Civic – Page 25 of 65

Apr 22, 2021, 10:50 AM

Washington state capital gains tax marches on: What the new law would do, and who is affected

Washington state legislators this week approved a new tax on capital gains. But the bill, SB 5096, was held up… Read More

Apr 21, 2021, 10:42 AM

Amazon’s antitrust adversary: What Lina Khan’s Senate hearing reveals about Big Tech’s future

A decades-long policy of lax regulation of the technology industry could be coming to a close — and Lina Khan… Read More

Apr 17, 2021, 11:02 AM

Washington state governor expected to sign new bill ending prohibition on municipal broadband

Washington municipalities will be able to offer direct-to-consumer broadband service across the state later this year under legislation Gov. Jay… Read More

Apr 14, 2021, 9:04 AM

Microsoft, Amazon, Starbucks, Nordstrom join corporate push for fair elections

Four Seattle-area corporate giants on Wednesday joined hundreds of companies pushing back against voting restriction legislation currently being proposed in… Read More

Apr 10, 2021, 8:31 AM

Why Amazon and Jeff Bezos are backing a corporate tax rate hike

Jeff Bezos surprised some Amazon critics and followers this week by throwing his weight behind a federal corporate tax hike… Read More

Apr 5, 2021, 12:49 PM

What Biden’s infrastructure plan means for Washington state’s public broadband crusade

A years-long campaign to turn internet service into a public utility in Washington state could get a big boost from… Read More

Apr 2, 2021, 8:09 AM

Seattle’s Technology Matching Fund awards $343k to 15 nonprofits helping to bridge digital divide

The City of Seattle has announced the recipients of the 2021 Technology Matching Fund, which provides aid to community-led projects… Read More

Apr 1, 2021, 8:25 AM

Initiative seeks to force Seattle to fund homeless housing and then clear camps

In an effort to overhaul Seattle’s approach to its homeless crisis, a coalition of downtown business leaders and non-profit representatives… Read More

Mar 31, 2021, 3:50 PM

Biden calls out Amazon for not paying federal income tax: ‘I’m going to put an end to that’

The debate over how much Amazon pays in federal income tax is heating up yet again. President Joe Biden called… Read More

Mar 26, 2021, 9:00 AM

Dueling public broadband bills make their way through Washington state legislature

Two bills that would let local governments operate retail broadband networks are advancing in the Washington State Legislature. Lawmakers predicted… Read More

Mar 25, 2021, 4:51 PM

‘We can’t afford a Seattle freeze’: Community leaders discuss how city can rebound after COVID

Even as the pandemic slows, one key unanswered question is whether everyone will feel good about visiting or working in… Read More

Mar 18, 2021, 10:20 AM

Seattle’s clean transportation blueprint spells out ambitious goals for electrification and habit shifts

Laying out its vision for a fossil-fuel-free future, the City of Seattle has released an ambitious plan to electrify its… Read More

Mar 16, 2021, 4:34 PM

Capital gains tax in Washington state: Is it about fairness and funding, or will it drive away startups?

Tech workers, business owners, public policy advocates and private citizens weighed in this week in favor of and against a… Read More

Mar 16, 2021, 10:02 AM

Amazon poll finds most Americans support increasing federal minimum wage to $15

Eight in 10 Americans believe the federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour is too low and two thirds support… Read More

Mar 12, 2021, 3:35 PM

Jeff Bezos says no thanks to Bernie Sanders’ request to testify on income inequality

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos will not testify at a Senate Budget Committee hearing on income inequality next week — a… Read More

Mar 12, 2021, 12:37 PM

Bezos, Gates, Ballmer see fortunes soar during COVID-19 as politicians propose new wealth taxes

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and former Microsoft CEOs Bill Gates and Steve Ballmer saw their already massive fortunes soar during… Read More

Mar 12, 2021, 7:24 AM

Republican Senator Marco Rubio unleashes blistering attack on Amazon, says he stands with union effort and criticizes company’s ‘woke’ culture

It wasn’t a huge surprise when President Joe Biden earlier this month voiced support for Amazon warehouse workers’ unionization efforts… Read More

Mar 11, 2021, 2:32 PM

Register for GeekWire’s virtual roundtable: Tackling Public Policy Challenges During a Covid Economy

It has been one year since Washington state locked down with the first confirmed case of COVID-19 in the U.S.… Read More

Mar 10, 2021, 8:41 AM

Amazon throws support behind low-carbon fuel standard bill in Washington state

Melissa Santos is a reporter for Crosscut, where this story first appeared. Amazon is embracing the adoption of a low-carbon fuel standard… Read More

Mar 10, 2021, 2:00 AM

Rep. DelBene introduces federal privacy bill in latest effort to avoid ‘patchwork’ of state laws

U.S. Rep. Suzan DelBene, D-Wa, introduced new federal privacy legislation, warning that efforts by states to enact their own privacy… Read More

Mar 9, 2021, 12:40 PM

Federal money to SpaceX may hurt public broadband efforts in Washington state

Melissa Santos is a reporter for Crosscut, where this story first appeared. You might think Russ Elliott would be pleased… Read More

Mar 8, 2021, 9:54 AM

BIPOC students gain web design skills while building sites for Black-owned businesses

Mama Sambusa Kitchen was recently saved from potential financial ruin by a high school student. Through a new program offered… Read More

Mar 5, 2021, 9:25 AM

Washington state tech community spars over proposed capital gains tax

Update: The Washington state Senate on Saturday passed SB 5096 by a slim margin, 25-24. The bill now moves to the… Read More

Mar 1, 2021, 11:46 AM

Elizabeth Warren revives wealth tax plan alongside Washington’s Jayapal, seeking $3T over 10 years

Sen. Elizabeth Warren is back with a revived wealth tax plan that she first championed during her run for the… Read More

Feb 25, 2021, 1:36 PM

Here’s the first thing President Biden should do to spark entrepreneurship in the U.S.

The most powerful lever President Joe Biden can pull to catalyze entrepreneurship in the U.S. is immigration reform. That’s according… Read More

Feb 24, 2021, 11:43 PM

Biden signs executive order to investigate semiconductor shortage affecting electronic goods

U.S. President Joe Biden signed an executive order on Wednesday that will start an investigation into critical shortages of various… Read More

Feb 24, 2021, 12:10 PM

Seattle City Light to turn vacant lot into electric vehicle charging site run by third-party providers

An empty lot near the western edge of Seattle is destined to become a charging site for electric vehicles, according… Read More

Feb 19, 2021, 12:31 PM

This former Microsoft engineering exec is now working to fix bugs in the U.S. political system

Jon DeVaan, a former Microsoft Windows engineering leader, knows a thing or two about addressing flaws in complex systems. “When… Read More

Feb 19, 2021, 10:15 AM

Will Bezos bounce? Amazon CEO’s departure plan sharpens debate over ‘billionaire tax’ in Wash. state

When Jeff Bezos announced plans to step down as Amazon CEO later this year, critics of a plan to tax… Read More

Feb 13, 2021, 8:00 AM

Washington state lawmakers seek to ban government from using discriminatory AI tech

Washington state could become a national leader in regulating the technologies of the future, thanks in part to a bill… Read More