Statehouse

Latest reporting from the Statehouse desk.

Statehouse

Latest reporting from the Statehouse desk.

Statehouse

Latest reporting from the Statehouse desk.

  • Gun belt, carry holster, gun holster, leather gun belt, handgun holster, gun, handgun, pistol, gun belt, gun belt, gun b

    Statehouse

    View More

    Washington gun permit law targets May 2027 launch

    Washington State Patrol is building the system for a new $126 permit-to-purchase gun law taking effect May 1, 2027, but the rollout has already stumbled over an NRA instructor policy reversal, and a Franklin County sheriff calls the law unconstitutional.

  • Doctors talking with patients during a medical appointment in a clinic office setting.

    Statehouse

    View More

    Washington sues over federal ban on youth gender-affirming care

    Washington Attorney General Nick Brown joined 21 states and D.C. in suing the Trump administration over a federal rule that would end Medicaid and CHIP reimbursement for gender-affirming care for minors, costing the state about $1 million a year when it takes effect Oct. 13.

  • Official portrait of a woman in a gray blazer before a U.S. flag.

    Statehouse

    View More

    Trump nominates Pete Serrano as Western Washington U.S. attorney

    President Trump nominated Pete Serrano, a former Pasco mayor and current Eastern District federal prosecutor, to lead the Western District of Washington, which covers Olympia and Thurston County; Sen. Patty Murray vowed to block the nomination using the blue slip process.

  • Bunches of broccoli as ready for cooking

    Statehouse

    View More

    FDA recalls broccoli sprouts sold across Washington for salmonella

    The FDA recalled 215 cases of broccoli sprouts from Idaho-based Evergreen Fresh Sprouts after lab tests confirmed salmonella, with use-by dates as late as Sept. 16 still in circulation at Washington grocery stores and restaurants.

  • Two salmon swimming underwater over a rocky gravel riverbed in a clear stream.

    Statehouse

    View More

    Washington AG files two lawsuits over endangered species rollbacks

    Washington Attorney General Nick Brown co-led 21 attorneys general in filing two federal lawsuits Wednesday, Sept. 9, challenging Trump administration rollbacks to Endangered Species Act protections that the coalition says threaten orca and salmon habitat.

  • Neoclassical government building with large dome and tall columns under a blue sky.

    Statehouse

    View More

    Washington health insurance premiums jump 22% for 2027

    Washington Insurance Commissioner Patty Kuderer approved a 22.2% average rate hike for ACA exchange plans starting Jan. 1, 2027, marking the second consecutive year of 20%-plus increases for roughly 250,000 enrollees statewide, including self-employed workers and small businesses in Olympia and Tumwater.

  • Grand marble interior lobby with tall columns, ornate ceiling, and hanging lantern fixtures.

    Statehouse

    View More

    5 WA Supreme Court races draw record outside money before Nov. 3

    Five Washington State Supreme Court seats are on the Nov. 3 ballot, with two independent political groups raising a combined $900,000 and a looming constitutional fight over the state's new income tax shaping the races decided at the Temple of Justice in Olympia.

  • Grand stone steps leading up to a neoclassical domed capitol building under a partly cloudy sky.

    Statehouse

    View More

    Ethics board meets Thursday after $52K penalty order

    Washington's Legislative Ethics Board meets Thursday on the Capitol Campus to continue deliberating Advisory Opinion 26-1, discuss a possible rule amendment and hear public testimony before entering executive session on pending complaints.

  • Dome and colonnade of a neoclassical capitol building against a clear blue sky.

    Statehouse

    View More

    Ferguson signs order as 200,000 face Medicaid coverage loss

    Gov. Bob Ferguson signed Executive Order 26-03 on Sept. 3 to create a state response committee and public-awareness campaign as up to 200,000 Washingtonians face losing Medicaid coverage under H.R. 1, with the first 11,000 losing eligibility Oct. 1.

  • Multi-story stone courthouse building with American flag on rooftop flagpole.

    Statehouse

    View More

    Olympia man faces 4 felony charges in child rape case

    Jesus Ramirez Molina, 42, faces arraignment at 9 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 1, in Thurston County Superior Court on four felony charges, each carrying a possible life sentence, after allegedly kidnapping and raping a 13-year-old girl in Olympia.

  • A man in a dark suit and striped tie speaks at a podium in front of a branded event backdrop.

    Statehouse

    View More

    Reykdal seeks Imagination Library funding after Parton's death

    State Superintendent Chris Reykdal is urging Washington lawmakers to restore funding for the Imagination Library, a free book program serving 120,000 children statewide that lost its state funding in the 2025 budget.

  • Finger navigating Instagram app on a smartphone screen with colorful blurred background.

    Statehouse

    View More

    Washington wins $227 million from Meta over children's safety

    Washington will receive at least $227 million over 10 years from a multistate settlement with Meta requiring Instagram and Facebook to impose daily time limits, nighttime blocks and school-hours notification curbs for teen users.