State & Regional News | Thurston Chronicle

An Atlas Van Lines moving truck drives along a residential street.

Washington prepares to roll out $112 million medium heavy duty EV subsidy program

The state of Washington is preparing to roll out a $112 million electric vehicle voucher program intended to encourage higher sales of commercial medium and heavy-duty vehicles, as well as off-road … more

By TJ Martinell / The Center Square | 3/26/26

Feds launch probe into Washington program to redress housing discrimination

Washington’s program offering no-interest home loans to residents harmed by historical discrimination has landed in the Trump administration’s crosshairs. The U.S. Department of Housing and … more

By Jake Goldstein-Street / The Washington State Standard | 3/26/26

The ouside of the Thurston County Family and Juvenile Court in Tumwater is pictured on Thursday, Nov. 20.

Washington courts rarely discipline guardians ad litem accused of misconduct in custody cases

Stephanie Maya thought the facts were on her side in the custody case for her 3-year-old son. She’d recently escaped an abusive relationship with her ex-boyfriend, the father of her son. He … more

By Kelsey Turner / InvestigateWest | 3/26/26

Washington state's status solidifies as one of the most expensive places in U.S.

In the past decade, Washington has become one of the most expensive states to live in. Drawing from an array of federal and state data, a new analysis shows the state’s cost of living rising … more

By Jerry Cornfield / The Washington State Standard | 3/26/26

Gov. Bob Ferguson signs ban on unauthorized sale of nitrous oxide, AKA ‘whippets’

Gov. Bob Ferguson on Tuesday, March 24, signed into law a ban on the unauthorized sale of nitrous oxide, a sedative historically used for medical purposes that has seen a recent surge in recreational … more

Conor Wilson / Murrow News | 3/26/26

Legislators, family members and friends join lawmakers on the House floor to celebrate the last day of the legislative session on Thursday, March 12, in Olympia.

Data: High-value Washington state home listings increase by 65% after income tax passage

The number of high-priced homes listed for sale in Washington state that cost $2 million or more increased significantly the day after the state Legislature passed an income tax on millionaires, … more

By TJ Martinell / The Center Square | 3/25/26

Senator Nikki Torres, a former Pasco City Council member, talks to demonstrators outside the Washington State Capitol building in Olympia for Child Abuse Prevention Month during an event organized by the family of Hazel Journey on Sunday, April 23, 2023.

Governor signs Sen. Nikki Torres bill establishing crash prevention zones

Legislation sponsored by Sen. Nikki Torres, R-Pasco, to address dangerous crash hotspots on Washington roadways was signed into law Friday during a bill signing ceremony in Yakima this week. … more

By The Chronicle staff | 3/25/26

Rep. Travis Couture, R-Allyn, listens during a House floor debate on SB 6346 on Tuesday, March 10, in Olympia.

Governor signs Couture’s bill to help retirees combat affordability crisis with faster pension payouts

On Monday, March 23, Gov. Bob Ferguson signed House Bill 2124, sponsored by Rep. Travis Couture, R-Allyn, to modernize how small pension benefits are paid out. The bill is a fix to the outdated … more

By The Chronicle staff | 3/25/26

The Red Bull Pit Stop Tour is seen outside a Walmart in this courtesy photo.

Amazon and Walmart fined for selling banned refrigerant in Washington state

Retail giants Amazon and Walmart are collectively facing over a million dollars in environmental fines from Washington state’s Department of Ecology for selling coolant products that contain potent … more

By Aspen Ford / The Washington State Standard | 3/25/26

Gov. Bob Ferguson delivers the State of the State address for the 2026 Legislative session at the Washington state Capitol in Olympia on Tuesday, Jan. 13.

Gov. Bob Ferguson signs law to undo Washington estate tax increase enacted last year

Washington will soon end its reign as the state with the nation’s highest estate tax. Gov. Bob Ferguson signed legislation Tuesday to erase an increase in estate tax rates that he and … more

By Jerry Cornfield / The Washington State Standard | 3/25/26

Podcaster Brandi Kruse speaks during a “listening session” with Republican state lawmakers concerning Initiative IL26-638 that would bar transgender athletes from competing in girls’ athletics at the Washington state Capitol on Tuesday, Feb. 3.

Seattle loses public records case brought by Brandi Kruse

A Seattle political commentator secured a victory Monday in a public records case against the city of Seattle. The Citizen Action Defense Fund (CADF) brought the case on behalf of unDivided … more

By Carleen Johnson / The Center Square | 3/24/26

One of the rooms where ballots are stored and sorted at the Thurston County Ballot Processing Center in Tumwater on Thursday, Oct. 30.

Vote-by-mail rules in Washington at risk in Supreme Court election law case

The days of waiting until the last minute to turn in your election ballot may be numbered. The U.S. Supreme Court heard a case Monday concerning a Mississippi law that allows mail-in ballots to … more

By Carleen Johnson / The Center Square | 3/24/26

Housing and Urban Development Secretary Scott Turner speaks in Erie, Pa., May 28, 2025.

Feds launch investigation into race-based Washington state housing program

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development launched a fair-housing investigation into the Washington State Housing Finance Commission Tuesday over its race-based Covenant Homeownership … more

Tim Clouser / The Center Square | 3/24/26

Rounding out debate, Gov. Bob Ferguson signs bill addressing retailers’ penny problem

A new Washington state law offers a way to make change in an era without pennies . The federal government stopped making pennies last year but intends to keep the roughly 114 billion pennies in … more

By Jerry Cornfield / The Washington State Standard | 3/24/26

Pacific County Sheriff Daniel Garcia is pictured at the U.S. Capitol in this photo from his campaign website.

Washington sheriffs waiting: Will Gov. Bob Ferguson veto part of decertification bill?

A group of Washington sheriffs urging Gov. Bob Ferguson to veto sections of Senate Bill 5974 is still waiting to find out if their concerns will be addressed when the bill is signed into law. … more

By Carleen Johnson / The Center Square | 3/23/26

Washington state high school takes down controversial anti-Trump art project

The Puyallup School District says a controversial student art project that depicted President Donald Trump as a pig, a KKK member and a clown with references to assassination, has been taken … more

By Carleen Johnson / The Center Square | 3/23/26

The Retreat fire, seen here, is burning about 14 miles southwest of Naches. As of Aug. 8 it was around 44,588 acres and 64% contained.

New state law nixes mortgage lender tax break to boost wildfire funding

At the close of last year’s Washington state legislative session, a key bucket of wildfire prevention funding was slashed nearly in half by lawmakers attempting to offset a budget deficit. If it … more

By Aspen Ford / The Washington State Standard | 3/23/26

U.S. Supreme Court skeptical of allowing states to count mail ballots that arrive after Election Day

The U.S. Supreme Court’s conservative justices on Monday appeared skeptical of the validity of mail-in ballots that arrive after Election Day, in a case that could potentially affect hundreds of … more

By Jonathan Shorman / States Newsroom | 3/23/26

Can accelerated home construction replace the need for Washington state income tax?

Instead of implementing an income tax in Washington, the Washington Center for Housing Studies (WCHS) recommends unleashing Washington’s housing productivity to raise revenue and at the same time … more

By Carleen Johnson / The Center Square | 3/23/26

Plaintiff still waiting for Washington state DOL to respond to alleged massive data breach

More than two weeks after a tort claim was filed against the Washington Department of Licensing (DOL) claiming the agency knowingly allowed a major security flaw in its data system and potentially … more

By Carleen Johnson / The Center Square | 3/23/26