A powerful labor union and the governor’s office are at odds in contract negotiations for thousands of Washington caregivers, with the state proposing a wage freeze and the workers pressing for higher pay. Caregivers from Service Employees International Union 775 initially asked for a 12% hike over two years — 6% next year, and another…
State Democratic officials are preparing for chaos at the polls this November, as President Donald Trump casts doubt on election security and pushes for more federal involvement in local voting. “We’re no longer talking about hypothetical situations,” said Nick Brown, Washington state’s Democratic attorney general, noting the president’s push to nationalize election administration and to…
Flock Safety is tightening privacy and oversight controls for its nationwide network of automated license plate readers as more communities pull back from the technology and lawmakers across the political spectrum push for new restrictions. The company announced Thursday that it will recommend that police agencies retain license plate reader data for seven days, down…
The Democratic National Committee on Saturday approved by voice vote its lineup of six early primaries for the 2028 election cycle, kicking off with South Carolina and Nevada. DNC Chair Ken Martin said during Saturday’s meeting that the early lineup reflects the diversity of the party’s electorate. “Our 2028 nominee, whoever they are, will have…
Washington state Rep. Tarra Simmons was fined $15,000 on Friday by a state ethics panel for improperly using her position to steer public funds to a nonprofit where she worked, and trying to retaliate against the person who initiated the investigation against her. A unanimous Legislative Ethics Board concluded the Bremerton Democrat committed three violations…
The board that oversees Idaho’s largest public health district on Friday approved a quarter million dollar fund to fight invasive rats. The Central District Health board approved $250,000 in unspent reserve funds toward a “rodent abatement and prevention project.” The health district is still planning how to spend those funds, but some of it could…
The Pacific Northwest will need a massive buildout of new energy infrastructure over the next six years to meet rising electricity demand, according to a draft regional power plan released Thursday. Implementing the plan will cost the Pacific Northwest approximately $2.3 billion. And the rate of building will need to quicken to make it happen…
Tacoma police arrested a progressive candidate for the state Legislature on suspicion of impaired driving this week. Krista Perez was reportedly booked into jail in Pierce County just past 7:30 a.m. Tuesday on a charge of driving while intoxicated, a gross misdemeanor. She was released six hours later, according to jail records. Efforts to immediately…
As the Mendenhall River swells with glacial outburst floodwater, hundreds of people living in the suburban valley below spent Tuesday night and Wednesday preparing to evacuate or hunker down. The National Weather Service predicts the flood will crest Thursday. Officials managing the flood response recommended residents evacuate by 3 p.m. On Marion Drive, Ann Lind…
Jaelynn Scott is set to become Washington’s first openly transgender legislator after sailing through last week’s primary. She also could be one of only two members of the Democratic Socialists of America in the Legislature. “I think it’s important that people see themselves in me, and the fact that they can run and they can…
