Political
Need information regarding current political news? Here we'll keep you updated on the latest political news, locally and nationally.
Mayor Peter Sharp takes oath of office
SOAP LAKE – Grant County Commissioner Kevin Burgess adminstered the oath of office to Mayor Peter Sharp Wednesday.…
CTUIR, Corps of Engineers sign pact to improve Mill Creek fish passage
WALLA WALLA — Officials from the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers held a signing Jan. 10 at the Corps’ W…
‘To Washington, I bid you fair winds and following seas’
OLYMPIA — In his final State of the State address delivered before a joint session of the Washington Legislature on Jan. 12, Governor Jay Inslee reflected on h…
Rent control takes center stage on first day of 2025 WA legislative session
(The Center Square) – Monday marked the beginning of the 105-day legislative session in Washington state. During this session, lawmakers will address a variety…
Dent outlines his priorities for WA’s 2025 session
OLYMPIA – As Washington State begins its 2025 legislative session today, Rep. Tom Dent, the 13th District's legislative representative, prepares to tackle a my…
Sen. Warnick outlines legislative priorities for 2025 session
OLYMPIA — In anticipation of the upcoming 2025 legislative session, starting today, Washington State Senator Judy Warnick discussed her key priorities and stra…
Washington Democrats resurrect rent control proposal
(The Center Square) – Democrats in the Washington State Legislature are taking another run at rent control with pre-filed legislation to that effect for the 10…
Concerns remain over data collection for AGO police use of force database
(The Center Square) – Ongoing concerns remain among 911 dispatch centers in the state over the use of certain data by a police use of force database project he…
Republican rep offers bill to amend Washington's 'mature minor doctrine'
(The Center Square) – In March 2024, the Washington State Legislature passed Initiative 2081, the parents’ bill of rights, which took effect on June 6 of that …
Charlie Clark re-tapped to head DFI
OLYMPIA – Charlie Clark has been reappointed director of the Washington State Department of Financial Institutions, according to a Monday announcement from Gov…
Environmental group highlights goals for upcoming legislative session
OLYMPIA — The 2025 Washington legislative session will begin Monday and the Washington Conservation Action’s Environmental Priorities Coalition has four goals …
Medicare out-of-pocket cap on prescriptions takes effect
WASHINGTON, D.C. — More than 70,000 seniors in Washington state will save hundreds or thousands of dollars each year thanks to the new annual cap on out-of-poc…
Budget deficit may mean protecting, not expanding, substance abuse treatment programs
(The Center Square) – A prominent state senator indicated that fiscal reality could mean prioritizing and protecting substance abuse recovery programs that are…
Washington bill clarifies facility siting for 'Holy Grail' of energy
(The Center Square) – A Washington bill pre-filed for the 2025 legislative session would add fusion energy centers as among facilities that can receive site ce…
Law enforcement funding, recruitment, retention challenging
OLYMPIA — A proposal to allocate money to help hire additional law enforcement officers would address one part of a complex challenge – but recruiting isn’t ne…
Fifteen WA bills enacted in the new year
OLYMPIA – At the beginning of 2025, a suite of fifteen Washington bills became law, transforming key areas from health care to workers’ rights, to cosmetics.