Washington News Headlines

The Senate Commerce & Labor Committee held a work session yesterday on “public transparency in collective bargaining negotiations.” Despite the strong mandate for government transparency declared by the people in the Open Public Meetings Act, government...

Every other week, we try to distill a few things down to their essence, and offer those nuggets to you for review. Short, smart content that will inform the work you’re doing in policy and the economy today.  Hopefully you find something on this list...

Earlier this month, the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL), a bipartisan organization that provides research, technical assistance and opportunities for policymakers to exchange ideas on the most pressing state issues, selected Speaker...

The Georgetown Crossing project is a first-of-its kind project in North America.  The project, underway now in South Seattle, creates a three-story warehouse, a project scope never before tried in the US.  The first floor and second floor both have...

We took a look at the candidates for mayor on the ballot this fall in the largest cities in Washington State.  Not all cities directly elect their mayor, and not all of those that do have mayors on the ballot this year. Of the 10 largest cities in...

Primary election results were certified yesterday, putting an end to some close local races. Here’s a quick run down of some mayor and city council primary results across the state. Out of the 22 races we looked at, exactly half of the candidates are...

Here are the certified election results for the August 1st state legislative primary races. Republicans and Democrats each had the lead in four of the eight primary races, but only one of the Democratic leads was over a Republican candidate, with two...

With all ongoing media attention focused on the recent white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, and the resulting counter-protests and violence, the Wire reached out to Washington State Republicans for comments on the events in...

The Washington Health Benefit Exchange today announced the nine lead organizations chosen to oversee in-person assistance provided to Washington residents during the upcoming open enrollment period scheduled to begin on Nov. 1. The public health...

Gov. Jay Inslee announced the appointments of Anne Cruser to Cowlitz County Superior Court and Samuel Swanberg to Benton-Franklin County Superior Court. Cruser will fill a newly established seat on the Cowlitz County Superior Court. She is currently a...

(Aug. 14, 2017) — The following statement was issued by Jeff Johnson, President of the Washington State Labor Council, AFL-CIO: On behalf of the Washington State Labor Council, AFL-CIO we want to send our condolences to the families of Heather Heyer and...

Their work still unfinished, here’s what happened in their first four sessions   OLYMPIA (Aug. 11, 2017) — The Washington State Legislature still has business to conduct — with the state’s $4 billion capital budget being held hostage by Senate...

Friday, August 11, 2017   NUCLEAR WAR   ► Today’s MUST-SEE from The Rachel Maddow Show   ► In today’s NY Times — Trump warns North Korea: U.S. Is ‘locked and loaded’ — For the third time in a week, President Trump suggested he was ready to strike the...

The following story appears in the Washington State Labor Council’s 2017 Legislative Report published in August. By KATHARINE WEISS Amid threats from the Republican Congress and Trump administration to repeal the Affordable Care Act, the Washington State...

Some Republicans are working hard to keep their constituents’ wages low   The following story appears in the Washington State Labor Council’s 2017 Legislative Report published in August. By ERIC GONZALEZ Republicans offered a series of attacks on working...

The following story appears in the Washington State Labor Council’s 2017 Legislative Report published in August. It’s no secret that right-wing billionaires like the Koch brothers bankroll foundations that are targeting unions for extinction. Millions of...

The following story appears in the Washington State Labor Council’s 2017 Legislative Report published in August. In the Senate, there are 24 Republicans, 24 Democrats, and one guy who calls himself a Democrat but meets and votes with the Republicans....

The following story appears in the Washington State Labor Council’s 2017 Legislative Report published in August. In the end, more than 1,100 people signed in opposed to SB 5692. Just one person supported it. More than 1,000 union members and supporters,...

But failure to act on climate change may push issue to 2018 ballot   The following story appears in the Washington State Labor Council’s 2017 Legislative Report published in August. Despite having a federal government that refuses to acknowledge climate...

The following story appears in the Washington State Labor Council’s 2017 Legislative Report published in August. Conservatives in Olympia say every tax increase should be put to voters. And yet, even when that happens and voters say “yes,” those same...

Three separate lawsuits have now been filed against Seattle’s illegal income tax. The first lawsuit was filed on July 14. Today two more lawsuits were filed, one by the Freedom Foundation and one by the “Opportunity for All Coalition” represented...

Washington state has been a ground-breaking leader when it comes to implementing a whole new marketplace for recreational marijuana. I am incredibly proud of the work we’ve done to implement legalization in a way that keeps youth safe, minimizes...

State Representative Gael Tarleton (D-Ballard) has received the Washington Business Alliance’s 2017 Career and Technical Education Legislator of the Year award for her advocacy to fund career and technical education (CTE) in grades 7 through 12 in our...

Today’s ballot counts look very good; we’re still on the right track to make it to the general election this fall and we are ready to confront the challenges facing our city — together. I was proud to share the stage with all of the candidates for Mayor...

It’s a busy time this week with the primary and the aftermath of health care reform.  We’ve got a couple of insights for you from chats with insiders, including a look ahead to our annual conference. In total, 6 things in Washington State policy,...

August 1 was the primary election and we’ve been watching several races here at the Wire, including the crowded race to become the next mayor of Seattle. So Tuesday night, we sent a team of reporters to four election night parties, which just happened to...

We’re getting excited as the details for our 2017 Re-Wire Policy Conference are coming together nicely! The event will have 300-400 senior civic leaders, corporate executives, and policy makers from across the political spectrum and economic sphere.  The...

This is an unusually crowded primary, with Seattle voters and candidates flooding forums, town halls, blogs and living rooms with new ideas, visions and energy towards solving the challenges facing our city. Thank you to my husband and children, our...

State Representative Gael Tarleton (D-Ballard) was elected as a Pacific Northwest Economic Region (PNWER) Vice President last week during PNWER’s 27th Annual Summit in Portland, OR. “It is an honor to represent my colleagues from both chambers and both...

A growing number of prosecutors are factoring in the threat of deportation to the charges and sentences they pursue for crimes by undocumented immigrants.
Washington

After two weeks of delays, the Anacortes-San Juan Islands ferry route was restored to full service this past Saturday. The Yakima’s generator failed on July 16, and repairs could take up to three weeks. The Washington State Department of Transportation...