The state is writing more of the local rulebook
Connection 2 · State & localThe connection: The state is setting more of the rules local councils used to set. Decisions that once came with a local hearing and vote now arrive as state deadlines, like shelters by June 2028 and permit clocks already in effect. That moves the debate to Olympia and leaves councils carrying the rules out. Where the state hasn't acted, cities write their own: five cities wrote five different kratom rules in a year, so a store's penalty depends on which side of a city line it sits.
- PermitsHB 2418Utility districts and other reviewing agencies now owe a 20% fee refund when they miss a permit deadline. Cities have been on shorter deadlines since 2025.
- SheltersHB 2266Cities must allow shelters and supportive housing wherever homes or hotels are allowed, by June 2028.
- Plate cameras2026 state lawLicense plate camera data is now limited to serious-crime investigations and closed to public records requests.
- Kratomno state lawWhere the state hasn't acted, cities wrote their own rules.