WA Government

OLYMPIA – Voters in the 6th Legislative District will have options across the political spectrum when deciding who should represent them in the state Capitol next year.

The Spokane County Auditor’s Office will send out “about 377,000” ballots to registered voters ahead of the August primary starting Wednesday, Auditor Vicky Dalton said Tuesday, though the number of ballots will likely increase before the election.

Running for her second term, Democratic state Rep. Natasha Hill faces a rematch with Republican Tony Kiepe and a new opponent who says he’ll do as told by voters.

Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson wants to make the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA, a high school graduation requirement, arguing that too many students are leaving money for college and job training on the table simply because they never complete the form. The proposal, announced Monday, would still allow students to opt out if they choose not to complete the application. But ...

OLYMPIA – Washington State Attorney General Nick Brown said Monday that a proposed $110 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. by Paramount would “raise prices, reduce consumer choice, and cost many Americans their jobs” as he announced a lawsuit to block the deal.

It’s a Monday morning in Lisa Giamberso’s ReadyK classroom at Mount View Elementary, and her students are gathered on a brightly colored carpet. They sing: “Eyes are watching, ears are listening, voices quiet, body calm. This is how we listen in our class.” They do some calming “bubble breaths” together. They sing a song greeting each other by name. Then it’s Señor Hippo’s time to shine. The ...

The appointment of Colleen Melody to the state Supreme Court late last year drew broad praise among the state’s legal community and elected officials.

The Washington State Senate Republican Caucus sent a letter to the governor’s office Tuesday evening, requesting a special session to pause the state’s Climate Commitment Act. They argued the program is driving up gas prices. According to AAA, as of Wednesday, July 8, Washington’s average gas price was $5 per gallon while the national average was about $3.80 per gallon, resulting in about a ...

While the races for the state Supreme Court are likely to be among the most closely watched in the 2026 election cycle, the positions are also traditionally the ones voters feel least confident about selecting.

Under fire for alleged antisemitism, Spokane pastor Luc Jasmin II has resigned from the state Human Rights Commission.

The decision of state Rep. Mike Volz to pursue a different office has sparked vast interest in his seat.

Three judges with varying judicial philosophies want to replace a retiring Washington Supreme Court justice.

TUMWATER, Wash. – Opponents of Washington’s new income tax on high earners turned in more than 500,000 signatures Thursday for an initiative to repeal the levy, nearly double the amount needed to secure a spot on the November ballot.

Although the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling allowing states to bar transgender athletes from participating in women’s and girls’ sports will not have an immediate impact on Washington policy, its effects will echo throughout the state.

The Washington state Democratic Party platform adopted earlier this month states the party supports “both the study and implementation of reparative action” for chattel slavery in the U.S., in what is believed to be a first for a statewide party.

Ballots in Washington and a dozen other states received after Election Day can continue to be counted as long as they are postmarked by Election Day.

OLYMPIA – As the country nears its 250th birthday, a lawmaker from Eastern Washington is working to build a deeper connection between the state Capitol and the state’s namesake.

State Sen. June Robinson, D-Everett, chair of the Senate Ways and Means Committee, said Friday that the latest state revenue forecast, which showed that a downturn in economic activity has contributed to a nearly $1 billion decrease in projected state revenue through fiscal year 2031, had both positive and negative signs.

Avista CEO and President Heather Rosentrater and Washington State University President Betsy Cantwell are among 26 business, labor and education leaders who have joined Gov. Bob Ferguson’s newly established Economic Development Council.