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Latest reporting from the Statehouse desk.
Statehouse
View MoreDemocrats near House supermajority in Olympia after election sweep
Washington House Democrats are on track to hold 66 seats after flipping multiple Republican-held districts on Nov. 3, reaching the two-thirds supermajority needed to pass bonds, override vetoes and advance constitutional amendments without Republican votes.
Statehouse
View MoreFerguson names Jenifer Chao to lead state AAPI commission
Gov. Bob Ferguson appointed Jenifer Chao, a Mien immigrant with more than 25 years of public policy experience, as executive director of the Olympia-based Commission on Asian Pacific American Affairs, effective Nov. 1.
Statehouse
View MoreFerguson honors engineer who helped reopen U.S. 2 early
Gov. Bob Ferguson presented 26 Governor's Outstanding Leadership Awards at the Executive Mansion in Olympia on Oct. 26, including one to WSDOT's Jacob Cunnington for helping reopen U.S. 2 in Tumwater Canyon a month ahead of schedule after catastrophic December 2025 flooding.
Statehouse
View MoreOlympia holiday markets open Nov. 6, run through December
Holiday markets and bazaars across the Olympia and Tumwater area run from Nov. 6 through mid-December, with standout events including the 150-vendor Olympia High School Bearzaar, a Native Holiday Market at Evergreen's House of Welcome and the LoveOly Winterfest downtown.
Statehouse
View MoreOlympia clinics brace as Medicaid cuts threaten billions statewide
Federal Medicaid cuts are projected to cost Washington hospitals $339 million in 2027, rising to $1 billion annually by the 2030s. The Olympia Free Clinic is preparing for a surge in uninsured patients as about 200,000 Washingtonians lose coverage.
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.
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