English Bulldog Puppies for Sale in Seattle, WA

The road to legislation is paved with good intentions. That is especially true with the WA Cares Fund, which was created to help Washingtonians who will need assistance as they grow older. Also known erroneously as “long-term care insurance,” qualified participants can access a cap of $36,500 (adjusted for inflation over time), which could help people meet needs in the short term.

That need is great. But this flawed piece of legislation failed to meet the moment. The editorial board recommends voting “yes” on Initiative 2124, which would end mandatory participation in WA Cares. If lawmakers choose in the future to revisit this concept — and we strongly urge them to do so — they should take a better thought-out approach.

We are graying as a population. By the year 2050, more than 29% of Washingtonians will be over 60, according to a forecast from the state Office of Financial Management. Washingtonians also tend to live longer than the rest of the nation, meaning more years lived in retirement.

Many of us are likely to need some support as we age with activities of daily living — eating, bathing, mobility — whether because of injury, recovery from medical procedures, or chronic or degenerative conditions. Research shows a lot of us are not prepared.

With that in mind, Gov. Jay Inslee signed the Long-Term Services and Supports Trust Act, aka WA Cares, into law in 2019. Workers’ mandatory contributions began in July 2023 with a payroll tax of .58% per $100 earned. Those with preexisting conditions are not prohibited from getting benefits and the money can be used for a wide variety of needs other than in-home care help, such as purchasing a walker or installation of a ramp to a front door.

The eventual rollout wasn’t fully baked. Questions dogged it from the beginning. Changes were hustled into the act after rumbling from those whose paychecks were affected.

When established, the WA Cares program was not portable for people who moved out of state. There was confusion about who could be hired as an in-home caregiver.

Then there was the brief window when workers could avoid the WA Cares deduction by purchasing, or proving they already had, private long-term care insurance. This rush to shop for insurance hit an industry not prepared; companies that offered the product were swamped and some couldn’t handle the load. Workers who had not yet researched LTC had to catch up quickly. By the deadline, about 476,000 workers provided proof of other coverage and became exempt.

The state responded to the outcry by making the payout portable. That should have been part of the package to begin with; about half of Washington retirees relocate when they’re done working, to be near family or for drier winters. Advocates have made clear that caregivers can be family members who don’t have to join a union. Very little has been said about penalties for scofflaws who bought LTC insurance, submitted a certificate, then promptly canceled the policy.

And what about the workers who paid into the fund, but not long enough to be fully vested, and have a need? The state now allows workers who were born before 1968 to access up to 10% of the full amount per year paid … which is $3,650.

Elements of WA Cares that concern us the most:

● The inability of the main beneficiary to transfer benefits upon his or her death;

● The continuity rule — if someone takes a break from employment for five years or more, then re-enters the workforce, the calendar resets at zero;

● The clunky process for accessing benefits if the worker moves out of state.

Because WA Cares is the first of its kind in the nation, there will be snags. We realize that we cannot know if it works until it starts paying out its first benefits a couple of years from now. But don’t the workers who are paying for it deserve more peace of mind? A successful model can only help the other states keeping a careful watch on how WA Cares plays out.

To those worried that voluntary participation will cause a run to the exits that will doom WA Cares: That’s a concern. Research done on behalf of the state by an actuarial services firm concluded that “making the program voluntary without making additional changes to benefit eligibility could lead to a rise in premium rates and could likely make the program unsustainable.”

Sen. Mark Mullet, who worked on earlier versions of the plan, told the editorial board that the WA Cares payroll tax has already generated about $1.5 billion. If I-2124 were to pass, meaning the Legislature could not take any more action on WA Cares for two years, the state could use that cushion and the lessons learned to give Washingtonians a better option and keep more people in the system.

The original aim was not for Washington to be in the long-term care insurance business; it was to get Washingtonians to look toward their future health care needs. Offering a choice around meeting those needs seems the sensible way to meet that goal. This is the state’s chance to keep tinkering and make WA Cares better — something that will serve those who choose to keep it.

The Seattle Times editorial board members are editorial page editor Kate Riley, Frank A. Blethen, Melissa Davis, Josh Farley, Alex Fryer, Claudia Rowe, Carlton Winfrey and William K. Blethen (emeritus).

In Washington, there have been inaugural balls at the state’s Capitol pretty much every four years since statehood.

But the pandemic derailed the event in 2021 and the organizing committee has pulled out of the one scheduled for 2025, leaving the quadrennial tradition’s future uncertain.

It was back in January 1957, 11 men and women formed a nonprofit with the singular intention of throwing the party — a big privately funded one — to celebrate those public servants entrusted with control of the state’s levers of power.

Dubbed the Inaugural Ball Committee, the founders agreed the sole purpose would be “to plan, manage, operate and conduct” the ball honoring the governor, other statewide elected officials, state lawmakers and members of the state Supreme Court.

In the ensuing years, volunteers operating independently of public funds, government officials and campaigns put on the event, which drew thousands of attendees to the buildings and grounds of the state Capitol campus in Olympia.

The run may be over.

Members of the current Inaugural Ball Committee quietly decided this summer they couldn’t pull it off and have since disbanded and distributed $110,000 in unspent funds to other nonprofit organizations.

“Pretty disappointing,” said Jennelle Riffe, treasurer and designated spokesperson for the committee’s five-person board. “It’s a cool thing, a chance to celebrate Washington as a state.”

A mix of factors underlay the decision, she explained.

This was to be the first ball in eight years as they had to cancel in 2021 due to COVID. The only other time a ball wasn’t held was in 1917 due to the flu epidemic. With the passage of time, longtime members with valuable knowledge and skill sets departed from the committee, Riffe said.

An inaugural ball is an expensive undertaking.

In 2017, the tab was roughly $350,000. Costs included rent of equipment as well as the rotunda, mezzanines and state reception room inside the domed Legislative Building, and the Temple of Justice. Then there was the cost of food, beverages and performers.

There were 1,500 tickets sold in advance, half of what was expected based on sales and attendance from previous inaugural balls, Riffe said.

“When you have an event that is funded by ticket sales, and then you don’t sell nearly the tickets you need, it can be pretty devastating,” she said. They had a deficit and needed to tap carryover funds from prior inaugural balls to erase it, she said.

Ticket prices rose to $100 from $75 that year, which may have contributed to some of the drop-off. Board members anticipated ticket prices going up again in 2025 to deal with the increases in costs across the board since 2017.

With prospects of higher expenses and uncertain public interest, board members became wary. This summer, Riffe said, “the board had to get together and make the tough call.” After a 67-year run, the committee was finished.

But they apparently didn’t spread the word very widely. Officials in the governor’s office said they learned of the cancellation last month after contacting the board president, Carol Robinson.

When a staff member inquired about the status of the remaining funds, they received a text from Robinson’s phone number that appeared intended for someone else.

“These people are dumber than dumb,” the text reads. “I stated we were an independent LLC that has put this on with ticket sales. Nothing to do with taxpayers money.”

Robinson declined to be interviewed.

Joby Shimomura, Gov. Jay Inslee’s chief of staff, delivered the cancellation news to legislative leaders and elected statewide executives in a Sept. 12 email.

“As you know, many folks look forward to the Governor’s Inaugural Ball held every four years to celebrate the election of Washington’s incoming statewide public officials and legislators,” Shimomura wrote.

“We recently learned that the [Inaugural Ball Committee] has dissolved and there is no current plan for a ball in January 2025. Our office is not aware of any other organization planning a formal celebration event,” she noted.

The Department of Enterprise Services has reserved use of the Capitol and the campus grounds on Jan. 15 in case another entity emerges.

If someone reaches out for insights on throwing a party, Riffe said, “I can’t see any reason why we wouldn’t share what we know.”

Jerry Cornfield

Here are the factors you should consider if you're hoping for the chance to see the northern lights this weekend.

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SEATTLE — There is a potential to see the northern lights over Washington state this weekend due to two forecasted geomagnetic storms.

Geomagnetic storms happen when solar wind and material collide with the Earth's atmosphere. This collision is what creates the northern lights. The storms carry electrically charged particles that collide with the Earth's magnetosphere and glow different colors when they shed energy, according to NASA's Jet Propulsion Lab.

Geomagnetic storms are measured on a scale from G1 to G5, with 5 being the strongest. Friday night's storm is forecasted to register as a G1 on the scale, with a G3, a strong storm, predicted for Saturday night.

This weekend's storms will not rise to the level of the G5 storm in May, which offered an aurora borealis viewing opportunity as far south as Oklahoma and also in areas where it is typically not visible due to light pollution.

Weather conditions will be more favorable on Saturday for potential aurora borealis viewing. Conditions will be partly cloudy on Friday night, but a high-pressure system building into the region on Saturday is expected to help clear the skies that night and into Sunday, according to KING 5 Meteorologist Ashley Ruiz.

The moon will also be cooperating for northern lights viewing. It is in its waxing crescent phase, with only 3% of its nearside surface (the side visible to Earth) illuminated by the sun. This means there will be less light pollution to contend with this weekend. People will still have a better opportunity to see the northern lights if they get away from city centers and more populated areas.

The type of storm that will create the potential for the aurora borealis this weekend is called a Coronal Mass Ejection (CME) - a type of geomagnetic storm that sends solar material off into space, carrying a strong localized magnetic field with it. The two storms that are expected to collide with Earth's atmosphere on Friday and Saturday left the sun late on Oct. 1 and at around midnight on Oct. 3.

The Space Weather Prediction Center has a 30-minute forecast that predicts the location and intensity of the aurora borealis on a shorter-term scale. This represents the time it takes for solar wind to travel from the nearest observation point to Earth's atmosphere. The map is a good tool for those hoping to see the aurora borealis this weekend.

SEATTLE - The University of Washington Huskies football team, with a 3-2 record, is set to face off against Michigan, 4-1, this Saturday in what will be the Huskies' next matchup in its first year in the Big Ten Conference.

Keep reading to find out broadcast times, where to watch, how to listen to the game and more.

What time is the UW-Michigan game?

The game kicks off at 4:30 p.m. PT / 7:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, Oct. 5 at Alaska Airlines Field at Husky Stadium in Seattle.

Washington #1 (RB) Jonah Coleman celebrates a touchdown during a college football game between the Washington Huskies and the Northwestern Wildcats on September 21, 2024 at Alaska Airlines Field at Husky Stadium in Seattle, WA. (Photo by Jesse Beals/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

What TV channel is the UW-Michigan game on?

The UW-Michigan football game will be broadcast on NBC and streaming on Peacock. The play-by-play and analysis will be provided by commentators Noah Eagle, Todd Blackledge and Kathryn Tappen.

How can I listen to the UW-Michigan game on the radio?

The game will be broadcast on the Washington Sports Network from Learfield. Tony Castricone will handle play-by-play duties, with former Husky tight end Cameron Cleeland as analyst and Elise Woodward providing sideline reports.

Coverage begins four hours before kickoff on Seattle's SportsRadio KJR 93.3 FM with "Husky Gameday." Statewide coverage starts two hours before kickoff on the 16-station Washington Sports Network.

The broadcast will also be available on Sirius/XM channel 97 or 195, and through the Huskies Gameday mobile app and Varsity app. The Husky Football Coach's Show airs Mondays at 6 p.m. PT.

Wolverines-Husky matchup history

The University of Washington and the University of Michigan have a competitive history on the football field that spans decades. Their football teams have faced off 14 times, with Michigan leading the series with nine wins to Washington's five. They've played each other in four Rose Bowl games where they are evenly split with two victories each.

Their matchups began in the 1950s, with Michigan securing shutout wins in both 1953 and 1954. After a challenging start with four consecutive losses against Michigan, Washington rallied over the years, especially under the direction of coach Don James. In the 1978 Rose Bowl, Washington, secured an upset victory against Michigan.

A notable meeting took place at the 1992 Rose Bowl, where Washington triumphed over Michigan to cap an undefeated season and claim a share of the national title. However, Michigan avenged this loss the following year. The teams clashed again in the early 2000s, with both games decided in dramatic fashion: Washington's 2001 win featured pivotal plays by Omare Lowe, and Michigan's 2002 victory was aided by a controversial penalty against Washington.

Despite plans to play in 2020 and 2021, the game was canceled in 2020 due to the pandemic, and in 2021 Michigan overpowered Washington with a solid running game. The teams' most recent clash at the 2024 College Football Playoff National Championship saw Michigan emerge as the victor, mainly due to the strong running performances from Donovan Edwards and Blake Corum, securing a 34-13 win and overcoming Washington's brief second-half challenge.

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OLYMPIA — Famed science educator Bill Nye will grace Washingtonians’ screens this fall in an ad for the group working to protect the state’s carbon market as it faces a survival test in the Nov. 5 election.

Nye stars in a new ad released Friday by the No on 2117 campaign, the deep-pocketed effort to keep the state’s system in place.

On the other side, Redmond hedge fund manager Brian Heywood is backing the effort to ax the program, Initiative 2117. He’s also behind a slate of other initiatives on the ballot this fall that seek to repeal policies passed by the majority-Democrat Legislature.

Did Inslee administration try to bribe voters? Regulators reject complaint by initiative backers

The current cap-and-trade system sets a statewide limit on carbon emissions and requires large emitters to buy permits to pollute. The money raised by auctions is directed toward environmental projects.

Heywood and his campaign to repeal the carbon market have been emphasizing the impact of the cap-and-trade program on gas prices.

Nye kicks off the ad with a quick science lesson.

Clad in a lab coat and pink bow tie, he holds up a sign that says “The cat sat on the mat.”

“Reading this is easy, right?” he says. “Your brain is actually doing something called orthographic processing, recognizing letters and words. It’s science.”

Then he pivots to the initiative, echoing the No campaign’s effort to cast the repeal as misleading and harmful to the environment and health.

“But take a look at Initiative 2117,” he says, as the text of the initiative pops up on the screen. “It’s written to confuse you. The megamillionaires behind it don’t want you to know it will mean more air pollution, threaten clean water and put our health at risk.”

“You don’t have to be a science guy to know that 2117 is a bad deal for Washington,” he concludes while holding a model brain.

The ad is backed by “a six-figure” buy, according to the campaign, and will run in the Seattle market on broadcast and cable stations and digital channels.

In a statement Friday, Hallie Balch, a spokesperson for Let’s Go Washington, the group supporting the initiatives, called Nye “an out-of-state D-list actor” who “got paid by out-of-state billionaires to make an ad about how an initiative created to lower costs and hold the government accountable is a bad idea.”

“Where’s the story?” Balch said.

A spokesperson for No on 2117, Mark Prentice, said Nye was not paid for his time.

Nye has roots in the Seattle area: He worked as an engineer for Boeing and as a comedy writer and performer on “Almost Live!,” the local sketch comedy show.

He hosted “Bill Nye the Science Guy,” the children’s television program, throughout most of the 1990s.

Nye has been vocal on science issues, including climate change and evolution. He is co-chairing Climate Power’s “Too Hot Not to Vote” campaign urging voters, particularly women under 40, in swing states to vote for Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee for president. In 2019, Nye was briefly featured in a campaign video when Gov. Jay Inslee announced his bid for president.

Claire Withycombe: 206-464-2578 or cwithycombe@seattletimes.com; Claire Withycombe is a Seattle Times staff reporter covering state government.