Political
Need information regarding current political news? Here we'll keep you updated on the latest political news, locally and nationally.
Dent leads Garcia in 13th District race
MOSES LAKE — Incumbent Rep. Tom Dent, R-Moses Lake, maintained a commanding lead in the race for Position 1 in Was…
School district levies on Feb. 10 ballot
EPHRATA — Several school districts across Grant and Adams counties are asking voters to approve a series of levy replacements in the upcoming special election,…
Millionaires tax proposed in Olympia, spurring debate
OLYMPIA — Washington’s Democratic lawmakers revealed their anticipated “Millionaires Tax” Tuesday, receiving pushback from Gov. Bob Ferguson and stern oppositi…
Soap Lake council member asks for Sharp’s resignation
SOAP LAKE — During the Wednesday Soap Lake City Council meeting, tensions surfaced as Council Member Andrew Arnold called for Mayor Peter Sharp’s resignation.
Ephrata leaders push for local control, infrastructure protections in Olympia
EPHRATA — Three Ephrata city leaders spent two days in Olympia last week meeting with state lawmakers on a wide range of bills affecting homelessness policy, h…
Washington students work for state cactus
OLYMPIA — The Washington State Legislature started the session with a prickly subject. “Sometimes folks think Olympia is all about the thorny issues but tod…
Gregg announces candidacy for Grant County Sheriff
MOSES LAKE — Darrik Gregg, a law enforcement officer with 23 years of experience in various capacities, has announced his candidacy for Grant County Sheriff. H…
Sen. Warnick pushing to restrict the use of SNAP benefits to purchase unhealthy foods ahead of policy committee deadline
OLYMPIA — Sen. Judy Warnick, R-Moses Lake, is working to restrict the use of benefits from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program to purchase unhealthy …
WA House holds hearing on aircraft tax
OLYMPIA — The House Transportation Committee held a public hearing Thursday on House Bill 2347, which would repeal the 10% sales and use tax on non‑commercial …
WA lawmakers introduce bipartisan bill to preserve the state’s historic apples
OLYMPIA — As the nation’s top apple producer, Washington is best known for varieties such as Gala, Honeycrisp, Granny Smith, Fuji, and Red Delicious. But acros…
Washington lawmakers push to regulate data centers
OLYMPIA — Land of the french fries and all things potato, Quincy has become home base for Washington’s data center boom. Home to 13 data centers, the industry …
Moses Lake sisters spend week as legislative pages
OLYMPIA — Twin sisters from Moses Lake served as Washington legislative pages, one in the state Senate and one in the state House of Representatives, for a wee…
WA lawmakers look to prohibit time caps on anesthesia reimbursement
OLYMPIA — Washington lawmakers are reintroducing a bill that would protect insurance coverage on anesthesia services. House Bill 1812, sponsored by Rep. Al…
Ephrata High tackles ‘Grease’ in aging PAC
EPHRATA — As students at Ephrata High School prepare to debut the musical “Grease,” they’re also grappling with the limits of a Performing Arts Center which th…
Dent working to secure aviation assets for local fire districts
OLYMPIA — Rep. Tom Dent, R-Moses Lake, is working on a bipartisan bill that would make funding for aviation wildfire suppression permanent. The Aviation A…
Adams County Auditor will not seek reelection in 2026
RITZVILLE — Adams County Auditor Heidi Hunt announced Tuesday she would not be running for fourth term. “It’s just a good time to step aside,” Hunt said.