Serving Queen Anne & Magnolia Since 1919 www.QueenAnneNews.com
FEBRURY 4, 2026
VOL. 107, NO. 5
Lower Drunk Driving Limit Approved by WA Senate Jerry Cornfield Washington State Standard
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significant change in how the United States Postal Service dates mail known as postmarking - could have far-reaching effects for taxpayers, voters and anyone who relies on mailed documents to meet deadlines, experts warn. The change, which took effect in late 2025, alters what the date on a postmark actually represents, potentially exposing people to penalties, rejected ballots, or missed filings if they aren’t aware of what’s different. For decades, many Americans have trusted the postmark as evidence of when an item was mailed. Under old expectations, if a taxpayer dropped a tax return or payment into a mailbox on or before a deadline, the postmark would generally reflect that same date, protecting the sender from late-filing consequences. But a recent update to the USPS’s Domestic Mail Manual clarifies that the date printed on a postmark now reflects when mail is first processed by an automated sorting facility - not when it was dropped off. In practice, this means a tax return placed in a blue collection box or handed to a postal carrier on Tax Day may be postmarked several days later, once it reaches a regional
processing center. For rules like the Internal Revenue Service’s “mailbox rule,” which treats a tax return as timely filed if it bears a due-date postmark, that shift could trigger penalties and interest even if the taxpayer mailed the form on time. “The change fundamentally shifts the reliability of the ‘mailbox rule’ that taxpayers have depended on for decades,” one tax expert wrote, noting the risk that mailed returns now may receive late postmark dates and be deemed untimely by authorities. DEADLINES BEYOND TAXES The implications extend beyond tax returns. Time-sensitive communications such as legal filings, government benefit notices, responses to administrative deadlines and even mail-in ballots can all hinge on a postmark date. In recent elections, absentee ballot acceptance has in some states depended on the date a stamped envelope appears to have been mailed. With mail now routed more frequently through centralized, regional facilities, election officials and voters alike may see greater uncertainty in whether ballots will be accepted based on a postmark. Mail-in voters and advocates have voiced concern that the mismatch between deposit and postmark dates could lead to valid
BILL LUCIA/WASHINGTON STATE STANDARD
The bill drops it to 0.05%, and the state would join Utah with the toughest standard in the nation. It still needs House approval.
State Sen. John Lovick, D-Mill Creek, looks on toward the end of the roll call vote for his Senate Bill 5067, which would lower the blood alcohol limit for drunk driving to 0.05% from 0.08% in Washington. The bill passed the Senate on a 26-23 vote on Jan. 28, 2026. ballots being rejected or additional administrative confusion in tight races. Officials encourage voters to allow extra time for mailing and to use secure drop-off locations or hand-stamp options when possible. Renters and others with documentation
tied to housing schedules may also face confusion if a postmark does not accurately reflect when the document entered the mail system - particularly in situations where
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USPS Postmark Changes Could Bill Would Reduce Registration Cost Taxpayers and Create and Supervision Requirements for Deadline Confusion Certain Sex Offense Convictions Staff Report
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significant change in how the United States Postal Service dates mail - known as postmarking - could have farreaching effects for taxpayers, voters and anyone who relies on mailed documents to meet deadlines, experts warn. The change, which took effect in late 2025, alters what the date on a postmark actually represents, potentially exposing people to penalties, rejected ballots, or missed filings if they aren’t aware of what’s different. For decades, many Americans have trusted the postmark as evidence of when an item was mailed. Under old expectations, if a taxpayer dropped a tax return or payment into a mailbox on or before a deadline, the postmark would generally reflect that same date, protecting the sender from
late-filing consequences. But a recent update to the USPS’s Domestic Mail Manual clarifies that the date printed on a postmark now reflects when mail is first processed by an automated sorting facility - not when it was dropped off.
“The implications extend beyond tax returns. ” In practice, this means a tax return placed in a blue collection box or handed to a postal carrier on Tax Day may be postmarked several days later, once it reaches a regional processing center. For rules like the Internal Revenue Service’s “mailbox rule,” which treats a tax return as timely filed if it bears a due-date postmark, that shift could trigger penalties and interest even
if the taxpayer mailed the form on time. “The change fundamentally shifts the reliability of the ‘mailbox rule’ that taxpayers have depended on for decades,” one tax expert wrote, noting the risk that mailed returns now may receive late postmark dates and be deemed untimely by authorities. DEADLINES BEYOND TAXES The implications extend beyond tax returns. Time-sensitive communications such as legal filings, government benefit notices, responses to administrative deadlines and even mail-in ballots can all hinge on a postmark date. In recent elections, absentee ballot acceptance has in some states depended on the date a stamped envelope appears to have been mailed.
USPS CHANGES, 3 PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE
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SEATTLE, WA PERMIT 1271
Staff Report
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proposal under consideration in the Washington State Legislature would change how long some individuals convicted in so called “net nanny” sting operations are required to register as sex offenders and remain under community supervision, reopening a difficult debate about punishment, intent, and long term public safety. Net nanny operations are conducted by the Washington State Patrol Missing and Exploited Children Task Force. In these operations, undercover officers pose online as minors in order to identify adults attempting to engage in sexual contact with children. According to the state, the task force carried out 20 sting operations between 2015 and 2023, resulting in 311 arrests. Under current Washington law, individuals convicted in these cases are required to register as sex offenders and remain under community supervision for life, regardless of whether an actual child was involved. Senate Bill 5312, sponsored by Sen. Lisa Wellman of Mercer Island, would alter that framework for a narrowly defined group of offenders. The bill proposes reducing the sex offender registration requirement to five years and limiting community supervision to three years for individuals who have no prior criminal history involving sex offenses. The proposal would not apply to anyone with previous sex related convictions. The bill was introduced during the 2025 legislative session but failed to advance beyond its initial committee. It returned this year following a recommendation from the
Washington State Sentencing Guidelines Commission, which voted in November to suggest alternative sentencing approaches for certain sex offenses that do not involve a real child victim. Supporters of the bill argue that lifetime registration and supervision can function as a permanent sentence that extends long after an individual has served prison time. They contend that the current system offers little opportunity for rehabilitation or reintegration, even in cases where there is no prior history of sexual misconduct. During a public hearing before the Senate Law and Justice Committee on Jan. 27, Wellman told lawmakers that the bill was prompted by a constituent’s experience. She emphasized that the proposal does not seek to revisit convictions, prison sentences, or the role of law enforcement. “At no time was my constituent communicating with a child or even someone pretending to be a child,” Wellman told the committee, noting that references to minors in the case were fictional. “This is not about undoing what has already happened. This is about whether a sentence should effectively last a lifetime.” Wellman said the bill is intentionally narrow and would apply only to individuals with no prior record, no evidence of child sexual abuse materials, and no additional indicators of sexual interest in children beyond the offense itself. She described the proposal as an effort to introduce a defined endpoint to punishment once a sentence has been served and supervision completed.
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