Statehouse
Statehouse
Latest reporting from the Statehouse desk.
Statehouse
Latest reporting from the Statehouse desk.
Statehouse
Latest reporting from the Statehouse desk.
Statehouse
View MoreWashington minimum wage rises to $17.73 in Olympia, Tumwater
Washington's minimum wage rises 60 cents to $17.73 per hour on Jan. 1, and Olympia-area employers face higher overtime thresholds too.
Statehouse
View MoreFerguson cellphone ban would end lunchtime phone use in Olympia
Gov. Bob Ferguson plans to prefile a bill in December banning cellphones in Washington K-12 schools bell-to-bell, a mandate that would tighten Olympia School District's current policy and formalize Tumwater's existing restrictions.
Statehouse
View More5 Washington Supreme Court seats face voters Nov. 3
Washington voters will choose five of nine state Supreme Court justices on Nov. 3, the most in modern state history, with millions of dollars flowing into races that could reshape the court's ideological balance ahead of major rulings on the state income tax and other issues.
Statehouse
View MoreFerguson asks Trump for $128.9 million in wildfire aid
Gov. Bob Ferguson asked President Trump for a federal Major Disaster Declaration to unlock an estimated $128.9 million for Eastern Washington wildfire recovery, while announcing state-level measures including building code flexibility, sales tax rebates and permit fee waivers.
Statehouse
View MoreWashington adds 2,400 free preschool slots with Ballmer funds
Gov. Bob Ferguson and DCYF announced 42 new ECEAP sites statewide on Monday, adding roughly 2,400 free preschool slots for low-income 3- and 4-year-olds through a public-private partnership with the Ballmer Group worth over $251 million in the 2026-27 school year.
Statehouse
View MoreWashington 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.
Statehouse
View MoreWashington 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.
Statehouse
View MoreTrump 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.
Statehouse
View MoreFDA 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.
Statehouse
View MoreWashington 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.
Statehouse
View MoreWashington 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.
Statehouse
View More5 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.
©2026 Capitol Record
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©2026 Capitol Record
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©2026 Capitol Record
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