Mitchell Roland

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News >  WA Government

North Spokane Corridor construction could face delays without new revenue, legislators say

UPDATED: Thu., March 27, 2025

OLYMPIA – The completion of the North Spokane Corridor and other big infrastructure projects could be delayed unless state lawmakers agree on a plan to increase revenue, which could ultimately mean increasing the state’s gas tax for the first time in nearly a decade.

News >  WA Government

Republicans accuse Democrats of being killjoys with proposed taxes; Democrats say revenue needed for preserve ‘prosperity’

UPDATED: Wed., March 26, 2025

OLYMPIA – While taxes on some of Washington’s largest businesses and wealthiest residents have grabbed the most attention in recent days, Republican lawmakers said Tuesday that the revenue plan released by Democrats would impact the everyday lives – and overall happiness levels – of citizens throughout the state.

News >  Washington

Othello business owner reunited with teen son after bond release from Northwest ICE Processing Center

UPDATED: Tue., March 25, 2025

Micaela Eudave's bond hearing offers rare hope amid staggering immigration detention rates at Tacoma facility, where release is exception, not rule

News >  WA Government

Democratic lawmakers unveil budget proposals; call on higher taxes for wealthy and companies

UPDATED: Mon., March 24, 2025

OLYMPIA – Democratic lawmakers unveiled their budget plans Monday morning, as the legislature looks to balance preserving key public services while addressing Washington’s multibillion-dollar budget deficit.

News >  WA Government

Lawmakers could tax social media companies to fund local journalism

UPDATED: Fri., March 21, 2025

OLYMPIA – State lawmakers are considering throwing the news industry a lifesaver by taxing some of the world’s biggest tech platforms.

News >  WA Government

Washington attorney general employees across the state protest agency cuts, staff furloughs

UPDATED: Thu., March 20, 2025

OLYMPIA – Unionized employees of the Washington attorney general’s office staged protests at offices throughout the state Thursday over plans for a monthly furlough of state employees and cuts to the agency.

News >  WA Government

Senate Democrats want to raise billions in revenue ahead of formal budget announcement

UPDATED: Fri., March 21, 2025

OLYMPIA – Senate Democrats have unveiled a plan to raise billions of dollars amid a deep budget shortfall by taxing Washington’s wealthiest residents through what is called a “financial intangibles tax,” allowing property tax increases to be set by inflation and population growth, and removing the cap on employer payroll taxes.

News >  WA Government

Spokane dispatch funding bill passes house, heads to Senate

UPDATED: Wed., March 19, 2025

OLYMPIA – A bill to divvy up tax revenue as the Spokane Fire Department prepares to leave the regional 911 center continues to move forward in the Washington Legislature.

News >  Washington

‘These folks are heroes’: Four Washington Department of Ecology employees receive state’s top civilian honor for rescuing woman

UPDATED: Tue., March 18, 2025

Four Department of Ecology workers have received the state’s top civilian honor for rescuing a woman from a fiery crash last year.

News >  WA Government

Legendary musician and Washington native Jimi Hendrix awarded state’s highest civilian honor posthumously

UPDATED: Tue., March 18, 2025

OLYMPIA – Jimi Hendrix, the Seattle-born guitarist, singer and songwriter widely celebrated as one of the most talented musicians of his generation, was recognized posthumously Tuesday for his contributions to the state.

News >  WA Government

Economic forecast projects Washington to see nearly a billion less in revenue over four years

UPDATED: Tue., March 18, 2025

OLYMPIA – Strapped for cash and searching for ways to cut spending, the job for budget writers in Washington became that much more challenging Tuesday after an updated economic forecast shows the state will bring in $845 million less over the next four years than it previously projected.

News >  WA Government

Democratic lawmakers warn of ‘all-out assault’ on Medicaid, though Trump says the program is safe

UPDATED: Mon., March 17, 2025

OLYMPIA – Billions of dollars in cuts to Medicaid would have a devastating impact on the more than 1.8 million Washingtonians who rely on the program, particularly in rural and Eastern Washington, Sen. Patty Murray said during a news conference at the state Capitol Monday.

News >  WA Government

Lawmakers consider new permit for gun purchases as ammo tax fails to gain support

UPDATED: Fri., March 14, 2025

OLYMPIA – Washington lawmakers continue to consider adopting a permit-to-purchase system for firearms in the state and prohibiting firearms in public areas where children are known to gather, though several proposals – including a new tax on firearms and ammunition – have failed, at least for this session.

News >  WA Government

Legislative cutoff marks end for these bills that could have become Washington law, at least for now

UPDATED: Thu., March 13, 2025

OLYMPIA – With the session more than halfway over, Wednesday marked the day most bills needed to pass out of their chamber of origin in the Washington legislature to remain alive.

News >  WA Government

Senate Republicans unveil budget proposal they say is a ‘third way’

UPDATED: Tue., March 11, 2025

OLYMPIA – Republicans in the Washington Senate unveiled a budget plan Tuesday they say will address the state’s budget deficit without increasing taxes.

News >  Washington

Tesla only EV maker allowed to sell directly to consumers under Washington state law

UPDATED: Tue., March 11, 2025

OLYMPIA – Tesla is the only electric vehicle manufacturer allowed to sell directly to consumers in Washington through an exemption to state law from 2014.

News >  WA Government

Washington House of Representatives passes 7% cap on rent increases

UPDATED: Mon., March 10, 2025

OLYMPIA – The Washington state House of Representatives has passed a bill to cap annual rent increases at 7%.

News >  WA Government

Washington Attorney General sues Adams County, alleges illegal cooperation with federal immigration officials

UPDATED: Mon., March 10, 2025

OLYMPIA – Washington is suing the Adams County Sheriff’s Office, accusing the agency of cooperating with federal immigration enforcement in violation of state law.

News >  WA Government

Second federal judge blocks Trump administration’s funding freeze

UPDATED: Thu., March 6, 2025

A second federal judge has blocked the Trump administration’s attempts to freeze federal funding, writing in his opinion that the plan would have “catastrophic consequences” on the country.

News >  WA Government

Mother of school shooting victim testifies in support of school safety bill

UPDATED: Wed., March 5, 2025

OLYMPIA – Seven years after a gunman killed 17 people in a Florida high school, the mother of one of the victims testified in support of a bill in the Washington Legislature that would encourage schools to install panic alert systems to hasten emergency response times.

News >  WA Government

Washington joins lawsuit to stop probationary federal employee cuts

UPDATED: Wed., March 5, 2025

OLYMPIA – The Washington State Attorney General’s Office has joined a lawsuit seeking to block the Trump administration’s efforts to terminate probationary federal employees. It anticipates more Washingtonians will lose their positions if the plan moves forward.

News >  WA Government

Northwest lawmakers react to Trump’s address to Congress

UPDATED: Tue., March 4, 2025

WASHINGTON – In an address to a joint session of Congress on Tuesday, President Donald Trump touted his administration’s swift actions to remake the federal government in his image, provoking cheers from his fellow Republicans and loud protests from Democrats.

News >  WA Government

Bill to designate clergy as mandatory reporters of abuse clears Washington Senate

UPDATED: Fri., March 21, 2025

OLYMPIA – Washington would require clergy members to report incidents of child abuse or neglect under legislation to designate them as mandatory reporters cleared the state Senate Friday.

News >  WA Government

Federal judge in Seattle appears skeptical of DOJ in gender-affirming care lawsuit

UPDATED: Fri., Feb. 28, 2025

SEATTLE – A federal judge in Seattle seemed to strongly doubt the answers of lawyers representing the Department of Justice during a preliminary hearing Friday afternoon, as the State of Washington sought to block a federal ban on gender-affirming care for those under 19 from going into effect.

News >  Military

Washington AG files support in effort to block federal ban on transgender military service

UPDATED: Thu., Feb. 27, 2025

OLYMPIA – Washington has joined 20 other states in supporting a legal challenge to a federal ban on transgender military personnel serving in the armed forces.