Vanessa Ho at SeattlePI.com is reporting on two bills in the state legislature that would exempt houseboats from state shoreline regulations.

The state says floating homes are bad for fish populations because they shade the water and harm young salmon. The city, Ho reports, has been updating its regulations on houseboats for several months under state guidance.

Rep. Jamie Pedersen, D-Seattle, has introduced two bills -- HB 1783, SB 5623 -- that would exempt Seattle houseboats from the state shoreline regulations. The bills would change the designation the state gives houseboats. Instead of being a "water-oriented" use they would be a "water-dependent" use.

As Ho explains:

When leasing land, the state gives preference to water-dependent uses, which need water to exist, over water-oriented uses, which could technically exist on land. Examples of "dependent" things include a marina or shellfish harvesting plant. "Water-oriented" activities include a boat store, waterfront restaurant, fish-...

Capitol Hill Seattle reports on the second stolen car incident in the Eastlake area today, this one involving a state trooper who had stopped a suspected stolen car on E. Roanoke near the I-5 off ramp around 5:30 p.m.

CHS quotes Central District News as saying the trooper had one suspect in custody but another fled and was wearing handcuffs. From the CHS story:

One witness said the suspect was seen jumping down an embankment from Roanoke. After a near hour-long search around Roanoke, Delmar Drive and Boyer, a trooper apprehended the second suspect at Hamlin and 10th Ave.

Read the whole CHS story here.

We don't have many details but the police activity at Boylston and Lynn this afternoon was a stolen car case.

SeattleCrime.com reports that State Police arrested two men around 4:20 p.m. today in connection with a stolen vehicle. One Eastlake Ave. reader reported seeing five Seattle Police cars at the scene and that the two men were lead away in handcuffs.

No other details are available at this time.