Latest Washington state government News
Supreme Court rules against union in labor dispute involving truck drivers and wet concrete
WASHINGTON (AP) — In a dispute about the pressure that organized labor can exert during a strike, the Supreme Court ruled Thursday against unionized drivers who walked off the job with their trucks full of wet concrete. The decision united liberal and conservative justices in...
Judge orders Washington AG’s office, DSHS to pay more for evidence withholding
SEATTLE (AP) — Washington state Attorney General Bob Ferguson’s office and the Department of Social and Health Services have been ordered to pay more than $122,000 in attorney’s fees for withholding evidence in a continuing lawsuit. King County Superior Court Judge Michael...
Supreme Court lets Illinois keep ban on sale of some semiautomatic guns for now
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court said Wednesday that Illinois can, for now, keep in place a new law that bars the sale of certain semiautomatic guns and large-capacity magazines. The high court denied an emergency request from people challenging the law, which bans so-called...
Why a drug decriminalization crisis looms for Washington state lawmakers
SEATTLE (AP) — After voting down a bill last month to keep drug possession illegal and boost services for people struggling with addiction, Washington lawmakers are entering a special legislative session to find a compromise before a temporary law keeping the possession of small amounts of drugs...
Washington Public Lands Commissioner Hilary Franz announces run for governor
SEATTLE, Wa. (AP) — Washington Public Lands Commissioner Hilary Franz announced her campaign for governor on Wednesday. “Washington is facing urgent issues – from a rapidly changing climate, to a housing crisis across the entire state, and soaring income inequality pushing...
Dam owner to pay $1M in rubber pollution of Washington river
TACOMA, Wash. (AP) — A company that operates a more than century-old hydroelectric dam near Mount Rainier National Park will pay $1 million after synthetic field turf and its tiny rubber particles spilled into the Puyallup River in 2020. Pierce County Superior Court Judge Philip...
Editorial Roundup: New England
Hearst Connecticut Media. April 30, 2023. Editorial: Tough choices ahead on budget talks Everyone has needs, but advocates should be straightforward about their goals As budget talk heats up in Hartford between the governor’s office and the General...
Frustration grows over wait on OxyContin maker's settlement
More than a year after OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma reached a tentative settlement over the toll of opioids that was accepted nearly universally by the groups suing the company — including thousands of people injured by the drug — money is still not rolling out. Parties waiting...
Pay rise comes for New Yorkers, but some chafe at compromise
ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — A deal to raise minimum wages in New York would keep the state near the top of the list of places with the highest base pay for low-paid workers, but the raise amount is disappointing some labor activists who had hoped for a bigger bump. The minimum hourly wage...
Washington creates missing Indigenous people cold case unit
SEATTLE (AP) — A new unit aimed at solving cold cases of missing and murdered Indigenous people will be established in Washington state, a result of the latest law to address a decades-long crisis. House Bill 1177 was recommended by a state task force, passed unanimously in the...
