An investigation by the King County Sheriff’s Office into a ballot drop box surveillance effort organized by conservative activists has wrapped up without criminal charges. Continue Reading No Charges In Washington Ballot Drop Box Read More
Earlier this summer, the Washington State Patrol did something it’s never done before: close one of its eight regional communication centers used to answer 911 calls and dispatch troopers and other first responders to emergencies. Continue Read More
Democratic incumbent Steve Hobbs and independent challenger Julie Anderson were leading Washington’s top two primary for Secretary of State after the initial ballot count Tuesday night. Republican Bob Hagglund, who has never held public office, was in a close third place. Read More
Washington legislative Republicans were taking stock Wednesday of their less than dazzling performance in the initial returns of the August primary. Continue Reading Despite Early Attacks By Read More
For nearly six decades, Republicans held Washington's top election post — Secretary of State. That streak ended last November when Kim Wyman resigned to take an election security post with the Biden administration, and Gov. Jay Inslee appointed Democratic state Sen. Steve Hobbs to the post. Read More
In March 2003, a 17-year-old girl from McCleary, Washington was kidnapped, driven to a remote location and raped. Continue Reading DNA Samples And Genetic Sleuths Helped Solve WA Cold CasesRead More
A former caregiver charged in connection with the 2019 poisoning death of a developmentally disabled woman has been acquitted of third degree felony assault. Continue Reading Judge Acquits Caregiver In 2019 Vinegar Death In SpokaneRead More
Two new laws aimed at reducing mass shootings and cracking down on the proliferation of so-called "ghost guns" go into effect July 1 in Washington. Majority Democrats in the state Legislature passed the new restrictions earlier this year. Continue Reading Read More
Manifestantes se reúnen en Seattle después de que el Tribunal Supremo de Estados Unidos anulara Roe V. Wade. Crédito: Casey Martin / KUOW. Read Aunque la Corte Suprema de Estados Unidos anuló el caso Roe contra Wade, el derecho al aborto está protegido por la legislación del estado de Washington. Pero el gobernador demócrata Jay… Read More
Protesters gather in Seattle after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe V. Wade CREDIT: Casey Martin / KUOW Photo Listen (Runtime 4:16) Read While the U.S. Supreme Court has overturned Roe v. Wade, the right to abortion is protected under Washington state law. But Democratic Gov. Jay Inslee and fellow abortion rights supporters are looking… Read More
Mason County Auditor Paddy McGuire has spent nearly two decades helping run elections, including stints as Oregon deputy secretary of state and at the Department of Defense, ensuring military service members overseas could vote. Read More
The top Democrat and the top Republican in the Washington state Senate called Thursday for elected Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler, a 78-year-old, six-term Democrat, to resign. Continue Reading Top State Senators Call On Washington Read More
The office of Washington Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler has fired a top aide who in February formally complained that Kreidler had bullied him, used crass language and was increasingly “antagonizing staff.” Read More
Since January of this year, more than 900 drivers have failed to stop for a Washington State Patrol trooper trying to pull them over. The patrol and other police agencies around the state say they’ve never seen such blatant disregard for their lights and sirens. The change in driver behavior comes after state lawmakers passed strict new rules on when police can engage in Read More
Robin Marie y su hijo Brennan, de 13 años, posan para una foto a principios de esta primavera en un restaurante de Texas. Marie estaba visitando a su hijo, que vive en un centro de tratamiento residencial fuera del estado, pagado por su distrito escolar local y el estado. CRÉDITO: Robin Marie Read Algunos padres… Read More
Some parents with kids in crisis in Washington are making a heart wrenching decision. They’re sending their children to out-of-state therapeutic boarding schools. And taxpayers are picking up the tab. While these are outlier cases, they highlight ongoing gaps in in-state services — gaps that were laid bare during the COVID pandemic. Read More
There are more questions than answers in the case of a missing former foster child from Grays Harbor County. Five-year-old Oakley Carlson has been unaccounted for since February of last year. Police say her parents aren’t cooperating with the investigation. Oakley’s former foster mom questions why Oakley was sent back to live with her parents after more than two years in Read More
Three large opioid distributors will pay the state of Washington $476 million as part of an agreement to end litigation that began more than three years ago. Continue Reading Washington Attorney General Announces $476M Settlement Read More
A Sumner, Washington seafood company that makes imitation crab and other products has been fined $56,000 in connection with a 2021 COVID outbreak that left one employee dead. Continue Reading Washington Seafood Company Fined Following COVID DeathRead More
In recent years, Washington’s Legislature has grown more diverse. And majority Democrats have emphasized diversity and equity as core values. But now three members of color, out of nearly 30, are stepping down from the Legislature after serving just one full term. One of them describes the legislative work environment as toxic. Read More
Washington’s long-time elected insurance commissioner has used offensive terms in the workplace to describe people of different races and ethnicities, as well as people who are transgender. That’s according to former agency insiders who’ve come forward in recent weeks. Meanwhile, other former employees are giving new accounts of what they say is Commissioner Mike Read More
Matthew, a 14-year-old who is autistic and nonverbal, watches YouTube and holds a fidget device. After being removed from his group home last September, Matthew was stuck in a hospital in Everett for more than five months while the state of Washington and advocates looked for appropriate placement options for him. He eventually ended up… Read More
Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson takes capital gains tax appeal straight to the state Supreme Court OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL Listen Olympia Correspondent Austin Jenkins reports on the Washington State AG’s appeal of a decision to stop a new proposed capital gains tax / Runtime: 50 seconds Read The legal battle over Washington’s capital… Read More
Gov. Inslee signs new gun laws, including one that limits high capacity gun magazines Listen: Austin Jenkins reports on reaction to Gov. Inslee signing three gun-related bills into law / Runtime – 1:52 READ Washington Gov. Jay Inslee on Wednesday signed into law three gun-related bills, including one that will prohibit the sale of gun… Read More
The WA Legislature adjourns its 60 day session Listen: Capitol Correspondent Austin Jenkins wraps up the legislative session / Runtime: 4 minutes Austin Jenkins/NW News NetworkExcept for a few visitors and lobbyists, the rotunda of the Washington state Capitol was quiet on the last day of the 2022 session. For the second year in a… Read More
Washington’s Democratic-majority legislature approves 2-year budget plan with new spending and less tax cuts Read Listen: Olympia Correspondent Austin Jenkins reports on the budget deal. (Runtime: 59 seconds) Majority Democrats in the Washington House and Senate on Wednesday have struck a deal on an update to the state’s two-year budget. The agreement comes with Read More
Many bills are dying in the final days of the WA legislative session Listen Read This is the final week of Washington’s legislative session. But already a number of proposals have met their demise – especially following a key cut-off deadline on Friday. A big topic of conversation this year was emergency powers reform. Current… Read More
Hundreds gathered Saturday at the Washington State Capitol to protest COVID mandates. Photo Credit: AP Listen Read Washington’s mask mandate will lift next Saturday. But that didn’t stop hundreds of people from rallying at the state Capitol Saturday in opposition to COVID-related restrictions. There was music, and a small convoy of honking big rigs. But… Read More
Gov. Jay Inslee, pictured in this file photo, signed two measures that “fix” issues in the state’s police reform laws Listen Read Washington Governor Jay Inslee has signed into law two so called “fixes” to last year’s sweeping police reform measures. One makes clear that police can use 50 caliber or greater less-than-lethal rounds. The… Read More
Mike Kreidler, Washington’s longtime insurance commissioner, is facing allegations that he verbally mistreats staff. Current and former employees say it’s part of a pattern that’s gotten worse in recent months and is contributing to high turnover in the office. Kreidler says he has high standards for his staff, but said he will work to be more careful in how he deals with Read More
Gov. Jay Inslee on May 4, 2021, signed into law a new capital gains tax. Listen Read Washington’s attorney general says he will appeal after a judge in Douglas County tossed out the state’s new capital gains tax. In his ruling, Judge Brian Huber said the capital gains tax on the sale of such things… Read More
Washington State’s mask mandate will end early CREDIT: Noam Galai/Getty Images Read With COVID cases and hospitalizations dropping fast, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee announced Monday that the state’s indoor mask mandate will lift on Saturday, March 12, 10 days earlier than previously announced. Oregon and California were also expected to adopt the March 12 Read More
In an act of labor solidarity, scores of Democratic staffers in the Washington Legislature staged a “sick-out” Wednesday after a bill that would have allowed them to unionize failed to advance before a key cutoff deadline. Continue Read More
Gov. Inslee has announced Washington's indoor mask mandate will end on March 21,with a few exceptions Continue Reading Washington mask mandate to end March 21Read More
In an act of labor solidarity, scores of Democratic staffers in the Washington Legislature staged a “sick-out” Wednesday after a bill that would have allowed them to unionize failed to advance before a key cutoff deadline. Continue Read More
A measure backed by Washington Gov. Jay Inslee that would have made it a crime for elected officials and candidates for office to incite lawlessness by making false statements about elections appears to have died in the state Legislature. Continue Read More
As states from Oregon to New York announce plans to end mask mandates, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee on Wednesday announced that he’s lifting outdoor masking requirements and plans to announce next week a date when the face-covering rules for public indoor spaces and schools will be lifted. Read More
As the 2022 midterm elections loom, a partisan battle over access to the ballot box continues to be fought in Congress and in state legislatures across the country. Red states are passing new restrictions, while many blue states are making voting more accessible. That includes Washington. Read More
Washington’s COVID-19 state of emergency is approaching its two-year anniversary. Under current law, the governor has broad emergency powers. But the Legislature is considering new restrictions on that authority. Continue Read More
The Washington State Patrol permanently stripped its staff psychologist of his power to approve or reject trooper candidates, a role that for nearly 30 years shaped the agency’s ranks. Continue Reading Read More
Washington Gov. Jay Inslee on Thursday signed into law a bill that delays the start of a controversial long-term care benefit program known as WA Cares for 18 months. A second measure signed by Inslee will allow certain workers to opt out of the first-in-the-nation program. Read More
A proposal in the Washington Legislature would make it a crime to use or sell a fake COVID-19 vaccination card. The sponsor says he wants to deter people from even considering the ruse, but he also wants to send a signal to prosecutors to prioritize these cases as a matter of protecting public health. Read More
Following widespread criticisms and voter pushback, the Washington state House on Wednesday voted to delay the collection of a new payroll tax to fund a state-run, long-term care insurance program called WA Cares. Continue Reading Washington Read More
Following the lead of Oregon and other states, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee announced Thursday that he will deploy 100 members of the National Guard to assist hospitals struggling to respond to a spike in COVID-19 patients due to the highly-contagious omicron variant. Read More
Guns and other weapons would be banned from election-related locations and at school board meetings in Washington under a pair of proposals that received a public hearing in the Democratically-controlled state Legislature on Wednesday. Read More
A year ago, a chain link fence, National Guard members and scores of state troopers surrounded the Capitol in an unprecedented show of defensive force. The temporary bulwark and troop deployment was a response to the January 6 pro-Trump mob attack on the U.S. Capitol, a major security breach that same day at the governor’s residence in Olympia and threats by far-right Read More
Washington Gov. Jay Inslee says the state is racing to expand access to testing, masks and vaccines, but has no immediate plans to impose new rollbacks, mandates or restrictions in the face of an unprecedented wave of new COVID-19 cases driven by the omicron variant. Read More
So much for the best laid plans for Washington’s 2022 legislative session. The highly contagious omicron variant of COVID-19 has upended what was supposed to be a mostly in-person start to the 60-day session, at least in the House of Representatives. Read More
For the second time, Washington lawmakers are suing Gov. Jay Inslee over his use of the veto pen. In a lawsuit filed Monday in Thurston County Superior Court, the Legislature asserts Inslee exceeded his veto power earlier this year when he line-item vetoed parts of the state transportation budget and eliminated a subsection of a low carbon fuels bill. Read More
