WA governor’s $1B borrowing plan to buy new ferries sinks in Legislature
OLYMPIA [Tom Banse]—Budget writers in the Washington Legislature on Monday declared their intent to eventually buy more hybrid electric ferries to modernize the state ferry fleet. But newly unveiled House and Senate transportation spending proposals left at the dock a $1 billion borrowing request from the governor to pay the tab, raising doubts about when and how […]
WA State Senate approves Millionaires’ Tax on personal income
OLYMPIA [JERRY CORNFIELD & BILL LUCIA]—Washington state moved one step closer Monday, February 16, to creating a personal income tax two years after the Legislature said it wouldn’t. Majority Democrats in the Senate advanced legislation on a 27-22 vote to tax households earning more than a million dollars. Passage of the bill followed a three-and-a-half hour debate on […]
First Amendment Battle Heats Up: Journalists sue WA State House over denied press credentials
OLYMPIA—The Citizen Action Defense Fund (CADF) filed a lawsuit on Tuesday, February 10, against the Washington State House of Representatives and the Washington State Capitol Correspondents Association (WSCCA) on behalf of three prominent journalists—Ari Hoffman, Brandi Kruse, and Jonathan Choe—after all three were denied legislative press credentials to cover proceedings at the Washington State Capitol. […]
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 […]
WA Senate approves new bill lowering drunk driving limit to 0.05% BAC
OLYMPIA [Jerry Cornfield]—Washington took a major stride Wednesday toward slashing the state’s legal limit for driving drunk. A divided state Senate voted 26-23 to approve legislation to reduce the maximum allowable blood alcohol concentration for drivers from 0.08% to 0.05%. If it makes it through the House and into law, Washington would join Utah with the toughest […]
What’s on the agenda for Washington’s 2026 legislative session
With a looming $1.6 billion to $2.3 billion budget shortfall hanging over the Washington state legislature, House and Senate leaders and Governor Bob Ferguson presented differing proposals to address the issue. Three panels of House and Senate leaders discussed the state’s transportation budget and general fund, while Ferguson renewed his support for a “millionaire tax.” […]
Ferguson and aviation leaders announce new Cascadia Sustainable Aviation Accelerator initiative
MUKILTEO—Washington State Governor Bob Ferguson, Snohomish County Executive Dave Somers, Senator Marko Liias, other law makers, and leaders in aviation technology research and sustainability launched the Cascadia Sustainable Aviation Accelerator (CSAA) today – a new initiative designed to accelerate Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) production deployment and adoption across the Pacific Northwest. “Clean fuels are a […]
2025 Recap of Transformative Developments Across Snohomish County
In 2025, Snohomish County witnessed a surge of major construction projects and community-focused developments that reshaped infrastructure, housing, and public spaces. Below is our highlights for our coverage in 2025. Senator Liias and Sno-Isle staff visit future site of new Mariner Library Community Campus Demolition of Patty’s Eggnest restaurant in South Everett’s Mariner neighborhood began […]
‘Infrastructure means access,’ Ferguson’s new $2.1 billion maintenance push for safe roads and bridges
LACEY—Governor Bob Ferguson unveiled a $2.1 billion plan on Friday to bolster preservation and maintenance of Washington’s roads and bridges, marking the largest such investment in any enacted budget over the past two decades. The proposal, which requires legislative approval during the 2026 session, aims to address long-standing “neglect,” according to Ferguson, in the state’s […]
2026 Legislative Kickoff: April Berg, Sam Low, Carolyn Eslick, Marko Liias talk transportation, new taxes, and housing
EVERETT—The Economic Alliance of Snohomish County held a Legislative Kickoff event on Wednesday, December 10, featuring a panel discussion with Washington State Representatives Sam Low (R-39), April Berg (D-44), Carolyn Eslick (R-39), and Washington State Senator Marko Liias (D-21). Topics of conversation spanned the lawmakers’ priorities going into the 2026 legislative session, and an array […]
