Washington’s payouts — known as tort liability — have skyrocketed from $72 million in fiscal year 2018 to more than $281 million last fiscal year.

The bill squeaked through the House by a single vote, with only Republicans in support. Washington state's two Republicans, U.S. Reps. Michael Baumgartner Dan Newhouse, of Sunnyside, both voted for it. Both their districts have the highest proportion of Medicaid enrollees in Washington. 

Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson signed a two-year state budget and a tax package to produce billions of dollars in new revenue.

Effective immediately, the law caps residential rent hikes during a 12-month period at 7% plus inflation, or 10%, whichever is lower. The limit will last 15 years. The bill also restricts manufactured home rent increases to 5% with no expiration date. 

The potential gas tax increase, the first in the state since 2016, raises nearly half of the estimated $3.2 billion the new package is expected to bring in over six years. It would up the state’s levy from 49.4 cents per gallon to 55.4 cents, then lift it by 2% each year. 

The first increase in Washington’s gas tax since 2016 is the centerpiece of a bipartisan transportation funding plan state senators unveiled Monday.

The governor presented $4 billion in new reductions at the end of February and said he supports another $3 billion in savings former Gov. Jay Inslee proposed in December. This scrub is Ferguson’s first step in addressing an operating budget deficit that Democratic lawmakers say is roughly $12 billion over the next four years. Ferguson pegged the number higher, at $15 billion. 

U.S. Rep. Dan Newhouse said Tuesday he told the Trump administration “there should be a more nuanced approach to terminations and furloughs,” referring to cuts at Bonneville as well as the Hanford nuclear cleanup site and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. 

The measure would require some establishments selling alcohol, including bars and nightclubs, to have testing kits on hand so patrons can see if their drinks have been drugged. Sponsors amended the bill recently in light of concerns of overreach lodged by a hospitality trade group.