(The Center Square) – The federal government has the authority to deport foreign nationals in the U.S. illegally over the objection of local authorities, a panel of three judges on the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals unanimously ruled. The 29-page ruling was written by Judge Daniel Bress, with judges Michael Hawkins and Richard Clinton concurring. At issue is an April 2019 executive order issued by King County Executive Dow Constantine, which directed county officials to
(The Center Square) – King County voters may have to decide on a levy renewal to continue operations of the county’s program to provide fingerprint identification for public safety use. The King County Automated Fingerprint Identification System, or AFIS, is a property tax-funded program that provides staffing and technology to support fingerprint identification for police, prosecutors, corrections, and medical examiners throughout King County. The levy specifically funds 117 positions between King County and Seattle AFIS
(The Center Square) – Spokane County passed its 2025 budget on Monday, decreasing total spending by nearly 6% while using up $57.4 million of its overall fund balance. The $864.8 million budget pulls back the reins as inflation continues and tax revenues flatline. The Board of County Commissioners managed to balance out $264.1 million in general fund spending, but expenditures across other accounts still outpaced what they’re projected to bring in. “This is with all
(The Center Square) – Six months into a pilot project, the Washington State Department of Transportation has released findings into the effectiveness of graffiti-battling drone technology. The drone pilot program is the result of a bill sponsored by Rep. Andrew Barkis, R-Olympia. “Like so many things in the state of Washington, it’s getting worse,” Barkis told The Center Square in reference to graffiti. “That section on [Interstate]-5 in Tacoma, the minute you pass [State Route]
