WA Government

David Schumacher, who has guided the writing of Gov. Jay Inslee’s budget proposals the past 12 years, will depart this fall as the finishing touches are put on the outgoing chief executive’s final spending plan.

Organizers of the three-day event at the Meydenbauer Center in Bellevue appeared to have designed the lineup of speakers in a way that would mask any divisions in party ranks. Democratic gubernatorial hopeful Mark Mullet, a state senator from Issaquah, wasn’t invited to speak at the event, so he chose to skip it all together. Also not invited to speak were state attorney general candidates Nick Brown, a former U.S. attorney, and state Sen. Manka Dhingra, D-Redmond, along with state lands commissioner hopefuls Dave Upthegrove, a member of the King County Council, and state Sen. Kevin Van De Wege, D-Lake Sutherland.

A fee tacked onto the delivery of many retail and online purchases could generate millions of dollars a year for maintaining city and county roads in Washington.

Washington voters want more money invested in child care and support more taxes on wealthy people and businesses to pay for it.

Jun. 7—OLYMPIA — According to a Wednesday statement from the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction, some provisions of Initiative 2081, establishing the Parents' Bill of Rights in Washington, conflict with current law — particularly around students' right to privacy in school. The Washington legislature passed the initiative in early March, and many of the provisions do overlap with ...

Jun. 6—The Washington State Supreme Court has agreed to hear arguments in the case involving a Kelso gun store owner, challenging a state law that prohibits the sale of large-capacity magazines. The state Supreme Court is granting direct review, bypassing the Washington State Court of Appeals. The date for review has not been set. The case, which would determine the future of a 2022 law that ...

Jun. 5—OLYMPIA — The GOP backers of three initiatives that could repeal or alter a trio of significant state policies are suing to keep information about the possible budget implications of each measure from appearing on voters' ballots in November. State analysts have said the initiatives, if passed, could reduce funding for education and environmental projects by billions of dollars. The ...