WA lawmakers want to restrict ICE access to schools, health facilities
OLYMPIA [Jake Goldstein-Street]—Legislation to force U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to get court approval before entering schools and health care facilities cleared the Washington state Senate on Thursday. Senate Bill 5906 covers “nonpublic areas” of preschools, K-12 schools, health facilities, adult family homes, higher education institutions and election offices. It also prohibits early learning providers and […]
WA Fish and Wildlife saga deepens with claims of collusion
OLYMPIA [Jerry Cornfield]—Two members of the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission are pushing back on newly surfaced allegations that they shunned government transparency laws and appeared to have colluded with the leader of a wildlife advocacy group on policy matters. A scathing 10-page memo says the behavior of commissioners Lorna Smith and Melanie Rowland posed “serious risks” […]
Seattle-area state House race draws crowded field of Democratic hopefuls
OLYMPIA [Jake Goldstein-Street] – Four Democrats are on track to battle this year for an open Washington state House seat in a district stretching north from Seattle. Rep. Cindy Ryu’s decision to challenge Sen. Jesse Salomon, a fellow Democrat, is opening up her seat in the 32nd Legislative District. The safely blue district represents a slice of […]
WA Senate passes ban on police face coverings
OLYMPIA [Jake Goldstein-Street]—The Washington state Senate voted Wednesday to ban law enforcement from covering their faces in response to growing concerns over masked federal immigration agents. Senate Bill 5855 would cover local, state and federal law enforcement, with limited exceptions for uses like personal protective equipment and undercover or SWAT operations. The proposal is sure to […]
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 […]
Dueling Democrats: WA House member looks to unseat senator from her own party
(Washington State Standard)—Two Democratic state lawmakers are set to clash in 2026 in one of the party’s strongholds in western Washington. State Rep. Cindy Ryu has launched a campaign to unseat Sen. Jesse Salomon, saying the colleague she once endorsed is “too moderate” for their district, which straddles the border of King and Snohomish counties. “He’s my […]
These Washington State laws take effect July 1
Fee hikes for hunting and fishing licenses, workplace protections for immigrants and increased requirements for gun dealers are among the Washington state laws going into effect July 1. Drivers can also expect increased prices at the pump as a 6-cent hike in Washington’s gas tax goes into effect Tuesday, the start of the state’s 2026 fiscal year. […]
Washington gets its first presidential candidate, RF Kennedy Jr.
Washington voters will likely see Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (RFK Jr.) as one of their choices for president this fall. On Friday, June 14, Kennedy filed to represent the We the People party on the November general election ballot. He would appear with Nicole Shanahan, his pick for vice president. Kennedy is the first minor party candidate to submit the […]
