Three Washington state senators said the biting testimony Pierce County’s sheriff delivered during a committee hearing Thursday was threatening to legislators. washingtonstatestandard.com/2026/01/16/i...

Washington and Oregon will not have to build a drawbridge as part of the project to replace the aging Interstate 5 bridges across the Columbia River, the U.S. Coast Guard decided on Friday. washingtonstatestandard.com/2026/01/16/c...

Microsoft is out with a new report on how it would like to see Washington lawmakers tackle the state's affordable housing shortfall. “Higher taxes cannot put even a small dent in this huge problem," says the company's president, Brad Smith. washingtonstatestandard.com/briefs/micro...

A bill to outlaw the sale, possession, transport, and distribution of farmed octopus in Washington advanced out of the state's House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee on Wednesday. washingtonstatestandard.com/briefs/washi...

Washington and 11 other states’ attorneys general have sued the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services for what the multistate coalition argues is unlawful discrimination against transgender people via new strictures placed on federal grant funding. washingtonstatestandard.com/2026/01/14/r...

Gov. Bob Ferguson on Tuesday celebrated the “heart and spirit” in Washington communities ravaged by flooding in December, then pumped up fellow Democrats with calls for taxing millionaires and standing up to federal immigration agents. washingtonstatestandard.com/2026/01/13/w...

A ban on police face coverings has been one of the most talked about policy proposals in the first two days of Washington’s legislative session, with lead lawmakers and the governor lining up in support. washingtonstatestandard.com/2026/01/13/p...

Last month’s heavy flooding inflicted at least $40 million to $50 million of damage on Washington’s highways, state transportation officials estimated to lawmakers Monday. washingtonstatestandard.com/briefs/road-...

With the banging of gavels, the Washington state Legislature opened its sprint of a 60-day session Monday in Olympia. washingtonstatestandard.com/2026/01/12/l...

Follow along here for live coverage of the opening day of the 2026 Washington state legislative session. #waleg washingtonstatestandard.com/2026/01/12/l...

Washington's 2026 legislative session begins today. Will anyone be smiling when it’s over? washingtonstatestandard.com/2026/01/12/w...

Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson likely violated state laws by allowing his former top adviser, Mike Webb, to travel with him on a state plane to the Tri-Cities last summer, the state Executive Ethics Board ruled Friday. washingtonstatestandard.com/2026/01/09/f...

Democratic leaders in the Washington Legislature said Friday they have no plans to hold hearings on two conservative-backed initiatives focused on parental rights of students in public schools and banning transgender athletes from playing girls’ sports. washingtonstatestandard.com/2026/01/09/w...

Washington state pumps more tax dollars toward green jet fuel: Officials hope a new state-funded “accelerator” can tackle off-putting prices and other barriers to adoption of the fuel, which can reduce air travel emissions by 50-80%. washingtonstatestandard.com/2026/01/09/w...

Federal agents reportedly shot and injured two people in east Portland on Thursday afternoon, according to the Portland Police Bureau. washingtonstatestandard.com/2026/01/08/r...

Despite vows to restrict immigration authorities’ access to Washington state Department of Licensing information, the data sharing continued in a new form, researchers revealed Thursday. washingtonstatestandard.com/2026/01/08/i...

States are increasingly passing laws designed to protect the personal data collected through license plate readers and other means. “We’re entering an increasingly dystopian era of high-tech surveillance,” says one privacy advocate. washingtonstatestandard.com/2026/01/08/r...

As barbs fly and Trump wades in, a central WA congressional race heats up: Republican Amanda McKinney nabbed the president’s endorsement this week. But she’s also taking flak after saying she had a plan to “retire” U.S. Rep. Dan Newhouse. washingtonstatestandard.com/2026/01/07/a...

An ICE officer shot a woman driving an SUV through her car window in south Minneapolis on Wednesday morning. The person is dead, according to a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security. washingtonstatestandard.com/2026/01/07/r...

Washington is set to receive $181 million in federal funding this year to boost rural health care amid drastic Medicaid cuts. washingtonstatestandard.com/2026/01/06/h...

At least seven city councils around Washington have grappled over the past two years with whether to ban fluoride from drinking water. Dental experts point to benefits and say the mineral is safe at levels used in the U.S. washingtonstatestandard.com/2026/01/06/f...

How microschools and other innovative K-12 programs are catching on in Washington: Educators are exploring new and creative approaches to meeting students where they are academically. For some options, regulatory and funding frameworks are still evolving. washingtonstatestandard.com/2026/01/05/h...

Washington is close to opening a new incentive program for commercial fleet operators to transition trucks and other vehicles to models that run on electric or hydrogen power. washingtonstatestandard.com/2026/01/05/1...

The U.S. Postal Service has adopted a new rule that could create doubt about whether some ballots mailed by voters by Election Day will receive postmarks in time to be counted. washingtonstatestandard.com/2025/12/31/r...

These new laws and taxes will take effect in Washington state on Jan. 1. washingtonstatestandard.com/2025/12/30/t...

Highway 2 west of Stevens Pass will fully reopen by Sunday, Jan. 4, Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson said Tuesday. The major east-west route was damaged in this month's flooding and storms. washingtonstatestandard.com/briefs/highw...

In Washington orchards, the Trump administration's immigration crackdown is sowing fear and uncertainty among the farm labor workforce. washingtonstatestandard.com/2025/12/29/i...

About 20 miles of U.S. 2 are set to reopen Monday on the east side of the Cascades, allowing access to the Stevens Pass ski resort, after devastating flooding and debris slides destroyed parts of the highway this month. washingtonstatestandard.com/briefs/parti...

In early August, the leader of Washington’s Department of Fish and Wildlife had become so concerned with alleged behaviors of the citizen panel that he answers to that he asked Gov. Bob Ferguson to investigate. washingtonstatestandard.com/2025/12/26/p...

As more cities impose bans, fines or jail time for adults living on the streets, young people who have been homeless say they face unique problems that could have been addressed earlier. washingtonstatestandard.com/2025/12/25/r...

U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. declared a public health emergency Wednesday over this month’s flooding in Washington state. washingtonstatestandard.com/briefs/rfk-j...

Joe Nguyen is stepping down as director of Washington state’s Department of Commerce and is expected to be named the next leader of the Seattle Metropolitan Chamber. washingtonstatestandard.com/briefs/head-...

To solve a budget shortfall, Gov. Bob Ferguson is proposing to trim $800 million in spending, withdraw $1 billion from the state’s rainy day fund, and tap nearly $600 million in revenues from the Washington's auctions of air pollution allowances. washingtonstatestandard.com/2025/12/23/f...

Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson on Tuesday threw his support behind a proposed income tax on residents earning more than $1 million annually, and said he’s prepared to sign the policy into law next year. washingtonstatestandard.com/2025/12/23/f...

Communities along upper Lake Chelan are beginning the slow work of recovery after flooding and landslides damaged roads, homes and access to routes. washingtonstatestandard.com/2025/12/22/a...

Washington state troopers stop and search drivers of color more often than white Washingtonians, new data shows. washingtonstatestandard.com/2025/12/22/r...

Residents of Concrete, Washington, held their breath through a spate of natural disasters and severe weather that unfolded over the past two weeks, including flooding, landslides, and even a series of small earthquakes. washingtonstatestandard.com/2025/12/19/a...

Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson is asking lawmakers to fund $244 million in additional housing investments as part of a budget proposal released Thursday. washingtonstatestandard.com/2025/12/18/f...

The Trump administration has ordered Washington’s last coal-fired power station to continue burning coal, just weeks before it was scheduled to shut down and convert to natural gas fuel. washingtonstatestandard.com/2025/12/18/f...

President Donald Trump signed an executive order Thursday to loosen federal restrictions on marijuana, which Trump said reflected the drug’s potential medical benefits while discouraging recreational use. washingtonstatestandard.com/2025/12/18/r...

Measles infections reached 1,958 confirmed cases in 43 states through Dec. 16, threatening to undo the United States’ status as a nation that has eradicated the disease, according to a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. washingtonstatestandard.com/2025/12/17/r...

The Trump administration’s immigration crackdown intensified across Washington in the late summer and early fall, new data indicates. washingtonstatestandard.com/2025/12/17/i...

U.S. Rep. Dan Newhouse, one of two Republicans representing Washington state in Congress, will not run for reelection next year. washingtonstatestandard.com/2025/12/17/w...

Parts of U.S. 2, an important road cutting across Washington’s Cascade mountains, will likely remain closed for months due to flood and slide damage, Gov. Bob Ferguson and the state’s top transportation official said Tuesday. washingtonstatestandard.com/briefs/us-2-...

Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson said Tuesday that the state will look to spend $3.5 million on immediate assistance to those affected by the historic flooding of the past week. washingtonstatestandard.com/2025/12/16/f...

Washington and Oregon are still waiting for a new cost estimate to replace the Interstate 5 bridge over the Columbia River. It's expected to be higher than initial estimates in the $5 billion to $7.5 billion range. washingtonstatestandard.com/2025/12/15/w...

The nascent Washington agency tasked with investigating incidents when police kill people will grow its footprint to cover Pierce County, starting in May. washingtonstatestandard.com/2025/12/15/w...

There's talk about backtracking on a budget maneuver that will funnel sales tax dollars to Washington state's transportation budget. washingtonstatestandard.com/2025/12/15/m...

Washington begins to assess damage from record flooding: More rain is on the way, but further flooding isn’t expected to be as severe as what the state saw earlier this week. Winds could pick up, too. “We’re not out of the woods,” warned one meteorologist. washingtonstatestandard.com/2025/12/13/w...

While overflowing rivers were beginning to recede across western Washington on Friday, officials said it could be days or even weeks before residents can safely return to areas swamped by this week’s historic flooding. washingtonstatestandard.com/2025/12/12/t...