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Summer grocery program to feed WA kids launching soon

UPDATED: Fri., April 19, 2024

When summer nears, hundreds of thousands of kids in Washington can face three months without free meals provided by their schools.

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State Republican Party convention erupts in chaos after GOP leaders try to stop governor endorsement vote

UPDATED: Fri., April 19, 2024

Roughly 1,800 delegates showed up to the three-day political gathering at the Spokane Convention Center, marking the annual event’s highest turnout in history, officials said. The GOP’s attempt to forgo making an endorsement in the governor’s race came after news broke that gubernatorial candidate Semi Bird was convicted in 1993 of a misdemeanor for lying on a credit card application.

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Local appeals judge one step closer to appointment for U.S District Court in Spokane

UPDATED: Wed., April 17, 2024

Washington Court of Appeals Judge Rebecca Pennell is a step closer to serving on the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Washington after she was nominated for the position by President Joe Biden in March.

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Struggling state ferry system finds its way in Washington governor’s race

UPDATED: Mon., April 15, 2024

Washington’s front-running Democratic candidate for governor is embracing a Republican idea that would hasten building of new ferries and slow the state’s push to electrify the fleet.

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New Washington law authorizes tax breaks for affordable housing built on state land

Mon., April 15, 2024

The state Department of Natural Resources owns about 3,000 acres of urban growth land that could be used for residential development

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Spin Control: For some legislators, time has come to retire or run for something else

Sun., April 14, 2024

Retirements and open seats mean 2024 might bring a tidal wave of new people in political office.

News > WA Government

Judge rules Washington’s ban on high-capacity magazines unconstitutional, case now heads to state Supreme Court

UPDATED: Tue., April 9, 2024

When a judge ruled Washington's ban on high-capacity gun magazines to be unconstitutional, the state issued an emergency order minutes later to keep the law on the books while the case moves through appeals.

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Two low-income apartment complexes in Spokane will each get nearly $1 million from state for renovations

UPDATED: Fri., April 5, 2024

The Washington State Department of Commerce announced that it will send roughly $850,000 in maintenance money to both the Cornerstone Courtyard Apartments at 151 S. Adams St. and the Hoffman Apartments at 2024 E. Hoffman Ave.

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Rep. Leonard Christian announces his run for state Senate seat being vacated by Padden

UPDATED: Thu., April 4, 2024

State Rep. Leonard Christian announced his candidacy Thursday for a state Senate seat being vacated by veteran lawmaker and fellow Republican Sen. Mike Padden.

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Longtime Spokane Valley state Sen. Mike Padden says he won’t run for re-election

UPDATED: Thu., April 4, 2024

The Republican leader on the Senate Law and Justice Committee is leaving the Legislature behind after serving for nearly 3 decades. He was first elected in 1980 to represent Eastern Washington's 4th legislative district in the House. He went on to hold his seat there for 15 years. In 1995, he served as the House majority floor leader.

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New WA law aims to erase black market for stolen catalytic converters

UPDATED: Mon., April 1, 2024

When the price of precious metals began tumbling late last summer, so too did demand for stolen catalytic converters, the exhaust-cleaning components that can be cut from a vehicle’s undercarriage in seconds and sold on the black market.

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Spin Control: Washington increases penalties for threatening elections workers

Sun., March 31, 2024

Washington has a new law on elections that once would have seemed unnecessary.

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Bipartisanship rises in Washington Legislature

Sun., March 31, 2024

New data finds that Washington state lawmakers prioritize working together rather than passing bills along party lines, as the majority of bills passed during this year's session received bipartisan support.

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Inslee signs billion-dollar budgets for the final time during his run as governor

UPDATED: Fri., March 29, 2024

Surrounded by lawmakers and many Washingtonians, Gov. Jay Inslee signed the state's supplemental operating and capital budgets on Friday. 2024 marks his final year as governor.

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WA passes bill to protect libraries, as other states target them

UPDATED: Wed., March 27, 2024

Mar. 27—Washington has passed legislation intended to safeguard its public libraries, after a small city in the southeastern corner of the state nearly became the first community in the nation to shutter its library over the book battles that have engulfed schools, libraries, cities and states across the country. The legislation, which passed both the House and Senate with overwhelming ...

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Inslee signs slew of bills boosting gun restrictions in Washington

UPDATED: Wed., March 27, 2024

In a push to combat gun violence across the state, Gov. Jay Inslee signed a bundle of gun-related bills on Tuesday, including that requires gun owners to report a missing or stolen firearm to police within 24 hours.

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Spin Control: Some takeaways and warning signs from final primary results

Sun., March 24, 2024

Although the winners for the Washington presidential primary were known minutes after the 8 p.m. deadline – if there was any doubt before then – that doesn’t mean there is nothing to learn from the final results, which are just finalized on Friday.

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How Patty Murray helped craft a compromise to fund the government despite chaos in Congress: ‘Nobody thought we could get this done’

UPDATED: Sat., March 23, 2024

WASHINGTON – The Senate passed a $1.2 trillion spending package early Saturday morning to fund the government through September, narrowly averting a government shutdown, after the legislation cleared the House on Friday.

News > WA Government

Democrats running to represent Eastern Washington in Congress make their case on debate stage

UPDATED: Fri., March 22, 2024

Democrats seeking to represent Eastern Washington in Congress by flipping a seat held by outgoing Republican Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, made one of their first pitches directly to the voting public Friday during a debate hosted by the Eastern Washington University Student Democrats.

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Washington looks at new ways to clean up graffiti along state highways

UPDATED: Fri., March 22, 2024

Is it a bird, a plane? No, it’s a drone spraying paint over graffiti along Washington’s state roads.

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Washington state GOP endorses Brian Dansel for Congress

Latest Stories

Summer grocery program to feed WA kids launching soon

State Republican Party convention erupts in chaos after GOP leaders try to stop governor endorsement vote

Local appeals judge one step closer to appointment for U.S District Court in Spokane

Struggling state ferry system finds its way in Washington governor’s race

New Washington law authorizes tax breaks for affordable housing built on state land

Spin Control: For some legislators, time has come to retire or run for something else

Judge rules Washington’s ban on high-capacity magazines unconstitutional, case now heads to state Supreme Court

Two low-income apartment complexes in Spokane will each get nearly $1 million from state for renovations

Rep. Leonard Christian announces his run for state Senate seat being vacated by Padden

Longtime Spokane Valley state Sen. Mike Padden says he won’t run for re-election

New WA law aims to erase black market for stolen catalytic converters

Spin Control: Washington increases penalties for threatening elections workers

Bipartisanship rises in Washington Legislature

Inslee signs billion-dollar budgets for the final time during his run as governor

WA passes bill to protect libraries, as other states target them

Inslee signs slew of bills boosting gun restrictions in Washington

Spin Control: Some takeaways and warning signs from final primary results

How Patty Murray helped craft a compromise to fund the government despite chaos in Congress: ‘Nobody thought we could get this done’

Democrats running to represent Eastern Washington in Congress make their case on debate stage

Washington looks at new ways to clean up graffiti along state highways