Washington's Historic Tax Bill and School Safety Crisis Under Investigation

Good morning, this is Seattle Local Pulse for Friday, March 13th, 2026. We're starting this Friday with some major developments coming out of Olympus in Olympia as Washington lawmakers just wrapped up their 60-day legislative session by approving what amounts to historic tax policy. They've passed a 9.9 percent tax on some of the state's highest earners, marking the first state income tax in Washington history. The legislation also includes some relief for working families through expanded tax credits and even brings a tax break on everyday items like diapers and over-the-counter medicine. Governor Ferguson is expected to sign this into law. Now switching gears to a disturbing situation unfolding in Skykomish where a teacher at the local school has been arrested on serious charges. According to FOX 13 Seattle, Daniel Lee Bubar, a 62-year-old educator, has been charged with rape of a child in the second and third degree and communication with a minor for immoral purposes. Investigators say the assaults began when the victim was in eighth grade, with the most recent incident happening just last month. Many of these alleged crimes occurred right on school grounds, including in the gymnasium and in the suspect's office. The school, which has only about 57 students total, closed this week through Monday. Sheriff's deputies will be on campus when students return on Monday. Parents are understandably upset and demanding answers about what school leadership knew beforehand. On another front, a lawsuit has been filed against Washington's Department of Licensing. The lawsuit alleges the department failed to fix a data breach for six years, leaving people's identities vulnerable to theft. One victim discovered her information had been changed twice. The department is disputing claims of widespread fraud, but this highlights serious concerns about identity security when getting your driver's license. Turning to weather, we're looking at a potentially tricky commute this morning. An atmospheric river is bringing moisture into Western Washington, and with temperatures cooling overnight into the low to mid-30s, we could see some wet snow mixing with rain during the Friday morning commute, particularly in the central and south Sound areas around Seattle and Olympia. Don't expect much accumulation on the roads though, since pavement temperatures remain warm. By midday, we'll be back to rain as highs climb into the low 40s. Snow will stick around longer in the mountains and passes with Winter Storm Warnings in effect through tomorrow. As we head into the weekend and next week, temperatures will turn milder by St. Patrick's Day with highs reaching into the upper 50s. This has been Seattle Local Pulse. Thank you for tuning in, and please subscribe for more local updates. This has been a Quiet Please production. For more, check out quietplease.ai. For more http://www.quietplease.ai Get the best deals https://amzn.to/3ODvOta This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.