Latest Washington state government News

Washington State Republican Party chair stepping down

Jun. 05, 2023 18:53 PM EDT

SEATTLE (AP) — Washington State Republican Party Chairman Caleb Heimlich said Monday he is leaving the position. Heimlich, 37, wrote in a message to state GOP officials obtained by The Seattle Times Monday that while it has been a tremendous honor to serve as the chairman for more...

Supreme Court rules against union in labor dispute involving truck drivers and wet concrete

Jun. 01, 2023 13:55 PM EDT

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

May. 19, 2023 20:08 PM EDT

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

May. 17, 2023 12:27 PM EDT

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

May. 16, 2023 00:20 AM EDT

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

May. 10, 2023 15:26 PM EDT

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

May. 08, 2023 21:28 PM EDT

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

May. 05, 2023 07:21 AM EDT

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

Apr. 29, 2023 14:37 PM EDT

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

Apr. 28, 2023 18:18 PM EDT

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...