Tax rebates, Norwegian prince visits, Walla Walla visit, highway projects



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Tax Day has come and gone, but the Working Families Tax Credit is still open

Gov. Jay Inslee joined a tax preparation event in Seattle on Monday.

Representatives from Seattle nonprofits, the City of Seattle, and the state Department of Revenue joined Gov. Jay Inslee for a free tax preparation event on Tax Day.

Monday was the deadline to file your federal taxes. But it?s not too late to file for Washington?s Working Families Tax Credit [ [link removed] ]. Launched last year, the program returns as much as $1,255 to qualifying Washington families. Take a few minutes to determine your eligibility and apply, and you might receive a check in the mail a few weeks later.

Last year?s 164,000 applicants received an average return of $800, and an estimated 350,000 Washington households are still eligible but haven?t yet applied..

Gov. Jay Inslee visited a community tax preparation event in Seattle on Monday, meeting several recipients of the Working Families Tax Credit.

?I got back $596,? said Miranda Hunter [ [link removed] ]. ?I was able to catch up on bills and able to buy my son his first toddler bed.?

*Apply today for the Working Families Tax Credit* [ [link removed] ]

Miranda Hunter and her son benefitted from the Working Families Tax Credit.

Miranda Hunter got a return of $596 through the Working Families Tax Credit, which she used to buy her son his first toddler bed. Gov. Jay Inslee awarded her a ?Washingtonian of the Day? pin.

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Washington and Norway go way back; look far forward

Norway's Crown Prince Haakon visited Washington state and met Gov. Jay Inslee

Crown Prince Haakon of Norway visited Washington state this week. He and his delegation met Gov. Jay Inslee on Thursday for an event at the Museum of Flight.

Norway and Washington state go way back. In the 19th century, Norwegians settled in Seattle's Ballard neighborhood, Poulsbo, and all over Washington. They settled and settled and settled until 1 in 20 Washingtonians [ [link removed]. ] had Norwegian parents by 1920.

Nowadays in the 21st century, Norway and Washington state are looking far forward together. HRH Crown Prince Haakon led a delegation of Norwegian officials and business leaders to Washington state this week. And on Thursday at the Museum of Flight, Gov. Jay Inslee and the Norwegian Ambassador to the United States Anniken Krutnes signed a joint statement to pledge new partnerships towards renewable energy, corrections reform, electrification of maritime transit, and space exploration.?

The two regions already enjoy an effective relationship. Inslee visited Norway in 2022, boarding their electric ferries and touring their famously effective?rehabilitative correctional facilities [ [link removed] ]. Washington state and Innovation Norway also signed a?memorandum of understanding in 2019 [ [link removed] ]?and?renewed it in 2021 [ [link removed] ]?to enhance trade and clean tech cooperation. Norway-based Corvus Energy opened a?battery manufacturing facility in Bellingham [ [link removed] ]?in 2023. And officials from the state?Department of Corrections [ [link removed] ]?and?Washington State Ferries [ [link removed] ]?regularly engage their Norwegian counterparts to learn from Norway?s advances.

?The people of the state of Washington should know what the nation of Norway has done for us, and what they?re going to do,? said Inslee. ?They have electrified their ferries. They?ve reformed the notion of imprisonment by prioritizing rehabilitation. They are committed to a sustainable future. They are lighting the way on issues that are dear to us.?

To conclude his remarks, Inslee reflected on the Norwegian heritage of Seattle?s Ballard neighborhood.

?Your Royal Highness,? he said to Crown Prince Haakon, ?You should know that the Ballard neighborhood once was home to the largest concentration of Norwegian people beyond your borders. Now you?re already a navy admiral and an air force general, but I?d like to bestow another title to you: honorary Ballard High School Beaver.?

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Walla Walla adult family homes are among the first to receive Climate Commitment Act-funded heat pumps

A new heat pump with a Climate Commitment Act sticker

Brand-new heat pumps are spinning quietly outside five Walla Walla adult family homes thanks to a joint Commerce-DSHS pilot program funded by the Climate Commitment Act.

It gets hot in Walla Walla. It gets cold in Walla Walla. The Climate Commitment Act is helping locals install heat pumps and insulate their homes to stay comfortable through the extremes.

The state departments of Commerce and Social and Health Services (DSHS) are collaborating on a pilot project to outfit adult family homes statewide with efficient heat pumps [ [link removed] ]. DSHS picked five Walla Walla homes to start the program with help from the Department of Health?s environmental health disparities map [ [link removed] ], which locates areas acutely affected by pollution. Joy Fleck?s Party of Six Adult Family Home was one of the five selected, and she now has heat pumps running to keep the home and her vulnerable residents safe and comfortable. Fleck specializes in hospice care.

?They are marvelous,? said Fleck [ [link removed] ]. ?It?s individual for the room. It?s energy efficient, and no pollution. It?s great!?

At the nearby Sustainable Living Center in Walla Walla, Gov. Jay Inslee was introduced to local insulation contractors who have been retrofitting older, often uninsulated homes all over Walla Walla County.

?The best clean energy strategy is to use less energy,? said local property manager Leo Violette. ?And insulation is the single best thing you can do to waste less and spend less on your bills. And then you don?t feel the wind blow through your home ? that?s a good thing, too.?

The Sustainable Living Center performs energy audits for local residents and businesses, helping them find cost-effective ways to make their properties more efficient and comfortable. The Climate Commitment Act will fund similar efforts statewide to help thousands of low-income Washingtonians buy heat pumps, insulate, and spend a little less each month.

Woodward Canyon Winery in Walla Walla

Gov. Jay Inslee stopped at Woodward Canyon Winery on Wednesday to learn about how wildfire smoke and climate change are affecting the industry.

While in Walla Walla, Inslee also visited Woodward Canyon Winery, meeting their proprietors and enology researchers from Washington State University. Climate change is a real threat to Washington?s $8 billion wine industry. Unseasonal temperature swings affect crop location and growth. Wildfire smoke can taint the flavor of grapes and damage the reputation of wines from affected regions. Draughts complicate water access and add expense and limits to irrigation.

Washington state supports over 1,000 wineries and is the second-largest wine producing state in the nation.

*Read more:*


* Energy efficiency programs in Walla Walla draw visit from Gov. Jay Inslee [ [link removed] ] (Walla Walla Union-Bulletin)
* These home electrification and efficiency improvements could cut costs and carbon [ [link removed] ] (Tri-City Herald op-ed by Steve Gahn and Senator Matt Boehnke)

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News you might have missed:

Summer grocery program for kids to launch soon

For many Washington students, school is the most reliable place to eat. The summer months are difficult for many lower-income families to keep their cupboards stocked. The United States Department of Agriculture's (USDA) SUN Bucks program [ [link removed] ] helps bridge that gap. The program provides $120 in food benefits for every eligible child. Most children eligible for existing nutritional subsidies are eligible for the SUN Bucks program [ [link removed] ].

Statewide drought declared; firefighters gear up

The state Department of Ecology declared a drought emergency [ [link removed] ] this week for most of Washington state due to low snowpack, just 63% of average. Stream flows are also diminished in many areas, just 75% or below of normal. This warm and dry spring may hint at a warm and dry summer, and wildland firefighters are beginning to prepare for a busy fire season.

"We?re really urging folks to look after the defensible space within the first couple dozen feet around their house. Make sure you?re keeping vegetation low," firefighter Ray Sayah told KOMO News [ [link removed] ].

Wednesday marked national Go Orange Day

Wednesday was national ?Go Orange Day? [ [link removed] ] to bring attention to people who drive recklessly in work zones and hurt workers. Every Washingtonians wants smooth roads and safe infrastructure, and the people working on that mission are too often threatened by problem drivers. In 2023, over 1,200 work zone accidents were recorded across the state. Slow down in work zones, put away distractions, obey posted speed limits, and help workers get home safely.

Spokane?s North Corridor project on track

Construction of the North Spokane Corridor [ [link removed] ] connecting I-90 to US 2 and US 395 is progressing on time. Seven miles of the 10.5-mile corridor are now complete, and the lead contractor says that all indications point to a timely completion of the project by 2030 [ [link removed] ]. The final stage of work will be the large and complicated interchange with I-90. If there?s been any small problem, it?s been that kayakers and tubers have occasionally ignored the river closure at the Green Street Bridge and wandered unsafely into an active work zone. Don?t do that.

Scenic North Cascades Highway reopens

State Department of Transportation crews have been hard at work clearing snow to prepare the North Cascades Highway to reopen. The highway connects Okanogan County to its eastern neighbors and affords access to beautiful hikes and other recreational amenities. It reopened Friday morning. [ [link removed] ]

WSU president announces plan to retire in June 2025

Washington State University's President Kirk Schulz announced his retirement Friday [ [link removed] ]. Schulz will remain in his role until June 2025 to ensure a smooth transition.?

In his announcement video, Noel Schulz noted she plans to remain as director of the newly-launched Institute for Northwest Energy Futures [ [link removed] ].

"I?m grateful for Kirk?s leadership," responded Gov. Jay Inslee [ [link removed] ]. "He brought new educational opportunities to people across Washington. He developed world-class research programs to support our leadership on clean energy, advanced agriculture, health care and other sectors. We should also remember his leadership to protect Cougars during the COVID-19 pandemic. I wish him the best, and I?m thankful Noel will continue to lead the Institute for Northwest Energy Futures; I appreciate her tremendous contribution to launching this program."






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