WA child welfare deaths drop significantly after record year
OLYMPIA [Jake Goldstein-Street]—Deaths and critical injuries among children in Washington’s child welfare system fell steeply in the first quarter of 2026, state officials reported Wednesday. Still, four children died and three more nearly died in the first three months of the year. The total of seven incidents is down from 22 in the same time period […]
Washington’s gas tax is going up, but state transportation revenue is falling short
OLYMPIA [Jerry Cornfield]—Washington state’s gas tax, already among the highest in the nation, is going up next week. The state’s per-gallon fuel tax of 55.4 cents will climb 1.1 cents on July 1. The 2% bump is the first of the annual inflationary adjustments required by a 2025 law. With the increase, Washington’s gas tax will […]
