Local News in Washington
100 articles · Page 3 of 5
- LocalWA
‘Blue envelopes’ seek to reduce WA traffic stop risks for neurodivergent drivers
Traffic stops can be anxiety-inducing encounters, especially for people with autism. To address this, Washington is establishing a program to improve communication between neurodivergent people and police during stops. Under a new law Gov. Bob Ferguson signed last week, the state Department of Licensing needs to establish the “Blue Envelope” program. On the envelope must […]
State News – Washington - LocalWA
Environment and climate bills that passed and failed in WA’s legislative session
With just three more sessions scheduled before state law mandates greenhouse gas emissions in Washington be at least 45% below 1990 levels, lawmakers took this year to close polluter loopholes in the state’s climate laws and advance a major bill to upgrade and expand the electrical grid. Data centers were also a huge draw this […]
State News – Washington - LocalWA
Drop in US opioid overdose deaths nears 50% since 2023
Since their peak less than three years ago, opioid overdose deaths dropped nearly by half as of October, according to a Stateline analysis. The drop comes as a shrinking fentanyl supply has made the drug weaker and less deadly and volunteer efforts get more people into treatment. The weaker fentanyl tracks to a crackdown on […]
State News – Washington - LocalWA
Buoyed by big projects and a big lease sale, Alaska oil companies project optimism
Representatives of major oil field operators on Alaska’s North Slope said Thursday they are bullish on the region’s future as a major producer for decades to come. Their optimism was reinforced in part by a record-breaking oil and gas lease sale held this week by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management. For ConocoPhillips, Alaska’s largest […]
State News – Washington - LocalWA
Trump is forcing coal plants to stay open. It could cost customers billions
In an unprecedented use of federal authority, President Donald Trump’s administration has invoked emergency powers to force a series of retiring coal plants to stay open. Utilities, states and grid operators have said the aging plants are expensive, in bad repair and no longer needed to meet regional energy needs. But Trump’s efforts to save […]
State News – Washington - LocalWA
After shocking revelations, WA leaders reconsider Cesar Chavez recognition
State lawmakers and the governor are rethinking how Washington marks the legacy of Cesar Chavez following stunning accusations of sexual abuse against the transformational leader of the farmworker movement. In 2018, Washington passed a law recognizing “Cesar Chavez Day” on March 31, the birthday of the co-founder of the United Farm Workers union. But top […]
State News – Washington - LocalWA
WA governor prepares to meet with NBA commissioner as hopes rise for Sonics’ return
Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson on Thursday previewed an upcoming meeting with NBA Commissioner Adam Silver ahead of a planned vote on league expansion that could bring men’s professional basketball back to Seattle. ESPN has reported that the Tuesday and Wednesday meetings of the NBA’s board of governors next week in New York would include a […]
State News – Washington - LocalWA
HHS to investigate 13 states that require insurers to cover abortions
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services on Thursday announced an investigation into 13 states that require health insurance plans to cover abortion care. In a news release, the agency said the investigation is based on allegations that the states are coercing health care entities to provide coverage of abortion “contrary to conscience” and in […]
State News – Washington - LocalWA
Education Department to transfer management of defaulted student loans to Treasury
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Treasury Department will take over the Department of Education’s responsibility for collecting on defaulted federal student loan debt, President Donald Trump’s administration announced Thursday. It’s the first step in a multi-phase process that will end with Treasury taking on the entire federal student loan portfolio. It’s also the latest interagency agreement announced […]
State News – Washington - LocalWA
Contraception services dropped after ‘defunding’ provision hit clinics
Visits for contraception and cancer screenings at Planned Parenthood clinics have dropped by double-digits after Congress passed a bill cutting off Medicaid funding to certain reproductive health care providers last year, according to a new Democratic congressional report. Between July 1 and the end of December, the report said emergency contraception distribution fell 10%, oral contraception […]
State News – Washington - LocalWA
Army Corps plan for Columbia River dredge spoils could cost SW Washington ports millions
The federal agency that maintains the Columbia River’s shipping channel is proposing to build seven giant in-water pens as part of a $377 million project to manage dredge spoils over the next 20 years. Meanwhile, the river’s shipping industry is working to get local ports off the hook for part of the $132 million they […]
State News – Washington - LocalWA
Around US, lawmakers push to expand laws allowing guns on college campuses
In at least six statehouses this year, lawmakers are revisiting a long-running debate over whether guns should be allowed on college campuses. Republican lawmakers in Florida, Louisiana, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Utah and Wyoming have introduced bills that would allow students, staff or visitors with concealed carry permits — and in some cases, without permits […]
State News – Washington - LocalWA
Face mask ban for police in Washington is signed into law
SEATTLE — Law enforcement officers in Washington state can no longer cover their faces to conceal their identities. The law, signed Thursday by Gov. Bob Ferguson, seeks to unmask federal immigration agents detaining people under President Donald Trump. But Senate Bill 5855 also applies equally to state and local police. It takes effect immediately. Ferguson […]
State News – Washington - LocalWA
Markwayne Mullin’s nomination to lead Homeland Security advances to US Senate floor
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Thursday voted to move forward Oklahoma Sen. Markwayne Mullin’s nomination to lead the Department of Homeland Security. After the 8-7 vote, Mullin’s nomination will head to the Senate floor. Thursday’s vote comes a day after Mullin, a Republican, appeared before the committee in a […]
State News – Washington - LocalWA
New law seeks to help clear up Washington’s DUI testing backlog
Thousands of cases have piled up in Washington as they await state testing to confirm if a driver was under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Prosecutors say this is leaving people on the road despite potentially having driven impaired, while authorities await results. To relieve pressure on the Washington State Patrol’s toxicology lab, a […]
State News – Washington - LocalWA
Transparency battles are getting more difficult in WA
Protecting the people’s right to know in Washington state is a constant battle that is getting even harder. That’s a tough message to deliver, especially during Sunshine Week. Sunshine Week runs March 15-21 this year. It’s meant to educate, recommit and celebrate the fight for openness in government, believing it is the best way to ensure accountability […]
State News – Washington - LocalWA
Washington state clarifies what is an ‘election’
A new state law aims to erase any confusion about Washington’s ban on voting more than once in an election. Its approval follows a court decision that officials warned could incite voter fraud. Longstanding Washington law makes it illegal for a person to cast more than one ballot in any election in the state, or […]
State News – Washington - LocalWA
Trump’s tariffs were ruled illegal. Where’s the refund of $166 billion — plus interest?
WASHINGTON — Arizona coffee roaster Gabe Hagen is wondering if he’ll ever recoup the tens of thousands of dollars he paid in tariffs to import beans from the world’s major coffee-growing regions in South America, Africa and the Indo-Pacific. Weeks after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down President Donald Trump’s emergency tariffs as illegal, Hagen […]
State News – Washington - LocalWA
WA students attending private universities to see state financial aid cut
This fall, students in Washington who attend private universities and receive state financial aid will see their tuition awards reduced by nearly a third. Though a bill to prevent this garnered bipartisan support and made headway in both chambers of the state Legislature, it ultimately did not get a House floor vote before this year’s […]
State News – Washington - LocalWA
US Senate Republicans launch debate on SAVE Act requiring photo ID to vote
WASHINGTON — U.S. Senate Republicans pressed forward Tuesday with a bill that would require proof of citizenship to register to vote and a photo ID to cast a ballot, despite long odds the legislation will ever become law amid bipartisan opposition. The 51-48 vote to formally begin debate on the measure, which GOP lawmakers have […]
State News – Washington
