State & Regional News | Thurston Chronicle

Negotiations threaten Premera coverage for over 100K MultiCare patients in Washington

Starting in June, Washingtonians on Premera Blue Cross insurance may no longer pay in-network rates at MultiCare hospitals and clinics, if the insurer and healthcare organization can’t agree on … more

By Jake Goldstein-Street / The Washington State Standard | 5/8/26

Seattle seeks more transportation funding just two years into record $1.5B levy

Seattle is already looking for ways to generate more transportation funding, just two years after voters approved a $1.55 billion property tax, the largest transportation levy in city history. … more

Tim Clouser | The Center Square | 5/7/26

Residents of the sanctioned homeless camp United We Stand in Seattle, from left to right, Timtoo, Don and Philip, pose for a photo.

Council committee boosts Seattle's homeless housing plan, sets new guardrails

A Seattle City Council committee on Wednesday approved Mayor Katie Wilson's plan to expand tiny home villages for the city’s homeless population. The plan could almost double the 600 beds in … more

By Randy Diamond | The Center Square | 5/7/26

Rep. Michael Baumgartner talks during a town hall in Republic on the evening of Monday, May 4, 2026, as part of a tour across the 5th Congressional District.

Michael Baumgartner holds town hall in Republic as he tours across the 5th Congressional District

Rep. Michael Baumgartner held his first town hall on Monday in Republic as he campaigns for re-election. Baumgartner held the meeting at Republic Elementary School on Monday evening as part of a … more

By Monica Carrillo-Casas / Washington State Standard | 5/7/26

In wake of Supreme Court ruling, Washington state Democrats weigh congressional redistricting options

Washington state Democrats are wrestling with whether to join the redistricting battles unfolding across the country. There’s no immediate push to redraw the state’s congressional map. But … more

By Aspen Ford / Washington State Standard | 5/7/26

Washington state Department of Ecology Director Casey Sixkiller speaks alongside local leaders on a new effort to respond to Washington’s persistent droughts. (Photo by Jake Goldstein-Street/Washington State Standard)

Washington looking for solutions to looming water challenges

WOODINVILLE — For four straight years, at least parts of Washington have been in a drought, as snowpack has failed to meet historical norms amid climate change. This year, all of … more

By Jake Goldstein-Street / The Washington State Standard | 5/6/26

Report: Washington high schools rank near bottom in personal finance literacy

A new report finds Washington state ranks near the bottom in the nation when it comes to financial literacy education for high school students. WalletHub compared all 50 states and the District … more

By Carleen Johnson / The Center Square | 5/6/26

Lawsuit against DCYF to proceed as agency updates foster care gender policies

Washington’s Department of Children, Youth and Families has lost a bid to have a lawsuit against the agency dismissed, and is moving this month to amend the policy that got them sued. A … more

By Carleen Johnson / The Center Square | 5/6/26

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

Survey: Nearly one in four Washington businesses now considering leaving state

A new survey shows the number of employers looking to move their business out of Washington rose to 24%, up from 17% in the prior quarter and nearly triple the number reported in the Association of … more

By The Chronicle staff | 5/6/26

AWB Survey: Majority of Spokane voters considering leaving region over high taxes, leadership

A majority of voters are considering leaving Spokane, citing taxes, questionable leadership and public safety issues as the reasons, according to a recent survey by Greater Spokane Incorporated. … more

Tim Clouser | The Center Square | 5/6/26

Open Door Community Health Centers has 13 clinical sites in two counties in Northern California, and about 50% of its patients are on Medicaid, the state and federal insurance program for low-income people.

Big companies position themselves for payday from $50B federal rural health fund

Tory Starr is worried about the people who get medical care at Open Door Community Health Centers along California’s North Coast. “They’re the folks that work at restaurants. They’re the … more

By Sarah Jane Tribble, KFF Health News | 5/6/26

Critics question Washington state’s progress reducing solitary confinement in state prisons

If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. For the youth helpline, call or text 888-537-1634 or make a report online at HearMeWa.org. For the Suicide & Crisis … more

By Jake Goldstein-Street / Washington State Standard | 5/6/26

Former AG McKenna 'encouraged' despite court blocking income tax referendum

A day after the Washington State Supreme Court unanimously rejected an appeal seeking a referendum on the state’s new income tax, one of the key players in the legal challenge to come is expressing … more

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

The courtroom in the Temple of Justice is pictured on Thursday, Feb. 19, in Olympia.

Washington Supreme Court rejects state’s attempt to unblock sheriff eligibility law

A Washington Supreme Court commissioner on Tuesday declined to pause a judge’s ruling that blocked a new law setting stricter qualifications for sheriffs. Deputy Commissioner Walter Burton … more

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

Former state Rep. Eric Robertson speaks on the House floor in 2024.

Ex-Washington lawmaker Eric Robertson dies

Former Washington state lawmaker Eric Robertson, who served two stints in the Legislature decades apart, died April 24. He was 62. Robertson, a former House Republican caucus chair, … more

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

Ballots that had arrived by mail or were set aside on Election Day, 2024, sit on a table at the Cass County Courthouse in North Dakota on Nov. 18, 2024.

Federal agencies haven’t started on Trump order restricting voting by mail, DOJ says

Federal agencies say they have yet to take steps to implement President Donald Trump’s executive order restricting voting by mail, as the Department of Justice fights a Democrat-led lawsuit against … more

By Jonathan Shorman / States Newsroom | 5/5/26

A protester gives a thumbs up during a “Pray to End Abortion” event organized by 40 Days for Life across the street from Planned Parenthood in Centralia on Monday, March 24, 2025.

Washington anti-abortion group undeterred by SCOTUS ruling on abortion pill access

Two companies that manufacture the abortion pill drug mifepristone were on Monday granted an administrative stay on lower-court rulings that sought to heavily restrict access to the abortion pill. … more

By Carleen Johnson / The Center Square | 5/4/26

Brian Heywood, Republican Party donor, during the “Let’s Go Washington” initiatives rally at the Capitol in Olympia on Friday, Feb. 23, 2024.

Washington Supreme Court blocks bid to put state income tax before voters

An appeal to the Washington State Supreme Court to allow a referendum effort on the new income tax law to proceed was denied on Monday. The political group Let’s Go Washington initially filed … more

By Carleen Johnson / The Center Square | 5/4/26

A sign displays gas prices in Tacoma on May 1, 2026. Washington drivers are paying the second-highest gas prices in the nation, at $5.67 a gallon on average as of Monday.

State taxes, climate policy help send Washington gas prices to record highs

Washington drivers are facing a brutal spring at the pump as gasoline prices in the state shatter all-time records, driven by a combination of the state's carbon policy and gas taxes, along with … more

By Andrew Paxton and Carleen Johnson / The Center Square | 5/4/26

A helicopter flies to a drop point during the DNR aviation exercise in the Capitol State Forest on Wednesday, April 17, 2024.

DNR receives grant to replant Western Washington forests

The Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has been awarded a grant from The Arbor Day Foundation as part of an ongoing effort to support healthy forests in Washington, according to a news release … more

By The Chronicle staff | 5/4/26