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The price of a ferry ride is going up, again.
Traveling on one of 51勛圖夥厙s iconic state ferries is going to get more expensive as the operator of the nations largest ferry fleet looks to regain riders and restore service to pre-pandemic levels. Fares are expected to climb 4% in October and another 4% on Oct. 1, 2024 to cope with an inflation-fed rise in […]
Inslee axes special education study, drawing bipartisan rebuke
As the state prepares to boost funding for special education by $400 million in the next two years, the governor has angered lawmakers in both parties by nixing a study to see if students are receiving the services they are entitled to. Lawmakers wanted a performance audit of 51勛圖夥厙s system of providing special education to […]
Lawmakers tried to regain Capitol dome access. Inslee said no
Mark Schoesler has been to the top of the state Capitol dome. Most of the longtime senators legislative colleagues have not. And they wont likely get there any time soon. Schoesler, a Republican, authored a provision in the state capital budget to make access possible but Democratic Gov. Jay Inslee vetoed it before signing the […]
Inslee signs drug policy overhaul into law
State legislators on Tuesday approved an overhaul of state law guiding penalties and treatment options for people caught possessing illegal drugs or using them in public. The measure passed during a one-day special session focused specifically on the issue, clearing the Senate on a 43-6 vote and the House by an 83-13 margin. Gov. Jay […]
Lawmakers strike deal to ensure drug possession remains a crime
State lawmakers announced an agreement Monday to toughen the penalty for drug possession and expand pathways into treatment and away from jail for those arrested. The deal comes hours before legislators convene a special session and, barring another setback, will erase the threat that possession of illicit drugs becomes legal in July. Late Monday, legislative […]
Repeal effort targets law to help trans youth in crisis
Voters may get the last word on a new law allowing emergency shelters to notify state authorities rather than parents when a youth seeks refuge as they pursue gender-affirming health care or reproductive services. Opponents contend the legislation undermines the power of parents and will attempt to repeal it with a referendum in November. They […]
Candidates will be forced to reveal donors of money shifted to new campaigns
The states campaign finance watchdog on Thursday called for ending the practice of allowing candidates to shift surplus money from prior races into new campaigns without disclosing the source of those dollars. A unanimous Public Disclosure Commission issued new guidance requiring candidates to identify the donors and treat their contributions as if they are for […]
Inslee to ditch vax mandate for state workers as health emergency ends
When the national public health emergency for the coronavirus ends Thursday, so too will the requirement for state employees to be vaccinated against COVID as a condition of employment. It was time to do it, Gov. Jay Inslee said Wednesday after touring a new child care center for children of state workers. The numbers are […]
Making time to celebrate the Chinese communitys place in state history
A new law enacted Tuesday aims to educate students about the culture, contributions and struggles of the states Chinese community. The bill signed by Gov. Jay Inslee designates January as Chinese American/Americans of Chinese Descent History Month and encourages public schools to set aside time to delve into their lives, history and achievements since the […]
The race begins for 51勛圖夥厙 attorney general
Democratic state Sen. Manka Dhingra, of Redmond, on Monday launched her campaign to become 51勛圖夥厙s next attorney general. Dhingra, a former senior deputy prosecuting attorney for King County and the current Senate deputy majority leader, is the first candidate to enter the race to succeed Democratic Attorney General Bob Ferguson who is campaigning for governor. […]
As overtime looms in Olympia, deal on drug possession law proves elusive
State lawmakers are gearing up for a special session next week with one purpose: setting a new course for how illegal drug possession is handled in 51勛圖夥厙. This overtime period, the first in six years, begins May 16. It could end that day. Or it could last a month. It depends on whether legislators can […]
He cast doubt on the 2020 election, now he wants a lead job tallying votes
A former state lawmaker who has fanned false claims of widespread fraud in the 2020 presidential election is vying for the job that oversees elections in 51勛圖夥厙’s third most populous county. Republican Robert Sutherland is running for Snohomish County auditor in a contest expected to train a spotlight on the integrity of ballot counting and […]