State & Regional News | Thurston Chronicle

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

DCYF secretary denies fraud claims, says agency needs funding for more audits

Department of Children, Youth and Families Secretary Tana Senn denied claims of fraud and indicated more funds are needed to conduct additional audits during a virtual appearance before the … more

By Carleen Johnson / The Center Square | 5/21/26

Stainless steel containers for waste in the low-activity waste facility at the Hanford site. (Photo courtesy of U.S. Department of Energy/Bechtel)

GOP budget plan in U.S. House calls for cuts at Hanford nuclear cleanup site

Cuts that Republicans in the U.S. House are seeking to the nuclear cleanup at Washington’s Hanford site would go deeper than steep reductions the Trump administration proposed. Hanford’s … more

By John Stang / The Washington State Standard | 5/21/26

The Wild Horse Wind and Solar Facility about 16 miles east of Ellensburg in central Washington is part of Puget Sound Energy’s clean energy portfolio. (Courtesy of Puget Sound Energy)

Washington’s largest utility moves to add more wind power

Puget Sound Energy is adding a wind farm in Klickitat County to its clean energy portfolio, the latest move in the utility’s transition to become greenhouse gas neutral by 2030, as state law … more

By Aspen Ford / The Washington State Standard | 5/21/26

Preliminary FBI data shows a sharp drop in violent crime

U.S. violent crime fell sharply in 2025, according to preliminary federal data , with murders dropping an estimated 18.1% — a decline that could push the national homicide rate to its lowest level … more

By Amanda Watford / Stateline.org | 5/21/26

The outside of Henry M. Jackson High School on Wednesday, April 29, 2026 in Mill Creek, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)

Washington reforms that could tackle teacher sexual abuse

In 2004, Washington became the first state in the country to enact a “Don’t Pass the Trash” law, seeking to prohibit public school districts from allowing K-12 teachers accused of sexual … more

By Moe K. Clark / InvestigateWest | 5/21/26

Former Seattle police union president wins lawsuit to continue campaign

Former Seattle Police Officer’s Guild President Mike Solan is celebrating a court victory this week that allows him to move forward with seeking a seat on the Pierce County Council. Solan … more

By Carleen Johnson | The Center Square | 5/21/26

Ethics Board to determine whether to continue Rep. Simmons' ethics investigation

Washington's Legislative Ethics Board will determine whether an investigation into a complaint against Rep. Tarra Simmons, D-Bremerton, will proceed after her attorney filed a motion to have it … more

By TJ Martinell | The Center Square | 5/21/26

A Seattle monorail train passes on an elevated track near the Space Needle on a clear day.

Plan to renovate Seattle Center could require $1.5 billion bond

Seattle property owners will be asked to approve a plan that will result in higher taxes to fund the renovation of the aging Seattle Center campus, home of the 1962 World’s Fair and numerous iconic … more

By Randy Diamond | The Center Square | 5/21/26

Stainless steel containers for waste in the low-activity waste facility at the Hanford site.

GOP budget plan in US House calls for cuts at Hanford nuclear cleanup site

Cuts that Republicans in the U.S. House are seeking to the nuclear cleanup at Washington’s Hanford site would go deeper than steep reductions the Trump administration proposed. Hanford’s … more

By John Stang / Washington State Standard | 5/21/26

The Capitol building in Olympia, home to the Senate and House chambers, is lit up on the evening of Thursday, Feb. 16, 2023.

State actuary: $4 billion pension transfer raises odds of future taxpayer bailouts

State pension officials warned Tuesday that a new law allowing the Legislature to pull nearly $4 billion from a retirement plan for first responders will significantly increase the likelihood of … more

Tim Clouser / The Center Square | 5/20/26

Congresswoman Marie Gluesenkamp Perez answers a question at a town hall in the TransAlta Commons at Centralia College on Tuesday, April 22.

MGP votes in favor of ‘gender ideology’ bill that would require parental consent for ‘sex-based accommodations’

The U.S. House passed a bill Wednesday that would require parental consent before a public elementary or middle school can update a student’s pronouns, gender markers or preferred name on records … more

By Shauneen Miranda / States Newsroom | 5/20/26

A swift water rescue team rescues Mel Romero and Barbara Bennett from an inundated fifth wheel near the Cowlitz River in Randle on Tuesday, Dec. 9.

Only a fraction of Washington’s state flood aid has made it to victims

During the height of December’s severe flooding, Washington made $3.5 million available to those in need. Five months later, most of that funding has gone unused. Gov. Bob Ferguson says … more

By Jake Goldstein-Street / The Washington State Standard | 5/20/26

Eroding Affordable Care Act enrollment portends higher insurance rates

Enrollment in the Affordable Care Act continues to erode as some customers struggle to make premium payments, with the declining numbers churning market uncertainty for insurers. In response, … more

Julie Appleby, KFF Health News | 5/20/26

Trump’s new conditions on DEI, immigration could cut off states’ wildfire funding

A new effort to force states to affirm the Trump administration’s views on DEI, transgender athletes and immigration when signing contracts with the U.S. Forest Service is threatening millions of … more

By Alex Brown / Stateline | 5/20/26

Jaime Martin served as external relations director for Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson until resigning in April 2026.

Top Gov. Bob Ferguson adviser exits for private sector

An original member of Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson’s executive leadership team, who played a key role in boosting the administration’s cooperation with tribes, resigned last month for a private … more

By Jerry Cornfield / The Washington State Standard | 5/20/26

A 2026 drought map published by the Washington state Department of Ecology.

UW professor Cliff Mass says Ecology drought declaration is 'demonstrably false'

University of Washington Professor of Atmospheric Sciences Cliff Mass says the Washington Department of Ecology should “definitively correct misinformation being pushed” about a pending drought … more

By Carleen Johnson / The Center Square | 5/20/26

Support grows for Washington state income tax repeal as more join the effort

A week after Let’s Go Washington launched an initiative campaign aimed at repealing the newly passed income tax, the organization tells The Center Square “more people have signed up to receive … more

By Carleen Johnson / The Center Square | 5/19/26

New student loan limits challenged by Democratic AGs and governors

A coalition of Democratic attorneys general and governors sued the U.S. Department of Education on Tuesday over forthcoming regulations that will impose new borrowing limits for students pursuing … more

By Shauneen Miranda / States Newsroom | 5/19/26

Washington’s transgender prisoner policy is target of new federal investigation

The Trump administration on Tuesday launched an investigation into Washington state’s practice of housing transgender women in its women’s prison. In a letter to Gov. Bob Ferguson , … more

By Jake Goldstein-Street / The Washington State Standard | 5/19/26

Anglers try their luck fishing in the Cowlitz River near Salkum during sunset on Sunday, Sept. 2, 2024.

WDFW will only accept cards or checks for payment beginning in June

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) announced this week that it will transition away from accepting cash for license product purchases at its offices next month due to a new state … more

By The Chronicle staff | 5/19/26