If the House’s sports-wagering bill receives approval by the Senate before the 2020 session ends, the legislation (House Bill 2638) would front the state Gambling Commission $6 million to get going right away with “enforcement actions in the illicit market for sports wagering.” I take that to mean the agency intends to chase the bad […]
Read MoreKING5: State lawmakers investigating Snohomish County clean energy contracts
EVERETT, Wash. — A series of contracts awarded by the Snohomish County Public Utilities District through a state clean energy grant program are under investigation by state lawmakers, some of whom are concerned about potential conflicts of interest between public and private entities. Central to questions being raised, mostly by Senate Republicans, are dealings between […]
Read MoreThe SMART Act: Measuring outputs, not just inputs
Much of the public discussion and advocacy surrounding the budget writing process often tends to focus on inputs, or the amount of taxpayer dollars spent on a particular program. The Legislature has an equally important duty to study the outputs, or the actual results of the way they spend taxpayer dollars. Accountability and transparency are […]
Read MoreState Senate majority creates new government accountability committee
Announces committee leadership for 2015 legislative session The Senate Majority Coalition Caucus announced today Senate committee leadership for the 2015 legislative session including the addition of a new committee that will focus on government accountability and reform issues. Senate Majority Leader Mark Schoesler said, “The committee leadership reflects the exceptional talent in this caucus who […]
Read More$750,000 dinner bill and no food after 3 years of trying to harvest fish.
Chris Ingalls, KING 5 Investigator A Washington State prison had a novel plan to feed its 2,000 inmates: open its own fish farm to to produce a steady supply of fish for the prisoners’ dinner menu. But three years and $750,000 later, the operation has not harvested a single fish that went on to be […]
Read MoreEthics board fines Lt. Gov. Brad Owen $15,000
Lt. Gov. Brad Owen has reached a settlement with the Washington State Executive Ethics Board that fines him $15,000 for using state resources for his nonprofit organization Strategies For Youth. The settlement, released Friday and which Owen has agreed to, would allow him to pay only $10,000 of the fine if he commits no other […]
Read MoreState agency draws criticism for spending $600,000 on Tacoma workshops to boost employee performance
By Brad Shannon, August 29, 2014 A division within Washington’s biggest state agency spent $600,000 for airfare, mileage, lodging, food and guest speakers to put on educational workshops in Tacoma for about 2,160 state employees who work in welfare- and food stamp-related programs. There were three two-day events that ended Thursday at the Greater Tacoma […]
Read MoreReport raises questions about handling of welfare fraud tips
Chris Ingalls, KING 5 News A Department Social and Health Services internal report raises new questions about how effective the agency’s fraud unit is responding to tips about welfare fraud. The May 2014 Focused Accuracy Review, obtained by the KING 5 Investigators through a public records request, examined 200 tips sent to DSHS fraud investigators. […]
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