(The Center Square) – Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson’s Artificial Intelligence Task Force met for the first time Friday morning. The task force was established through bipartisan legislation earlier this year at Ferguson’s request to address AI’s growing impact on the economy and assess its benefits and challenges. Sen. Joe Nguyen, D-White Center, sponsored Senate Bill 5838 authorizing the creation of the task force. Rep. Travis Couture, R-Allyn, sponsored the companion bill in the House.
(The Center Square) – A new report from the Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce finds that the aerospace industry is a key driver of economic growth in Washington state. The aerospace industry generated more than $71 billion in business revenues and $19.4 billion in labor income last year, according to the report. The report also found that the aerospace sector directly generated more than $580 million in tax revenues for the state, including $173 million
(The Center Square) – A recent survey showed that Redmond residents’ primary concern is overall cost of living and taxes. Concerns about crime are also on the the rise, according to the survey. Survey respondents were asked an open-ended question about the most important problem facing the Redmond, a city in King County located 15 miles east of Seattle. Taxes, affordability and the cost of living were mentioned by 28% of respondents vote as their
(The Center Square) – As the fight against homelessness, open-air drug use and crime continues, Spokane County is propping up a sobering center and other resources, with some construction slated for this fall. The Sobering & Triage Center is one of four priorities that the Board of County Commissioners identified and approved in May. The investments utilize opioid settlement funds, which the county and others received for holding pharmaceutical manufacturers accountable in court. Justin Johnson,
