Judge Ian Birk to Run for State Supreme Court Justice
SEATTLE– State Appeals Court Judge Ian Birk has announced that he will run for State Supreme Court Justice. Birk, 47, has served on Division 1 of the Appellate Court since 2022, following a two-decade year career as a leading litigator and plaintiff’s attorney. He is presently seeking the open seat being vacated by retiring Justice […]
Cantwell shows her support for the Seattle Seahawks in the world’s most remote continent
SOUTH POLE—Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) showed her support for the Seattle Seahawks in Antarctica – the world’s most remote, and isolated, continent – ahead of the Seattle sports team’s Super Bowl matchup against the New England Patriots Sunday. Cantwell was visiting Antarctica for a congressional delegation, her office said. This morning Sen. Cantwell continued her […]
Bill to regulate ALPR Cameras passes state Senate, now heads to House
OLYMPIA [CASSIE DIAMOND]—A bill establishing a regulatory structure for automated license plate reader (ALPR) cameras advanced out of the state Senate Wednesday, Feb. 4. Senate Bill 6002 would restrict the use of ALPR cameras by state and local agencies, set a retention period for the data collected and limit the sharing of data. ALPR cameras, also […]
Bill proposes permanent tax break for senior centers
OLYMPIA [ANNIKA HAUER]—Roughly 200 senior centers in Washington state could become permanently exempt from paying property taxes under a proposed bill, which passed its first committee Feb. 3. In 2017, House Bill 1526 established that senior centers did not have to pay those taxes. That bill had an automatic termination, or “sunset clause,” set for […]
Sen Liias bill would expand pedestrian access in construction zones
OLYMPIA [CASSIE DIAMOND]—Hospitals, parks and schools: These key locations are the focus of a bill that would require accessible pedestrian passage to be maintained during construction there. The prime sponsor of Senate Bill 6311, Sen. Marko Liias, D-Edmonds, said the measure was born out of a story he heard from Monroe about a hospital that […]
Bill seeks to expand state’s involuntary treatment law
OLYMPIA [CASSIE DIAMOND]—The Senate Law and Justice Committee held a hearing Feb. 2 for legislation that would make it easier to commit someone to involuntary mental health treatment. Sen. Jesse Salomon, D-Shoreline, is the prime sponsor of Senate Bill 6296, which is scheduled for an executive session Feb. 3. Salomon said there is a need to […]
ICE Out: Heated debate on bill to bar hiring of ICE agents
OLYMPIA [CASSIE DIAMOND]—Lawmakers clashed during a public hearing for a bill that would prohibit Washington law enforcement agencies from employing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers hired after Trump’s second-term inauguration. During a House Community Safety Committee meeting Thursday, Jan. 29, the division between Democratic and Republican legislators regarding their stances towards ICE was made […]
Senate bill addresses grocery closures in food deserts
OLYMPIA [CASSIE DIAMOND]– When the Fred Meyer in Tacoma’s South End neighborhood closed in September 2025, local resident Steven Bock said he considered leaving the area. “Our store was a primary food source of our district for almost 50 years, half a century,” Bock said. “My neighborhood is now without its last source of food […]
Snohomish County expands Agricultural Advisory Board to broaden industry representation
SNOHOMISH COUNTY – Snohomish County is expanding its Agricultural Advisory Board with the addition of two new positions to better reflect the breadth of the county’s agricultural economy. The new positions were requested by the Agricultural Advisory Board and include one forestry representative (starting in 2026) and one representative from an agribusiness but may not […]
