State & Regional News | Thurston Chronicle

Study shows job losses, slower economy unless income tax is repealed

The Washington Policy Center and Buckeye Institute recently released a report showing, among other findings, 18,000 fewer jobs in Washington state if the state’s new income tax is allowed to … more

By The Chronicle staff | 10/21/26

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

Washington Public Disclosure Commission mails overdue notices to 17 candidates

The Washington state Public Disclosure Commission (PDC) has sent overdue notices this week to 17 candidates who appeared to have missed the deadline for a mandatory pre-general election spending … more

By The Chronicle staff | 10/21/26

Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, D-Skamania, speaks to the press at Nippon Dynawave Packaging Company in Longview Wednesday, May 27.

MGP introduces bill to require trades experience on board investigating Nippon Dynawave incident

This month, U.S. Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, D-Skamania, introduced the Chemical Safety Board Accountability Act, which is aimed at ensuring open board seats on the U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB) … more

By The Chronicle staff | 10/21/26

U.S. Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, left, and state Sen John Braun.

Spending tops $20M MGP-Braun congressional race

Candidates in Washington state’s most closely watched congressional race have spent more than $10 million entering the final weeks of the campaign. Meanwhile, outside forces are shelling out … more

By Jerry Cornfield / The Washington State Standard | 10/21/26

Seattle, police guild in negotiations over $13M overpayment, recovery unclear

There is no telling how long it could take for Seattle to recover $13.1 million in overpayments to hundreds of police officers, Mayor Katie Wilson’s office said Monday, or if it can at all. … more

Tim Clouser | The Center Square | 10/21/26

Officials from Idaho Power, Rocky Mountain Power and Avista told members of the Idaho Public Utilities Commission that nuclear energy can provide a reliable and clean source of energy that diversifies energy portfolios, but high costs to build such projects can create barriers.

Costs and permitting are barriers to nuclear-powered electricity in Idaho, utilities say

High costs and lengthy permitting processes are two of the barriers to bringing nuclear-powered electricity to customers in Idaho, officials from three electrical utilities told state regulators … more

Clark Corbin / Idaho Capital Sun | 10/21/26

Idaho Attorney General Raúl Labrador participates in a May 2026 National Police Week roundtable at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building in Washington, D.C., alongside Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, FBI Director Kash Patel and other officials.

Tobacco manufacturers donate $27K to Idaho AG Labrador’s campaign, years after settlement tweaks

Republican Idaho Attorney General Raúl Labrador and Gov. Brad Little’s re-election campaigns received more than $20,000 each in donations from tobacco and nicotine manufacturers. The … more

Kyle Pfannenstiel / Idaho Capital Sun | 10/21/26

Oregon to increase 2027 payments to care organizations for Health Plan members

Next year, Oregon will pay an average of nearly $630 more per member every month to the organizations arranging providers for the vast majority of Oregon’s 1.4 million Medicaid members under new … more

Shaanth Nanguneri / Oregon Capital Chronicle | 10/21/26

An explosion of data center facilities, including the one pictured here in northeast Oregon on May 18, 2026, have been built along the Columbia River Gorge during the last few years.

Umatilla declares emergency over lost revenue from Gov. Kotek’s data center permit pause

An eastern Oregon city that has for the last decade welcomed some of the largest data centers in the state is fighting Gov. Tina Kotek’s recent order meant to temporarily pause data center … more

Alex Baumhardt / Oregon Capital Chronicle | 10/21/26

U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell, left, talks to doctors and healthcare leaders after a press conference on Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2026, at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle. (Photo by Jake Goldstein-Street/Washington State Standard)

Washington hospitals anticipate losing billions in revenue from Medicaid cuts

SEATTLE — Washington’s hospitals anticipate losing nearly $6 billion in revenue through 2033 due to steep Medicaid cuts in the coming months. That’s according to a new report from the … more

By Jake Goldstein-Street / The Washington State Standard | 10/20/26

Bears rummage through garbage at a dumpster in Whitefish, Montana. Wildlife officials nationwide have received a record number of calls about human-bear conflicts this year.

Bear killings skyrocket as garbage, bird feeders draw them into conflict

Bears are having a very bad year. Across much of the United States, a warm winter and persistent drought have decimated the natural foods that black and brown bears rely on. With nearly … more

Alex Brown / Stateline | 10/20/26

Washington panel eyes ways to ease hurdles to rebuilding homes destroyed by wildfires

Under pressure from Gov. Bob Ferguson, the Washington state Building Code Council is wrestling with how far it can bend residential energy codes to speed up rebuilding homes destroyed by wildfires … more

Jerry Cornfield / Washington State Standard | 10/20/26

Medium-sized tankers, like this one anchored near Anacortes, could be joined in the Salish Sea by much larger crude oil supertankers if Alberta, Canada succeeds in building a new pipeline and export terminal to the southern British Columbia coast.

Elbows up in Washington state over Canada’s proposed oil tanker terminal on border

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and comedian Mike Myers made the phrase “elbows up” a national rallying cry in the midst of a trade war incited by the Trump administration. … more

Tom Banse / Washington State Standard | 10/20/26

Jesse Swarthout — a football coach, teacher and grandson of Jack Swarthout — spoke on behalf of the Swarthout family. John Elway, Jack Elway’s son and a Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback — who won two Super Bowls with the Denver Broncos — represented the Elway family. He passed for nearly 51,500 yards in his NFL career, and connected with his offensive targets 300 times for touchdowns over his 234-game run in the league.

John Elway in attendance as Hoquiam proclaims Olympic Stadium ‘birthplace of spread offense’

A historic Hoquiam football landmark received national recognition on Friday, Oct. 16, as the city proclaimed Olympic Stadium as the “birthplace of the football revolution and the spread … more

By The Chronicle staff | 10/19/26

Department of Social and Health Services Secretary Angela Ramirez, left, discusses her department’s approach to tight state budgets and federal policy changes with “Inside Olympia” host Austin Jenkins, right. (Photo courtesy of TVW)

Washington Department of Social and Health Services eyes cuts, modernization for 2027

Washington’s largest state agency is preparing for a difficult 2027 budget by pursuing two strategies at once: pulling back where it can while trying to modernize how it delivers services. In … more

By Paul W. Taylor / TVW | 10/19/26

Federal officials intercepted a “suspicious package” addressed to Oregon’s elections office before it arrived in the state, Secretary of State Tobias Read said Friday.

Feds intercept ‘suspicious’ package intended for Oregon election office

Federal officials intercepted a “suspicious package” addressed to Oregon’s election office before it arrived in the state, Secretary of State Tobias Read said Friday. “We are not aware … more

Julia Shumway / Oregon Capital Chronicle | 10/18/26

Demonstrators gather in Happy Valley, Oregon, on Oct. 17, 2026.

Oregonians urge early voting at statewide ‘No Kings’ protests ahead of election

With the November election looming less than three weeks away, Oregonians took to the streets Saturday in the nation’s first vote-by-mail state to slam the Trump administration and encourage their … more

Shaanth Nanguneri and Mia Maldonado / Oregon Capital Chronicle | 10/18/26

Invasive beetle arrives in eastern Washington, threatens ash trees

The emerald ash borer, one of the most destructive invasive pests in the nation, has been detected in multiple trees outside of Walla Walla in eastern Washington . Late last month, an arborist … more

Aspen Ford / Washington State Standard | 10/18/26

Supporters of Ukraine gather outside the Nebraska State Capitol on Feb. 28, 2026, the fourth anniversary of the country’s war with Russia.

Immigrants from Ukraine, Sudan could soon lose protected status

More than 100,000 Ukrainians and roughly 2,000 Sudanese immigrants are bracing for the possibility they’ll lose their humanitarian protections by Monday. Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne … more

Ariana Figueroa / States Newsroom | 10/18/26

Work continues on the new QTS data center in Eagle Mountain on Friday, April 17, 2026.

Data centers are now the largest financial bet in US history

The sheer size of investment in data centers is drawing concern as it surpasses all other historical booms and crowds out other more job-creating ventures. Until now, no industry had … more

Tim Henderson / Stateline | 10/18/26