WA Government

OLYMPIA – Ahead of the November 1932 election, organizers in Washington gathered enough signatures to place an initiative on the ballot asking whether the state should adopt a graduated tax on personal and business income to fund schools and other government programs. If approved, the plan called for the state’s property tax to be cut as a way to balance the state’s tax code.

Gov. Bob Ferguson’s proposed budget includes nearly $5 million in funding to pay for the state’s lawsuits against the Trump administration.

Gov. Bob Ferguson has requested $11 million from the Legislature for the design and preconstruction of a new 120-bed veterans home in Spokane.

Gov. Bob Ferguson proposed spending nearly $13 million to enhance security at the Capitol campus following an October break-in.

OLYMPIA – Gov. Bob Ferguson has proposed closing the state’s $2.3 billion budget shortfall through a combination of cost-cutting measures.

OLYMPIA – Gov. Bob Ferguson said Tuesday he supports a state income tax on those who make more than $1 million a year. The proposal, he said, would be tied to reducing sales taxes on baby and hygiene items, expanding the working families tax credit, increasing K-12 school funding, and lowering the key tax rate for small businesses.

The sponsor of the only bill fully vetoed by Gov. Bob Ferguson during his first legislative session said that the governor’s creation of a housing task force last week was “a slap in the face.”

Back-to-back weather systems carrying enormous amounts of moisture and warm air pummeled the Seattle region this month, devastating roads as rivers ate away at anything their swollen banks could loosen, floods raced across normally dry land, and landslides spilled across highways. The extreme weather has many pinning the blame on a changing climate. So, can the state use funds collected from ...

The work to restore and repair roads may not be “the sexiest thing” when compared to the allure of the ribbon cutting to open a new project, Gov. Bob Ferguson said Friday.

Faced with what he described as a “crisis,” Gov. Bob Ferguson has proposed spending $244 million on housing investments across the state.

The Department of Energy announced Wednesday it has issued an emergency order directing the continued operation of the last coal power plant in the state, delaying longtime plans to shutter its current operations.

Former Pasco Mayor and candidate for state attorney general Pete Serrano will continue to serve as the top federal prosecutor in Eastern Washington through a workaround that the Department of Justice announced Monday.

OLYMPIA – The recently passed “One Big Beautiful Bill” established a program designed to give children a leg up when they reach adulthood. It’s an idea similar to one that’s been proposed across the country, including in Washington, but has found limited support.

When getting her groceries, Lisa Villella almost always forgets her reusable bags at home.

OLYMPIA – A new bill spurred by the recent release of Kevin Coe proposed ahead of the upcoming legislative session would make it harder for serial rapists to be released from civil commitment.

OLYMPIA – About five weeks before lawmakers return to Olympia for the 2026 session, the state’s budget deficit remains top of mind.

OLYMPIA – While State Treasurer Mike Pellicciotti has been in office, he has spoken to thousands of people across the state. Not one, Pellicciotti said Thursday, has told him they feel adequately versed in financial education or financial literacy.

The Trump administration has filed a federal lawsuit against Secretary of State Steve Hobbs to compel the state to turn over information about Washington voters, including names, dates of birth, addresses and either a driver’s license number or the last four digits of their Social Security number as part of the White House’s crackdown on electoral systems around the country.

How best to spend, save and raise money will be a recurring theme when Washington lawmakers convene in Olympia next week for their annual “committee days.”