Government

OLYMPIA – Two weeks after the state increased the fee for reusable plastic bags, lawmakers are considering competing legislation that would either reduce the fee and reintroduce thinner, single-use plastic grocery bags or ban plastic bags from store checkouts altogether.

OLYMPIA – As the Seahawks prepare to kick off their hopeful Super Bowl run this weekend, Gov. Bob Ferguson and a group of state lawmakers have brought playoff fever to the Capitol.

Adult dog adoptions through the Spokane County Regional Animal Protection Service will not resume this week as hoped as the agency continues to grapple with an outbreak of a highly contagious virus.

Federal immigration officers and other law enforcement would be banned from wearing face masks while on duty in Washington under a bill debated by a state Senate committee on Tuesday.

Former Spokane County Sheriff Ozzie Knezovich’s campaign for Wyoming governor got off to a confusing start on Tuesday.

OLYMPIA – Gov. Bob Ferguson called on lawmakers to “get back to basics” and make historic investments, urging legislators during his first State of the State address to use the next 58 days to improve the state’s transportation system and establish an income tax on millionaires.

SEATTLE – A federal judge has blocked the Trump administration’s attempt to assert federal control over elections in Washington and Oregon.

Gov. Brad Little called for the preservation of state funds for public education and vocational training in his annual State of the State address at the Idaho Capitol, even as he warned of spending cuts in a year of “budget pressures.” Little’s speech launched the state’s 69th legislative session, and Idaho’s part-time lawmakers are now set to stay in session until at least late March. In his ...

OLYMPIA – When the Legislature gavels into session at noon Monday, lawmakers will have 60 days to address the most pressing issues facing the state.

State Senate and House transportation leaders say state budget problems should not derail the long-awaited North Spokane Corridor.

Amid a nationwide battle to redraw congressional districts to make them more politically beneficial, a top Democrat in the state Legislature has proposed an amendment to the state constitution that could allow Washington to join the fight.

WASHINGTON – After President Donald Trump reiterated his desire to take over Greenland, threatening to use military force against the autonomous Danish territory, Eastern Washington’s congressman said Wednesday he supports buying Greenland from Denmark but opposes a military takeover of land controlled by the U.S. ally.

WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump’s plan to “run” Venezuela after capturing the South American nation’s president Jan. 3 came into slightly clearer focus over the past week, but Northwest lawmakers still have questions about his administration’s intentions.

In recent months, Idaho lawmakers and state leaders have expressed angst over a projected state budget deficit of hundreds of millions of dollars. They have deliberated how to close the gap. Cut spending by slashing state programs? Reverse tax cuts enacted in the 2025 legislative session?

WASHINGTON – Five Republicans voted with Democrats as the Senate on Thursday cleared a path for a vote next week that could block President Donald Trump from using further military force against Venezuela, after he said the United States could “run” the South American country for years.

Spokane County Regional Animal Protection Service is on track to reopen next week, as long as all dogs in the agency’s care remain healthy.

Coin souvenirs at Riverfront Park and elsewhere may soon be wider and silvery.