inslee. ?This is a massive project. You don?t just hand a pink slip to someone in a homeless encampment and think things are resolved.?

The governor?s request budget proposes an additional $100 million [ [link removed] ] to maintain efforts to housing and homelessness statewide.

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A before-and-after image shows the effect of state intervention at a Seattle encampment

A before-and-after image shows the effect of state intervention at a Seattle encampment.

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State opens new toxicology lab to speed through evidence backlog

Impaired drivers hurt people. Last year was the most dangerous on Washington?s roads and highways since 1990. Nearly one-third of fatal crashes [ [link removed] ] involved an alcohol-positive driver. Washington State Patrol processes over 17,000 evidence submissions at its toxicology lab in Seattle each year, an overwhelming figure that causes delays. On Thursday, Gov. Jay Inslee and state officials gathered to cut the ribbon at a new facility in Federal Way [ [link removed] ].

Evidence will be processed faster, and impaired drivers will face justice.

The number of evidence submissions increased 45% over the last decade, and samples took as long as a year to process. Thanks to the new capacity and technology at the new site, those processing times will shrink to 30 days [ [link removed] ] or perhaps even fewer.

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Gov. Jay Inslee snips the ribbon to open the new WSP toxicology lab in Federal Way.

Gov. Jay Inslee snips the ribbon to open the new WSP toxicology lab in Federal Way.

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News you might have missed:

Op-ed: Washington?s salmon recovery plan is stronger than ever, despite what some may say

Since 2005, the state has improved fish passage at 3,750 sites, cleaned up 8,000 contaminated industrial sites, repaired hundreds of miles of shoreline and riparian acreage, and more. Washington state has a comprehensive strategy to restore salmon populations. Gov. Jay Inslee Monday submitted an op-ed to defend the strategy, and the decades teamwork that went into it, from disingenuous partisan insults.

*Read the full op-ed in the Tri-City Herald.* [ [link removed] ]

?Pineapple Express? brings reminder to sign up for local emergency alerts

On Tuesday, a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter crew performed a harrowing rescue [ [link removed] ] of five people trapped by floodwaters near Rosburg in Wahkiakum County. Snohomish Regional Fire & Rescue rescued residents by kayak [ [link removed] ] from a flooded local park. A landslide halted Amtrak?s rail service [ [link removed] ] between Portland and Seattle. A narrow band of moist air accumulated over the Pacific Ocean has settled over the Pacific Northwest, bringing with it record rainfall [ [link removed] ] and the risk of dangerous floods. The state Emergency Management Division urges Washingtonians to sign up for emergency alerts from their local jurisdiction [ [link removed] ].

Governor, Secretary of State certify election results

More than 1.75 million Washingtonians voted in November?s election, no doubt helped by the state holding among the most accessible elections [ [link removed] ] in the nation. On Wednesday, Gov. Jay Inslee and Secretary Steve Hobbs certified the results [ [link removed] ] of that election. It was the first General Election in a half-century without a statewide issue or race on the ballot.

DOH recommends steps to dodge holiday viruses

Winter is flu season ? influenza, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and COVID-19 are on the rise [ [link removed] ]. Vaccines against all three illnesses are available and effective, and they might protect you and your loved ones. DOH also recommends [ [link removed] ] staying home and avoiding social gatherings when you feel sick, as well as masking as a precaution in poorly-ventilated settings around other people.

'Woofing' cough: new ailment threatens pets

At least 16 reports have reached the state of unusual Canine Infections Respiratory Disease Complex (CIRDC). A new illness has been reported in several states that carries some serious side effects for dogs. The state veterinarian recommends [ [link removed] ] that pet owners should contact a veterinarian should their dog exhibit coughing, and to report the illness through the WSDA website [ [link removed] ].

Three ferry projects receive federal awards

The Federal Transit Administration this week awarded Washington State Ferries $11.6 million [ [link removed] ] to electrify the Mukilteo-Clinton route, improve the Southworth Terminal, and to facilitate easier payment with new kiosks and website updates.

Braving the pass? Bring your chains!

Mountain passes have received heavy snow. Chains are required by law [ [link removed] ] when roadside signs indicate. Washington State Patrol ticketed one driver for using a USB cable [ [link removed] ] where a chain link should have been. A bold strategy, but illegal and unsafe.

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A driver used a USB cable to hold together inoperable tire chains.

One driver ticketed by WSP used a USB cable to hold together inoperable tire chains.

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