State & Regional News | Thurston Chronicle

The Chehalis Tribal Jail is pictured in Oakville on Tuesday, Oct. 14.

Chehalis Tribal Law Enforcement among tribal departments with most previously fired officers

Shortly after Kalispel Tribal Police Detective Phineas Haglin arrested a woman at the Northern Quest Resort and Casino outside Spokane, Washington, he found a hotel security guard and asked if video … more

By Melanie Henshaw / InvestigateWest | 7/22/26

The top ten graduates, including six valedictorians, receive honors on stage during the W.F. West class of 2026 graduation ceremony at W.F. West High School in Chehalis on Saturday, June 6.

Washington’s Board of Education proposes new high school graduation requirements

High school students in Washington may soon have more options to connect coursework with their career plans. In the first comprehensive update to graduation requirements in over a … more

By Aspen Ford / The Washington State Standard | 7/22/26

Ten of the 16 undersea fiber-optic cables permitted off of Oregon's Coast are in areas in Tillamook County, pictured here.

Following data center boom, Oregon for first time considers charging use fees for undersea cables

The Oregon Department of State Lands is proposing for the first time to charge multinational telecommunications and tech companies for using the seafloor off the state’s Pacific Coast for … more

Alex Baumhardt / Oregon Capital Chronicle | 7/22/26

The Capitol building in Olympia, home to the Senate and House chambers, is lit up in 2023.

How high taxes, regulations are crushing three Washington businesses

Every day seems to provide more evidence that Washington-based businesses are leaving the state or expanding outside the state because of the mounting tax and regulatory burden. Some of those … more

By Carleen Johnson / The Center Square | 7/21/26

The Washington state Capitol is pictured from Heritage Park in Olympia on Tuesday, Feb. 3.

Washington sets another record with growing lawsuit costs

Washington’s runaway payouts for government misconduct climbed to $537 million in the past year, as the ever-growing sum continues to strain the state’s finances. That tally from the fiscal … more

By Jake Goldstein-Street / The Washington State Standard | 7/21/26

Washington lawmakers introduce bill allowing tribes to cull sea lions

Earlier this month, U.S. Congresswoman Emily Randall, D-Washington, introduced the bipartisan Northwest Endangered Salmon Predation Prevention Act of 2026 aimed at helping recover endangered salmon … more

By The Daily World | 7/21/26

Superintendent of Public Instruction Chris Reykdal speaks during a Legislative Media Day at the Washington state Capitol on Thursday, Feb. 19, in Olympia.

Washington schools chief eyes changes to sexual misconduct response after reporting

Washington’s K-12 education oversight agency is proposing a series of policy changes to improve the state’s handling of teacher misconduct allegations. In a letter sent to the state’s … more

By Moe K. Clark / InvestigateWest | 7/21/26

Facing hiring disadvantages and incomplete state misconduct records, tribal police departments disproportionately become landing places for officers fired elsewhere. (Victor Bizar Gómez/InvestigateWest)

Washington tribal police hire fired officers at outsized rates

Shortly after Kalispel Tribal Police Detective Phineas Haglin arrested a woman at the Northern Quest Resort and Casino outside Spokane, Washington, he found a hotel security guard and asked if video … more

By Melanie Henshaw / InvestigateWest | 7/21/26

Climate Act funds tapped for $800K Snake River dam removal study

A little more than a year after President Donald Trump signed a memorandum revoking Biden administration actions that supported the removal of the four lower Snake River dams in Eastern Washington, … more

Carleen Johnson | The Center Square | 7/21/26

Fishing boats in the Robert E. Galovin Small Boat Harbor in Sand Point are seen on Aug 7, 2025, before heading out to the Area M fishery.

Lawmakers approve state audit of the Alaska Board of Fisheries

A legislative audit committee instructed the state auditor to investigate the past three years of process and legal compliance of the board tasked with developing policy and managing Alaska’s … more

Corinne Smith / Alaska Beacon | 7/21/26

Oregon Secretary of State Tobias Read speaks at a press conference at Portland Community College on Monday, July 20, 2026.

‘Not about improving elections’: Oregon secretary of state slams new Trump election threats

Oregon Secretary of State Tobias Read on Monday rebuked the Trump administration’s recent round of threats against state-run elections and urged Oregonians to educate themselves on how best to … more

Shaanth Nanguneri / Oregon Capital Chronicle | 7/21/26

Washington state ordered to pay $118M in teacher pension skimming case; state appeals

A Washington judge has ordered the state to pay roughly $120 million to thousands of public school teachers for withholding interest on pension contributions they made more than two decades ago. … more

Jake Goldstein-Street / Washington State Standard | 7/21/26

Gov. Bob Ferguson answers questions from the press during a legislative session preview in a Senate Hearing room in Olympia on Friday, Jan. 9.

New effort underway to understand Washington’s budget shortfalls

A cadre of Washington lawmakers, budget officials and business and labor leaders set out Monday in search of a “shared understanding” of why budget shortfalls are plaguing the state and what can … more

By Jerry Cornfield / The Washington State Standard | 7/20/26

For decades, federal wildlife officials have protected old-growth forests as critical habitat for northern spotted owls. But a new interpretation of the Endangered Species Act issued by the Trump administration removes protections for wildlife habitat. (Photo by Tom Kogut/U.S. Forest Service via U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on Flickr)

The feds no longer protect endangered species habitat; states say they can’t pick up the slack

The Trump administration is removing protections from the key places where endangered species live, saying states can keep the areas safe. But experts say states aren’t equipped for the … more

By Alex Brown / Stateline.org | 7/20/26

Washington officers demand change after inmates make weapons from tablets

A week after a King County Corrections Officer suffered minor injuries as an inmate attempted to stab staff members with a weapon made of broken tablet pieces, the Corrections Guild is calling on … more

By Carleen Johnson / The Center Square | 7/20/26

Green Hill School juvenile detention facility in Chehalis is pictured here by drone photo on Friday, July 10.

Audit paints troubling picture of Washington’s overcrowded youth prison system

Nearly half of front-line staff at Washington’s overcrowded juvenile detention facilities leave within a year. Many report feeling unsafe, unprepared and unsupported. That’s according … more

By Jake Goldstein-Street / The Washington State Standard | 7/20/26

Senators and Representatives work on bills Monday, March 16, 2026, at the State Capitol Building in Boise.

After ‘tight budget year,’ Idaho ends fiscal year with positive cash balance

Idaho ended the 2026 fiscal year this summer with a positive ending cash balance that allows the state to transfer about $250 million into next year’s fiscal year 2027 state budget, Gov. Brad … more

Clark Corbin and Kyle Pfannenstiel / Idaho Capital Sun | 7/19/26

Framed as an anti-animal cruelty petition, Initiative Petition 28 is an effort led by Portland-based vegan advocates to expand the state’s animal cruelty laws to include hunting, fishing, breeding, farming and research. Essentially, it would ban killing or injuring animals in all cases except for self-defense or veterinary care.

Controversial Oregon animal rights petition might not have enough valid signatures to make ballot

A controversial initiative petition to ban killing or harming animals in Oregon with almost no exceptions may not qualify for the November ballot. The petition failed the first round of the … more

Mia Maldonado / Oregon Capital Chronicle | 7/19/26

Graham Platner, then the Democratic nominee for the U.S. Senate in Maine, unveils an anti-corruption policy plan outside the Portland office of incumbent Republican U.S. Sen. Collins on June 25, 2026.

Political parties boast new clout and cash in midterms thanks to US Supreme Court

A recent U.S. Supreme Court decision makes it easier for political parties to put their stamp on the most important campaigns, just as the struggle heats up for control of Congress in the midterm … more

David Lightman / Maine Morning Star | 7/19/26

Voting in the Aug. 4 primary has started. Ballots can be put in a designated drop box up until 8 p.m. on Election Day. Mailed ballots must be postmarked on or before Election Day to be counted.

Washington voters begin casting primary election ballots

Voting is underway in Washington’s Aug. 4 primary. Across the state, voters are winnowing the field — in some races, a large field — of candidates for seats in the Legislature and Congress … more

Jerry Cornfield / Washington State Standard | 7/19/26