For the first time since 2013, Democrats will have one-party control of Olympia. The top issues for the 2018 legislative session include: education funding, a carbon tax and passage of a state capital construction budget.Read More
The Washington Legislature is set to open its 2018 session Monday, Jan. 8. Olympia correspondent Austin Jenkins lists his top five issues to watch, including gun safety, spending on public schools, and a state Voting Rights Act.Read More
Early numbers on a new Washington law designed to crack down on felons and domestic abusers who try to buy a gun show that since July, more than 1,200 would-be gun buyers have failed background checks.Read More
Washington state lawmakers convene Monday, January 8 for a short 60-day election year session. Already lawmakers have pre-filed dozens of bills they’d like to see passed.Read More
Washington state Republican Representative Matt Manweller. CREDIT: WASHINGTON STATE LEGISLATURE Listen UPDATE, Dec. 29, 2017: Public records released by Central Washington University this week show professor and GOP state […]Read More
Former Washington State Auditor Troy Kelley has been found guilty of possession of stolen property, making false declarations and filing false tax returns, but not guilty of money laundering.Read More
An Amtrak Cascades passenger car dangles from an overpass over Interstate 5 in Pierce County, Washington, after a derailment on Monday morning. AUSTIN JENKINS / NORTHWEST NEWS NETWORK Listen As […]Read More
Southbound lanes of I-5 were blocked near Mounts Road in Pierce County as of Monday morning, December 18. AUSTIN JENKINS/NORTHWEST NEWS NETWORK This is a developing story and will be […]Read More
Republican state Representative Matt Manweller WASHINGTON STATE LEGISLATURE Listen UPDATE, Dec. 29, 2017: Public records released by Central Washington University this week show professor and GOP state Rep. Matt Manweller […]Read More
OraLynn Reeve, the ex-wife of Matt Manweller, standing in her Duvall, Washington, home. WALKER ORENSTEIN/THE NEWS TRIBUNE Listen UPDATE, Dec. 11, 2017: Central Washington University has placed Matt Manweller on paid leave […]Read More
Washington 13th District GOP Rep. Matt Manweller is facing renewed questions of sexual misconduct claims that were previously investigated by Central Washington University WASHINGTON LEGISLATURE/2014 Listen A fiery top Republican […]Read More
A bill introduced by Washington Sen. Karen Keiser would place limits on non-disclosure agreements. WASHINGTON LEGISLATURE Washington state Sen. Karen Keiser says she wants to encourage disclosure of sexual harassment […]Read More
JON CONNELL / FLICKR – TINYURL.COM/Y72KTAT6 Listen The state of Washington may soon follow Oregon and California and allow a third gender option on birth certificates. The proposal would let […]Read More
Jason McMillan carrying a firearm in the Washington House gallery in 2015. Beginning in January of 2018, all guns will be banned from the Senate gallery. AUSTIN JENKINS/NORTHWEST NEWS NETWORK […]Read More
File photo. Eighty-nine illegal marijuana growing operations were shut down in Washington over the past year. WIKIMEDIA-TINYURL.COM/YC44O4SR Listen Recreational marijuana may be legal in Washington and Oregon, but police continue […]Read More
VISITOR7/WIKIMEDIA-TINYURL.COM/J6O4LKN Listen Nearly 20,000 people have been removed from Washington’s Medicaid rolls for ineligibility. The purge happened after the state stepped up efforts to verify residency and income levels. Over […]Read More
Listen Washington and Oregon are making contingency plans in case Congress doesn’t reauthorize the Children’s Health Insurance Program, which is for low-income families that earn too much to qualify for […]Read More
Bryan Emmal died at the Washington Corrections Center Sunday night. The Department of Corrections says he was the victim of an apparent homicide. WASHINGTON DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS Listen Police are […]Read More
WSDOT/FLICKR Listen Beginning next year, Washington state Senators and Senate staff will be required to take annual sexual harassment training. The Senate’s operations committee unanimously approved that requirement at a […]Read More
HARVEY BARRISON / FLICKR – TINYURL.COM/ZHJ7UAE Listen Washington state lawmakers will likely have to come up with an extra $1 billion for schools when they convene in January for the […]Read More
Kristina Hermach was an anonymous source for a 1992 story in The News Tribune on sexual harassment at the Washington state Capitol. Now she’s speaking out. AUSTIN JENKINS / NORTHWEST […]Read More
File photo. Jury selection is scheduled to begin Monday in the retrial of former Washington State Auditor Troy Kelley. AUSTIN JENKINS / NORTHWEST NEWS NETWORK Listen Jury selection is scheduled […]Read More
File photo of the inside of the home Cheyene and her siblings were rescued from in January 2015. LAKE STEVENS POLICE DEPARTMENT Listen The state of Washington has agreed to […]Read More
VISITOR7 / WIKIMEDIA – TINYURL.COM/J6O4LKN Listen Washington lawmakers will return to the Capitol next week for “Committee Days” in advance of next January’s regular legislative session. Distracted driving and salmon […]Read More
Republican Jinyoung Lee Englund, left, and Democrat Manka Dhingra, right, are vying for the 45th legislative district Senate seat. Dhingra leads in early results. CAMPAIGN PHOTOS Listen Democrats had the […]Read More
Olympia State Capitol Building TED S. WARREN / ASSOCIATED PRESS Listen Democrats are declaring victory in a special Washington state Senate race that will give them one-party rule in Olympia. […]Read More
Samantha Kersul is one of more than 170 women who have signed a letter to Washington state’s legislative leadership urging action to address sexual harassment at the Capitol. Kersul says […]Read More
Samantha Kersul said in 2009 a Democratic state Representative pinned her and forcefully kissed her against her will in a bar. She is one of several women to speak out […]Read More
Former Washington state Rep. Jim Jacks, seen here in this 2009 photo, abruptly resigned his seat in March 2011. WASHINGTON LEGISLATURE Listen A Washington state lawmaker who abruptly resigned his […]Read More
AUSTIN JENKINS / NORTHWEST NEWS NETWORK Listen Leaders in the Washington Legislature said they won’t tolerate sexual harassment, and encourage women to report unwanted attention from men. Those comments follow […]Read More
Nicole Grant says she was groped by a lawmaker and a lobbyist while working as a lobbyist in Olympia for electrical workers between 2010 and 2016. PAMELA WANG Listen Nicole […]Read More
This file photo shows the condition of one of the mobile homes at the Sun & Sand Mobile Home Park in Mattawa, Washington. WASHINGTON ATTORNEY GENERAL’S OFFICE Listen The owner […]Read More
Republican Jinyoung Englund, left, and Democrat Manka Dhingra are vying to fill an open state Senate seat in Washington’s 45th legislative district. CAMPAIGN PHOTOS Listen Candidates are breaking spending records […]Read More
Republican Jinyoung Englund, left, and Democrat Manka Dhingra will face off this fall for an open state Senate seat in Washington’s 45th legislative district. CAMPAIGN PHOTOS Listen With Election Day […]Read More
Larry and his wife Crystal used Joel’s Law to get their adult son involuntarily committed to a mental health facility earlier this year. AUSTIN JENKINS / NORTHWEST NEWS NETWORK Listen […]Read More
Which state fared better in a ranking of state economic climates — Washington or Oregon? SEATTLE MUNICIPAL ARCHIVES – TINYURL.COM/YA8MLCGM / CACOPHONY – TINYURL.COM/Y9SPFGG2 Listen Washington’s economic climate is the […]Read More
Denise Vermillion petitioned to have her stepson involuntarily committed under Joel’s Law. AUSTIN JENKINS / NORTHWEST NEWS NETWORK Listen On a recent Wednesday morning, Denise Vermillion stood outside the Thurston […]Read More
File photo. Washington state’s Initiative 594 requires background checks for person-to-person gun sales. GLASGOWS / FLICKR – TINYURL.COM/H5S37YU In 2014, Washington voters approved Initiative 594 to require background checks for […]Read More
File photo of Washington Gov. Jay Inslee and Cheryl Strange, former CEO of Western State and the current Secretary of the Department of Social and Health Services. AUSTIN JENKINS / […]Read More
AUSTIN JENKINS / NORTHWEST NEWS NETWORK Listen A three-judge panel of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals will hear a challenge Monday to Washington’s voter-approved background check law for person-to-person […]Read More
Top officials from Washington’s Student Achievement Council and the GET prepaid tuition program testify before a legislative panel on Monday. AUSTIN JENKINS / NORTHWEST NEWS NETWORK Listen Did Washington’s prepaid […]Read More
TAXREBATE.ORG.UK Listen If you buy individual health insurance through Washington’s Health Benefit Exchange get ready for sticker shock. Rates will go up by an average of 24 percent next year. […]Read More
COURTESY TVW Listen The state of Washington will petition to join a lawsuit that challenges President Donald Trump’s ban on transgender people serving in the military. Governor Jay Inslee announced […]Read More
Washington state Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler says insurance premiums are going to rise by double digits in 2018. Listen People who buy individual health insurance in Washington state can expect […]Read More
NEIGHBORHOOD CENTERS / FLICKR – TINYURL.COM/JALDAD5 Listen Russian hackers attempted to penetrate Washington and Oregon’s voter registration systems last year. Top elections officials in both states received that confirmation Friday […]Read More
Washington is the only state with legal marijuana that doesn’t allow home grows. There have been unsuccessful efforts to change that in recent years. Now the state’s Liquor and Cannabis Board is taking public comment on the issue through October 11.Read More
File photo of a police officer equppied with a body camera. U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE Listen It seems so simple. Equip police officers with body cameras to record their interactions […]Read More
File photo of the Temple of Justice in Olympia, Washington. AIDAN WAKELY-MULRONEY / FLICKR – TINYURL.COM/ZWJ3D3J Listen Teens who take an X-rated selfie and then text the image can be […]Read More
WSDOT / FLICKR Listen Several media outlets, including public radio, have filed an open records lawsuit against the Washington Legislature. The lawsuit filed Tuesday seeks access to lawmaker emails, text […]Read More
WASHINGTON STATE HOUSE REPUBLICANS / FLICKR – TINYURL.COM/ZLGO6QS Listen The threat of a nuclear attack, immigration enforcement and paying by the mile to drive are all on the agenda as […]Read More
