Ryan Graves, Americans for Safe Aerospace Executive Director, from left, U.S. Air Force (Ret.) Maj. David Grusch, and U.S. Navy (Ret.) Cmdr. David Fravor, are sworn in during a House… Continue Reading Northwest residents Read More
Politics
The goal of the Idahoans for Open Primaries initiative is to bring ranked-choice voting and open primaries to Idaho. If enough signatures are gathered, the initiative will be on the… Continue Reading Ranked-choice voting in Idaho Read More
Washington faced unwelcome news this week that the state’s average price for a gallon of gas is the highest in the country. Continue Reading Rising gas prices in WA fuel debate over who pays to combat climate changeRead More
A court battle over gas stoves in California is sowing seeds of uncertainty for energy policies in the West, as cities in Washington and Oregon seek to limit the use of natural gas in new homes and buildings. Continue Read More
When Travis ComesLast was 20 years old, he was on the run from juvenile detention. He and a friend were looking for ways to get some cash so they could skip town. But during what he describes as a drug deal gone bad, ComesLast shot and killed a man. Read More
A Washington committee studying options for a new regional airport location met for the final time Friday, and will disband at the end of this month without recommending a single site to the Legislature. Continue Reading Read More
Washington is getting a new drug possession and addiction treatment law, after the state legislature approved a final deal during its one-day special session Tuesday. But many lawmakers call it a hard compromise that represents just one step toward tackling the state's drug crisis. Read More
The Washington State Legislature is reconvening Tuesday, as lawmakers aim to finalize new drug possession penalties and addiction treatment resources in the state. Continue Reading Gov. Inslee signs new drug possession law after Read More
(Credit: WSDOT / tinyurl.com/yddspl8b) Read By Jeanie Lindsay The Washington Legislature will attempt to wrap up its unfinished business on drug possession this month. Gov. Jay Inslee announced Tuesday he’s… Continue Read More
Washington's legislature adjourned its 2023 regular session with a new two-year state budget, alongside dozens of policy changes focused on housing, health care and public safety – and a surprising last-minute bill failure. Continue Read More
Surrounded by gun reform advocates, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee signed three new gun control bills Tuesday morning, including a ban on the import and sale of high capacity and semiautomatic firearms. Continue Reading Washington Read More
In an unexpected development, the Washington state Legislature adjourned for the year late Sunday night having failed to put a new drug possession law on the books. Continue Reading Here’s what Washington lawmakers Read More
American Federation of Teachers members picket for more investment in community and technical colleges at the Capitol sundial. (Credit: Cortney Marabetta / AFT) Listen (Runtime 00:56) Read Students, faculty and… Continue Reading Read More
Maximillian Bazler and Megan Hudlet, both students at North Idaho College, sit together between classes as they discuss the possibility of NIC losing its accreditation. (Credit: Kaitlyn Nicholas / NWPB)… Continue Read More
The Washington Supreme Court has ruled in a 7-2 decision to uphold the constitutionality of the state's new capital gains tax. The decision filed Friday comes just weeks before taxes are due. Continue Reading WA Supreme Court Read More
Over the next two years, Washington State is likely to bring in less revenue than previously expected, according to the latest revenue forecast officials released Monday. But lawmakers say it's cause for caution, not necessarily concern. Read More
Every new car ferry added to the Washington State Ferries fleet over the past fifty years was built at a Puget Sound shipyard. Now, state lawmakers are considering a break from past policy in order to obtain new vessels faster and cheaper for the troubled state ferry system. Read More
WA lawmakers pass housing, firearm bills ahead of cutoff, leave rent control, recycling bills behind
Washington lawmakers are getting back into the swing of working on legislation in committees following a key cutoff deadline. Wednesday marked the final day for legislators to pass bills from the chamber they originated in, meaning most bills that didn't receive a vote on the floor will no longer be considered this session. Read More
The president of Finland kicked off a five-day visit to the U.S. with a stop in Washington's capital Monday, where he made history as the first foreign head of state to address the State Legislature. Continue Reading Read More
A bill that would effectively do-over Washington's search for a new commercial airport has passed a key committee vote in Olympia. Continue Reading New commercial airport site search in WA would get do-over under Read More
Would you prefer to pay a couple of cents for every mile you drive in exchange for not having to pay gas tax or those steep electric car registration fees? A mileage-based tax is the top choice of Pacific Northwest policymakers to make up for the long-term decline in gas tax revenue. But imposition of any new tax tends to be politically fraught, and this one is no Read More
A bill inspired by the case of missing child Oakley Carlson is stalled in the Washington Legislature. But supporters hope it can still be revived. Continue Reading WA bill meant to safeguard foster children appears to have died in Read More
Legislators in Washington state are joining more than a dozen other states that are considering whether to restrict or ban foreign entities from buying farmland. The initial hearing on Olympia's version of the foreign ownership restrictions however drew more criticism than support on Tuesday. Read More
Washington lawmakers are weighing bills to place new restrictions on the sale and transfer of guns as new gun laws in Oregon make their way through the courts. Continue Reading Northwest lawmakers, courts weigh new rules on gun salesRead More
Racial and social justice advocates asked Washington legislators Wednesday to repeal laws against jaywalking. However, a bill to do that generated lots of skeptical questions during a state House committee hearing and its prospects are unclear. Read More
Legislators in Olympia are considering a host of bills to address the housing crisis, and Tuesday, members from both parties announced they're finding common ground. Continue Reading WA lawmakers promise bipartisan action to boost housing Read More
Numerous Democrats in the Washington Legislature are backing a new proposal to make voting in elections compulsory. Citizens are required by law to cast ballots in about 25 counties, but in no other U.S. states. Continue Reading What if voting Read More
Washington Gov. Jay Inslee emphasized housing construction and homelessness response during his 2023 State of the State address on Tuesday. The issue is a bipartisan priority for the state Legislature, but approaches differ among the lawmakers who convened in Olympia this week. Read More
Washington state voters and lawmakers appear to be in close alignment on their top priorities for the incoming Washington Legislature. The 2023 session gavels to order at noon on Monday, January 9. Continue Reading Here are six issues Read More
Oregon voters passed a measure that strips language from the state’s constitution allowing for slavery and involuntary servitude when used as a punishment for a crime. Notwithstanding more than 500,000 people voting to keep the language, unofficial returns Tuesday night indicated that the measure was passing by a clear margin. Read More
More eyes are on ballots in the Tri-Cities area this election, according to reports from the Benton County auditor. Continue Reading Ballot drop box observers seen monitoring voters in the Tri-CitiesRead More
Should the top elections official in Washington state officially be a nonpartisan? That's one difference between the top two finalists running for Washington Secretary of State. Continue Reading No labels: Some Read More
A quartet of independent candidates on the ballot this November in Oregon and Washington state will test voter appetites for a centrist “third way.” They are experienced contenders running for state senate, Oregon governor and Washington Secretary of State. Unaffiliated candidates are popping up around the nation too, with a common theme of being fed up with a divisive Read More
Photo of Sara Minkara. Sara Minkara lost her sight at the age of seven but gained a greater awareness of herself and the world around her. Because she can’t interact… Continue Reading Seeing People Read More
A University of Idaho memo has gone viral in the wake of Idaho’s new abortion law. (Photo by Andrew Lang) Listen The University of Idaho has issued guidance for its… Continue Read More
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
Companies large and small around the Pacific Northwest say they are excited by growth opportunities that may flow from the climate, healthcare and tax package signed by President Biden on Tuesday. Turbocharged federal spending could benefit the region’s green energy sector in particular, although congressional Republicans remain dubious that Americans on the whole will 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
The primary election ballots are in hands of Washington voters. They need to be returned or mailed by Tuesday. [From left to right: Maggie Yates, Lindsey Keesling, and Chris Faison]… Continue Reading New Blood Northwest: First Time Read More
The Benton County Auditor is testing a new paid ballot observer program this year using members of partisan and nonpartisan organizations. Continue Reading Paid Ballot Observers In Benton CountyRead More
Rising home prices and inflation are making it difficult for people to find – or keep – a home. Listen Lauren Paterson reports one Washington state legislator believes housing will… Continue Reading WA Senator Says Legislature Needs To 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
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… 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
