The U.S. Capitol Building in Washington D.C. (Courtesy: Creative Commons) Read By Jeanie Lindsay / Northwest News Network As federal lawmakers race against the clock to keep the government running,… Continue Reading As Read More
Incumbent Pasco City Councilmember Irving Brown has been targeted by racist letters, a knocked down campaign sign and vandalism in his yard. His supporters held a rally in Pasco on… Continue Reading Irving Brown rallies Read More
On Nov. 7, some voters will decide whether to dissolve the Columbia County Library in Dayton, Washington. If they choose to do so, librarians said it would be the first… Continue Reading Lawsuit aims to block ballot measure to dissolve Read More
A Pasco City Council member is running to keep his spot in District 3. But Irving Brown says racist attacks are targeting his campaign. Continue Reading Pasco Council member says racist attacks are targeting his campaignRead More
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
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
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
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
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 with labels from a… Continue Reading Seeing People As They Are, Not How 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
Braver Angels Workshop Listen (Runtime 1:40) Read Heading into November’s midterm election, people across the country remain divided and are having a hard time communicating with civility. One organization, Braver… Continue Reading Braver 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
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
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
Photo of Chris Matthews recording Traverse Talks in the Pullman studios on April 20, 2022. Chris Matthews, a self-described centrist, spent his lifetime in politics. A speechwriter during the Carter… Continue Reading What’s Read More
Chris Matthews, political commentator, author and professional interrupter discusses his career in journalism and politics in this episode of ‘Traverse Talks’ with Sueann Ramella. During this fast-paced conversation, the two… Continue Reading What’s What: 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
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
U.S. Senate votes to make Daylight Saving Time permanent. CREDIT: HENRIQUE SIMPLICIO / FLICKR/FLIC.KR/P/F1JXBL Listen Tom Banse reports on efforts to make Daylight Saving Time permanent / Runtime: 1 minute… Continue Reading U.S. Senate Votes To 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… Continue 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
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
Political signs are everywhere during campaign season, but in some cases they stick around long past their advertised races. Continue Reading Political Billboards Seem To Be Here To StayRead More
A new bill in the Washington Senate aims to stop a controversial policy in Klickitat County, where the sheriff deputized six hound handlers to track and kill any cougars he deemed to be a safety threat. Continue Reading Washington Read More
Young people in the U.S. made history in the 2020 elections, voting at a record high rate. And now the technology company behind a popular social media app is hoping to help some of those young voters become political candidates in their own right. Read More
BY ASMA KHALID & ARNIE SEIPEL With voting rights legislation stalled in the Senate because of Republican opposition, Vice President Harris suggested that she has talked to senators about exceptions… Continue Read More
For anyone who somehow missed last week’s news, the lieutenant governor made the most of her brief stint as acting governor. With Gov. Brad Little in Nashville, Tenn., for a Republican Governors Association conference, McGeachin issued an executive order rescinding local mask mandates. McGeachin said she wanted to keep kids from being forced to wear a mask — at least in Read More
