Young Washington voters say cost of living is their top concern
The economy is a top issue for voters of all ages, but for young people, the concerns are more immediate: questions like "Where am I going to be living next year?" rather than “What’s my investment portfolio doing?”, says a Western Washington University political science professor.
The skyrocketing cost of basic necessities like housing, food and transportation in Washington hits people 18-35 particularly hard, as they typically make lower wages and are more often renters. To afford a median-priced home in Washington, you need to be making about $151,500, and the median annual salary for Washingtonians under 25 is $55,753. Sixty-one percent of Washington renters under 24 are spending more than the recommended 30% of their income on rent.
Brandon Borg, 21, fills his gas tank in Everett, Oct. 24, 2024. Borg must drive long distances for work, and is worried about how the rise in gas prices will affect his ability to save money for his future. (Caroline Walker Evans for Cascade PBS)
Both candidates for governor have said they want to streamline the zoning and permitting process to bolster housing supply. Ferguson has pledged to build 200,000 new units of housing in his first term and expressed interest in programs to provide no-interest loans to assist with down payments and closing costs for young families and essential workers. Reichert has said he wants to use tax credits to incentivize rent relief. He also thinks fighting crime will help lower costs.
As of Oct. 30, about 18% of registered voters under 35 had returned their ballots in Washington, compared to 56% of people over 65.
Welcome to your one-stop shop for Washington’s 2024 election, with profiles on every candidate and explanations of every statewide ballot measure. Read more
Mossback’s Northwest: Dead people tell no tales. Or do they?
In this Halloween special, Mossback dives into three spooky Northwest tales that have challenged medical and forensic experts, law enforcement, and even gravediggers and expanded our understanding of what can happen to the body after death.
In the case of the petrified madame, Mary Ann Conklin, better known to early settlers and travelers as Mother or Madame Damnable, allegedly turned to stone in her coffin. In 1940, a fisherman at Lake Crescent found a corpse that had undergone a chemical process known as saponification and turned into soap. And since 2007, at least 24 running shoes have washed up on Pacific Northwest beaches — with feet still in them.
Register for the CEOtoCEO breakfast with a Women’s Panel discussing “The Economic Force of Women in Business” on November 14th at the Bellevue Club. Register at CEOtoCEO.com
WA law restricts noncompete agreements. They keep popping up anyway
In 2019, Washington passed a law restricting employers' ability to enforce noncompete agreements, including a ban on imposing them on workers making less than $100,000 a year. Prior to this legislation, one in four Washington workers making under $100K were bound by noncompete agreements, and research indicates that they suppress wages and innovation. But since the new law was passed, many companies have simply found creative ways to circumvent it.
Permobil, a wheelchair manufacturer, is currently suing a former employee, Mark Westphal, in federal court for taking a job with a competitor. Permobil alleges that Westphal, who lives in Pasco, took unspecified top-secret company information to their main competitor, but haven't produced much evidence to back that up yet.
A judge in Tennessee agreed to hear the case, even though Washington law explicitly voids labor contracts that force adjudication in another state. Westphal thinks that Permobil wants to make an example out of him to intimidate other employees into staying.
Your Last Meal | Can Kamala’s love of food win her the election?
Food has historically played a role in presidential races, as candidates jockey for opportunities to demonstrate how cool and relatable they are via public displays of eating. In this special election episode of Your Last Meal, host Rachel Belle chats with New York Times food reporter Kim Severson about Kamala Harris's culinary bona fides, and brings on American food scholar KC Highsmith to talk about Trump's taste and the role of McDonalds in his personal and professional life.
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