2026 Legislative Wrap-Up Featuring Liias, Low, and Wagoner on March 17
EVERETT — Economic Alliance Snohomish County (EASC) will host a virtual 2026 Legislative Wrap-Up on Tuesday, March 17 from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m., bringing together state lawmakers to discuss key outcomes from the recently concluded Washington State Legislative Session and what they mean for the region’s economy and communities. Part of EASC’s Coffee Chats series, […]
Hundreds of Kamiak students walkout of class to protest ICE
MUKILTEO—Hundreds of Kamiak High School students walked out of class on Wednesday, February 4, to protest recent ICE-related deaths and immigration enforcement “without due cause.” The walkout was organized through social media channels and word of mouth. Though Kamiak Principal Stephen Shurtleff, and several teachers, were aware of the walkout prior they approached the protest […]
WA lawmakers push for state to embrace nuclear energy
OLYMPIA [By: Ayeda Masood] – The United States Department of Energy (DOE) is looking for a home for a new nuclear energy site – the Nuclear Lifecycle Innovation Campus (NLIC) – and “Washington is the perfect place to put that,” Rep. Stephanie Barnard, R-Pasco, said in an interview. Many nuclear energy-related bills introduced in Washington’s […]
Tension rising over how to spend revenue from proposed WA income tax
OLYMPIA [Bill Lucia] — A day after the Washington state Senate approved an income tax on millionaire earners, Gov. Bob Ferguson said he’s still not satisfied with the bill. He’s previously preached the need to pump a significant portion of the proceeds toward tax relief. On Tuesday, he said lawmakers hadn’t gone far enough and […]
Bill targets elected sheriffs for removal by appointed state board without a public vote
OLYMPIA—A divided Washington state Senate committee advanced a bill on February 9, 2026, that would empower a state oversight board to remove elected sheriffs from office if their peace officer certification was revoked, igniting a fierce debate over balancing accountability in law enforcement with the rights of local voters. Senate Bill 5974 cleared the Ways […]
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. […]
Seattle pushes Olympia for funding on housing, public safety and immigrant aid
[The Center Square]—Seattle is pushing for a state-level backstop to help fund immigrant services and other top priorities as the Trump administration escalates federal immigration enforcement nationwide. The Seattle Office of Intergovernmental Relations briefed the city council on a proposed state legislative agenda for next year’s session during a council briefing on Monday. Priorities ranged from public […]
Washington lawmakers want to regulate license plate readers
OLYMPIA [Jake Goldstein-Street]—Washington state lawmakers next year hope to rein in law enforcement’s use of automated license plate readers amid revelations federal immigration authorities are using the data. The readers are mounted everywhere from street poles to police patrol cars. They take pictures of vehicles and use artificial intelligence to analyze the data. Police can […]
Pedersen elected new WA State Senate Majority Leader
TUKWILA—Senator Jamie Pedersen (D-Seattle) will be the new Senate Majority Leader in the Washington State Senate, following a vote among Senate Democrats on Monday, November 11. Pedersen will take over immediately as Sen. Andy Billig (D-Spokane) prepares to retire after 14 years of service in the Legislature, including six years (2018-2024) as leader of the […]
Here are the pros and cons for each statewide initiative
Ballots for the November 5 General Election have already hit mailboxes throughout Snohomish County and the polls are now open for early voting in Washington. Those who have started the early voting process may have noticed a set of ballot initiatives in their Voters’ Pamphlet. The Lynnwood Times broke down the pro and con arguments […]
