New targeted tax in WA aims to keep coal power plant shut down

OLYMPIA [TOM BANSE]—Tax legislation Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson signed Wednesday targets the last coal-fired power plant in the Pacific Northwest. But if the coal tax and a related climate pollution fee work as the Legislature intended, the state treasury will never collect a dime under the new law. That is because the idled Centralia, Washington, generating […]

Ferguson and congressional leaders request Trump to approve Major FEMA support after historic floods

OLYMPIA—Washington State Governor Bob Ferguson on January 21, in unison with the entire bi-partisan Washington state congressional delegation the following day, sent letters to President Donald J Trump requesting critical FEMA designation, and funding, to help communities impacted by the record-breaking flooding in December 2025. For nearly two weeks in December, many rivers across Washington […]

Skagit levees face critical test, Ferguson warns of ‘Very Serious’ flooding

MOUNT VERNON—Governor Bob Ferguson on Thursday urged Washington residents facing flooding to immediately evacuate if ordered, stressing the “very, very serious situation” posed by what he described as potentially historic and unpredictable waters across the state as a result of the atmospheric river that slammed the Pacific Northwest. “This is obviously a statewide emergency impacting […]