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.…
Beef at the WA Capitol
OLYMPIA – A big grill billowed smoke just in front of the steps of the Capitol Building in Olympia Thursday. A line of hungry visitors didn’t let the rain get …
Ybarra talks votes on drug testing, police body cams
OLYMPIA — Rep. Alex Ybarra, R-Quincy, said he has been thinking about a couple of bills he recently cast votes on that are working their way out of the legisla…
Newspaper tax break bill passes WA Senate
OLYMPIA – Legislation to help support the news media by exempting them from the state business and occupation tax passed the state Senate Friday. “Local jou…
Capped: Washington sets permanent price cap at $35 per month for insulin
OLYMPIA – Gov. Jay Inslee signed Senate Bill 5729 Thursday, which ensures that Washingtonians with diabetes will continue to pay no more than $35 a month for i…
Restoring enforcement
OLYMPIA – Tuesday evening the state House Committee on Safety, Justice and Reentry voted to advance two important bills; Senate Bill 5352 concerning vehicular …
Senate and House capital proposals may fund Grant projects
OLYMPIA – While the final budget has not yet been decided, both the Washington House and Senate have released Capital Budget proposals detailing how much they …
‘The new Cape Canaveral’
MOSES LAKE — “How can we help you?” It was the question Gov. Jay Inslee asked several times on Tuesday during a visit to Moses Lake to meet with the heads o…
Bill to improve APS moves to Inslee’s desk
OLYMPIA – A bill aimed to improve adult protective services moves to the desk of Washington Governor Jay Inslee. The bill would require the state Department of Social and Health Services and law enforcement to shar…
Washington Beef Day set
OLYMPIA – A release from the Washington Cattlemen's Association announces that Beef Day on the Hill in Olympia will be held April 6. The Washington Cattlemen’s Association will be barbequing tri-tip provided by Wa…
Teacher support for media literacy proposed
OLYMPIA - A public-school grant program to help students evaluate news reports would be established if a bill passed by the state Senate makes its way through the House of Representatives. The amount of the gra…
List of mandated reporters for vulnerable adults may expand
OLYMPIA - More people working in public sector jobs would be required to report suspected abuse of senior adults under a bill now being debated in the state Legislature. “Typically, the first idea that we have t…
Olympia considering regulatory updates
OLYMPIA - Only a small handful of bills in the legislature this session relate to fishing, while not all will survive, it is important to know what is being co…
Bill targets use of pill presses to make counterfeit drugs
OLYMPIA – A bill targeting people using pill presses to make fake pills that contain controlled substances had an executive session this week in the Washington…
Sales tax exemption for seniors’ meals passes WA House
OLYMPIA – Washington House Bill 1431, sponsored by Rep. Joe Timmons (D-Bellingham), would provide a sales tax relief for residents of senior living communities…
Crisis center legislation would help bring solutions to crisis intervention, sponsors say
OLYMPIA — A bill to create crisis relief centers licensed by the Washington Department of Health will help bring solutions to many issues surrounding people go…