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| | |  | Some laws passed in Olympia this year are still waiting to go into effect, while some are up and running and around 200 kicked into gear this week. (Nils Huenerfuerst / Unsplash) |
| Hundreds of New WA Laws Take Effect | Yesterday marked 90 days since the end of the 2026 legislative session, which means about 200 new Washington state laws took effect this week. It’s a lot to keep track of, so we’re breaking down some of the ones you should know. [Seattle Times] | - Voting rights: State legislators passed a number of laws responding to the gutting of the Voting Rights Act. House Bill 1710 requires jurisdictions with histories of voting discrimination to seek approval from the attorney general changing their voting systems. House Bill 1750 stops local governments from implementing policies that make it harder for members of a protected class to vote – so things like changing ballot box locations. And finally, House Bill 1916 makes it harder to challenge voter registrations to protect voter rolls from being culled.
- Pennies are officially out: House Bill 2334 gives guidance for businesses on how to handle cash purchases without the use of the penny. Retailers can round up or down on cash purchases to the nearest nickel. It doesn’t affect purchases with credit or debit cards.
- Expanding housing options: House Bill 2266 says that cities cannot set more restrictive rules for transitional and permanent supportive housing than they do for all other development. It also requires indoor emergency shelters and housing to be allowed in places where hotels are allowed. They can still require community notices about projects, and set requirements on shelters near schools.
- Fake police, microchipping workers, and more: The Seattle Times has a full rundown of other bills you might want to know about.
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| What Seattle’s Talking About |
| 🔮 $2 million to lift a curse: This case of cross-county psychic fraud is truly stranger than fiction. Two Texas residents were arrested for posing as psychics and defrauding victims of at least $2.5 million. The majority of the money came from one King County resident who was convinced to liquidate financial accounts and wire more than $2.1 million in order to lift a curse related to a divorce. [KING 5] | | 🚨 Hosting the World Cup comes with increased ICE presence: U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents are taking security roles during the World Cup. Increased security will start in Federal Way, Everett, and Redmond, and ramp up closer to "Seattle Stadium." Though ICE says legal international visitors “have nothing to worry about,” agents can stop anyone for “reasonable suspicion,” which includes languages spoken, occupations, and skin color. [KUOW] | |  | Local labor organizers have been holding trainings on how workers can respond to ICE in the lead-up to the World Cup. (Jason Redmond / Getty Images) |
| 📣 Aurora residents and businesses call for change: Aurora Avenue has been in the news a lot recently. The area around Oak Tree Village at North 100th Street saw hundreds of residents rallying to protest violence in their neighborhood. And this week, city officials proposed closing five cross streets for protection after vehicles and homes were shot through. We'll be discussing what’s happening in-depth on the podcast next week. [Seattle Times] |
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| — Sam | Jane C. Hu edited City Cast Seattle this week. |
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