We all remember this song. It made it all seem so simple. And turns out it's not. Who writes, influences, and kills bills, it gets messy. I'm Scott Greenstone. And I'm Libby Dankman. On sound politics, we tell that story, the inside track on how policy gets made in this

Washington and the other one, and how it impacts you. Listen now on the KUOW app or wherever you get your

podcasts. Good afternoon. From the KUOW Newsroom, this is Seattle now. I'm Paige Browning with a roundup of today's top stories. It's Wednesday, April 8th.

Starting out with a drought. After several dry years in a row, Washington State declared another statewide drought emergency this morning.

Officials are calling for improved planning

as droughts become more common in the future. Northwest Public Broadcasting's Anna King reports.

April 1st was when the state should have hit its snowpack peak. But as Northwest skiers and

snowmobilers will tell you, this year was pretty much a bust in the high country.

This snow drought and dry conditions in many lower basins means trouble for fish, farms, and fire later this year.

This year is an example of conditions we expect to see more often in the future. That's Caroline

Melor, the lead expert on drought with Washington's Department of Ecology. By the 2050s, new studies

out of the University of Washington project that we'll see a snowpack drought seven out of every 10 years.

Malore says that future snowpack droughts could lead to more floods

and not enough water for cities. I'm Anna King. The Seattle City Council has approved a $4 billion

deal for Seattle City Light to continue using the Skagit River for hydropower. As part of the agreement, Seattle will spend nearly a

billion dollars for salmon habitat restoration. Scientists and Native American tribes say the dams

have destroyed fish habitat for more than 100 years. Sox-Suadal tribe legal counsel, Jack Fianter,

thanked the council for its work to start repairing the harm.

The agreement before you, if fulfilled in good faith, will make things right for the next 50 years.

City Light says the scadget dams generate about 20% of the city's electricity.

Under the deal, utility bills are expected to increase

half a percent each year from 2027 to 2032. The bill now heads to Mayor Katie Wilson's desk for a

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