Democratic state Rep. Larry Springer of Kirkland, who provided a moderating voice in his caucus for two decades, announced Sunday he will not seek re-election. washingtonstatestandard.com/briefs/after...

Washington law enforcement officers are way behind completing deescalation and mental health training required under the state’s marquee police accountability law. washingtonstatestandard.com/2026/04/17/w...

King County election officials want to know how a box of ballots wound up next to a dumpster behind a strip mall in Renton, then in the hands of the Washington State Republican Party leader this week. washingtonstatestandard.com/2026/04/17/w...

An early fundraising leader has emerged from the crowd of candidates battling to succeed retiring Republican Congressman Dan Newhouse in central Washington. washingtonstatestandard.com/2026/04/17/d...

An eastern Washington judge declined Thursday to rule on the future of a state law that could potentially force sheriffs out of office if they don’t meet new standards. washingtonstatestandard.com/2026/04/16/e...

An early learning program designed to prepare children in Washington for kindergarten will soon shrink by nearly 2,000 slots due to cuts state lawmakers approved earlier this year. washingtonstatestandard.com/2026/04/16/c...

The U.S. Department of Justice is seeking to erase the conviction of a prominent leader of the Proud Boys from Washington state for his actions during the Jan. 6 storming of the U.S. Capitol. washingtonstatestandard.com/2026/04/15/d...

A Seattle business leader contends that restaurant reservation service OpenTable is making changes this week that may violate Washington’s consumer protection laws and he wants the attorney general to get involved. washingtonstatestandard.com/2026/04/15/o...

Republican John Braun on Tuesday snagged President Donald Trump’s endorsement in his bid to unseat Democratic U.S. Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez in southwest Washington, a race that could help decide which party controls the U.S. House. washingtonstatestandard.com/2026/04/14/t...

U.S. Senate Majority Leader John Thune said Tuesday he plans to use the complex reconciliation process to fund immigration enforcement for the next three years, though it wasn’t immediately clear if House Republicans were on the exact same page. washingtonstatestandard.com/2026/04/14/r...

Washington state is penalizing a Seattle-based vehicle battery manufacturer for exposing workers to lead levels more than four times the safety limit. washingtonstatestandard.com/briefs/seatt...

Starting Wednesday, crews will start work to permanently replace the Spirit Lake Outlet Bridge on State Route 504, restoring access to the Johnston Ridge Observatory at Mount St. Helens. washingtonstatestandard.com/briefs/road-...

Washington is moving ahead with plans to create a new state Department of Housing. washingtonstatestandard.com/2026/04/13/w...

The strained Amtrak Cascades rail service is on track to have limited capacity to carry the crowds expected to descend on the Pacific Northwest for the upcoming men’s World Cup. washingtonstatestandard.com/2026/04/10/n...

Washington’s new law that seeks to hold sheriffs to higher standards and paves the way for their removal from office is the target of a second lawsuit. washingtonstatestandard.com/2026/04/10/n...

Millions of women could face new challenges to voting under President Donald Trump’s SAVE America Act, which would require voters to prove their citizenship before casting a ballot. washingtonstatestandard.com/2026/04/09/r...

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Opponents of Washington’s new income tax on high earners filed a lawsuit Thursday, arguing the controversial law is unconstitutional and in conflict with nearly a century of state Supreme Court precedent. washingtonstatestandard.com/2026/04/08/c...

A week after Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson signed a nearly $80 billion budget, questions remain as to why he vetoed two grants that amounted to a molecule of the spending plan. washingtonstatestandard.com/2026/04/09/f...

Opponents of Washington’s new income tax on millionaire earners plan to formally launch a legal challenge on Thursday to the constitutionality of the tax. washingtonstatestandard.com/2026/04/08/c...

Washington’s Department of Ecology announced a statewide drought emergency Wednesday, marking the fourth consecutive year that part or all of the state has been in a drought. washingtonstatestandard.com/briefs/our-n...

Washington state health inspectors have been trying for months to enter the Tacoma immigrant detention center amid longstanding concerns about the conditions there. They've made nine unsuccessful attempts to inspect the site. washingtonstatestandard.com/briefs/despi...

It took the federal government months to properly serve attorneys for Washington in the Trump administration’s litigation to force the state to turn over its voter rolls. But now the lawsuit filed in December can finally move forward. washingtonstatestandard.com/2026/04/07/m...

A recall effort is quietly underway against Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson for failing to fill vacancies on the commission that enforces state campaign finance laws. washingtonstatestandard.com/2026/04/07/f...

Federal immigration authorities arrested over 2,100 people in Washington between October and early March, according to newly released data. Thehttps://washingtonstatestandard.com/2026/04/06/latest-ice-data-shows-surge-in-immigration-arrests-in-wa/

Rural schools in Washington are confronting a drop in revenue from timber sales, with some blaming management decisions by the state's lands commissioner. The state's top education official questions whether it makes sense for logging to fund schools. washingtonstatestandard.com/2026/04/06/r...

Four eastern Washington sheriffs filed a lawsuit Friday seeking to block a law that sets new eligibility requirements for sheriffs and provides a path to remove them from office. washingtonstatestandard.com/2026/04/03/l...

Opponents of Washington’s new income tax asked the state Supreme Court on Friday to allow them to pursue a referendum in hopes of giving voters a shot at repealing the controversial new law this November. washingtonstatestandard.com/briefs/heywo...

A federal lawsuit filed Thursday accuses the leaders of the Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife of attempting to silence a member of the citizen panel that oversees the agency in retaliation for her ongoing criticism of their administration. washingtonstatestandard.com/2026/04/03/w...

A federal court order last month to effectively axe a Biden-era student loan repayment plan capped years of chaos for more than 7 million student borrowers enrolled in the program. washingtonstatestandard.com/2026/04/02/r...

Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson on Wednesday signed into law new standards for sheriffs that make it easier to remove them from office. washingtonstatestandard.com/2026/04/01/f...

With more state financial stress on the horizon, Gov. Bob Ferguson signed Washington's latest budget on Wednesday, with a total of $79.4 billion in spending. washingtonstatestandard.com/2026/04/01/w...

The U.S. Supreme Court Wednesday seemed poised to reject the Trump administration’s attempt to redefine the constitutional right to birthright citizenship, and instead uphold the country’s long understanding of citizenship by birth on American soil. washingtonstatestandard.com/2026/04/01/r...

Spokane state Rep. Timm Ormsby, the lead budget writer for Washington House Democrats who has served in the Legislature more than two decades, won’t seek reelection this year. washingtonstatestandard.com/briefs/chair...

President Donald Trump signed a sweeping executive order on Tuesday that attempts to restrict mail-in voting, a White House priority certain to face significant legal challenges. washingtonstatestandard.com/2026/03/31/r...

Washington made an estimated $37 million in questionable child care payments over the course of a year using federal dollars, according to the state auditor’s office. washingtonstatestandard.com/2026/03/31/a...

Gov. Bob Ferguson on Tuesday signed a spending plan for the state transportation system that he said bolsters preservation of highways and will “deliver projects that Washingtonians rely on to get to where they need to go.” washingtonstatestandard.com/2026/03/31/h...

Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson, on Monday, signed into law new guardrails for the use of automated license plate readers, amid concerns federal immigration authorities are tapping them to aid in their searches. washingtonstatestandard.com/2026/03/30/w...

Two of the world’s largest pharmaceutical companies sued Washington state on Wednesday, alleging a new law to tamp down prescription drug prices for hospitals won’t result in discounts for patients. washingtonstatestandard.com/2026/03/30/p...

Washington Democratic Gov. Bob Ferguson on Monday signed historic legislation creating an income tax, saying it is a critical step toward making the state’s system of taxation less regressive. washingtonstatestandard.com/2026/03/30/i...

The wage gap between men and women in Washington is the second widest in the country. washingtonstatestandard.com/briefs/washi...

A new Washington state law will require local governments to allow housing for people experiencing homelessness in residential areas. washingtonstatestandard.com/2026/03/27/n...

In the past decade, Washington has become one of the most expensive states to live in. Drawing from an array of federal and state data, a new analysis shows the state’s cost of living rising faster than the national average over that time. washingtonstatestandard.com/2026/03/26/w...

An international bid to reduce air pollution from ocean-going ships may be increasing water pollution in the Salish Sea. But a proposal to untangle this paradox went aground this winter for the second year in a row in the Washington Legislature. washingtonstatestandard.com/2026/03/26/w...

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development is investigating the Washington State Housing Finance Commission over the state's Covenant Homeownership Program. washingtonstatestandard.com/2026/03/25/f...

The NBA's Board of Governors on Wednesday voted to formally explore expansion to Seattle and Las Vegas, kicking off a process that could bring a team back to Washington for the 2028-29 season. washingtonstatestandard.com/briefs/nba-v...

Washington will soon end its reign as the state with the nation’s highest estate tax. Gov. Bob Ferguson signed legislation Tuesday to erase an increase in estate tax rates that he and Democratic lawmakers pushed through last year. washingtonstatestandard.com/briefs/fergu...

A new Washington state law offers a way to make change in an era without pennies. washingtonstatestandard.com/briefs/round...

The U.S. Supreme Court’s conservative justices on Monday appeared skeptical of the validity of mail-in ballots that arrive after Election Day, in a case that could potentially affect hundreds of thousands of voters during the upcoming midterm elections. washingtonstatestandard.com/2026/03/23/r...

Washington state lawmakers this year worked to close polluter loopholes in the state’s climate laws and advance a major bill to upgrade and expand the electrical grid. washingtonstatestandard.com/2026/03/22/e...