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The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday took up a Republican-backed challenge to counting mail-in ballots received after Electi...
11/10/2025

The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday took up a Republican-backed challenge to counting mail-in ballots received after Election Day.

Depending how the justices rule, the case could be consequential for Washington and other states that vote by mail.

It stems from a lawsuit against a Mississippi state law allowing mail-in ballots received within five business days after Election Day to still be counted. Roughly 30 states have similar laws, with varying grace periods.

The decision could also have ramifications for next year’s high-stakes midterms, which will decide whether Republicans maintain control of both the U.S. House and Senate. The court will likely hear arguments and rule by mid-2026.

Washington is one of a handful of states that conduct elections by mail and ballot drop boxes. The state accepts mail-in ballots up until the day before certification, which is 21 days after the election, as long as they are postmarked by Election Day.

The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday took up a Republican-backed challenge to counting mail-in ballots received after Election Day.

Washington’s attorney general is seeking to reduce public record backlogs as concerns grow over transparency and agencie...
11/10/2025

Washington’s attorney general is seeking to reduce public record backlogs as concerns grow over transparency and agencies strain from surging requests.

Attorney General Nick Brown has proposed new advice for locales on how to interpret state public records law, with a focus on providing records faster. The rules Brown is proposing don’t change the state’s Public Records Act. They only serve as a guide for state and local governments on how to comply.

Open government advocates support the changes. Government officials are skeptical.

One of Brown’s bigger recommendations is to triage public disclosure requests so simple asks for one document can be provided faster than complex requests seeking, for example, thousands of pages or hard-to-find records.

Under the current system, narrower requests can sit for months, even years, while records officers deal with difficult ones first-come-first-serve. The newly proposed rules push agencies to provide records within five business days if the request is for a “single, specific, identifiable record.”

Washington is seeking to reduce public record backlogs as transparency concerns grow and agencies strain from surging requests.

Deaths and near-fatalities among children in Washington’s child welfare system have slowed, but are still expected to hi...
11/09/2025

Deaths and near-fatalities among children in Washington’s child welfare system have slowed, but are still expected to hit a record level in 2025.

Through the first nine months of the year, Washington saw 15 deaths and 30 near-deaths among these children, many of them infants and toddlers, according to state data shared Friday. There were 49 total such incidents all of last year, and 51 in 2023.

Over half of this year’s incidents have been tied to opioids, especially highly potent fentanyl, according to the Department of Children, Youth and Families, the sprawling state agency that handles child welfare in Washington. At least some of the deaths and injuries involve parents repeatedly flagged over child welfare concerns.

The latest figures show improvement from the first three months of the year, which saw 22 of these incidents, the department said. In the second quarter, 14 were reported. And preliminarily, there were nine in the third quarter.

“Although the numbers have moderated, thankfully, quite a bit since quarter one of 2025, we do anticipate that 2025 will be a record year,” Vickie Ybarra, an assistant secretary at the agency, told reporters Friday. “We do not expect it to be double or triple, which was a concern in the first quarter.”

Deaths and near-fatalities among children in Washington’s child welfare system have slowed, but are still expected to break a record in 2025.

Eight Democratic state lawmakers in Washington retained their seats in this week’s election, with a ninth on the cusp of...
11/08/2025

Eight Democratic state lawmakers in Washington retained their seats in this week’s election, with a ninth on the cusp of winning.

State Rep. Edwin Obras inched closer to success Friday in the tightest House contest. Sen. Deb Krishnadasan declared victory a day earlier in the year’s most expensive duel among a stack of special elections for legislative seats.

Obras led Kevin Schilling, a fellow Democrat, by a margin of 50.6% to 47.7% in the 33rd Legislative District. More votes will be counted in the days ahead. Located south of Seattle, the district includes Burien, Normandy Park, Des Moines, SeaTac and much of Kent.

Competing in his first general election, Obras trailed Schilling, the mayor of Burien, in early rounds of ballot counting. But the SeaTac lawmaker edged in front by 205 votes Thursday and increased his lead to 641 in Friday’s count.

“If the trends continue and Edwin is victorious, congratulations to him,” Schilling said Friday.

Meanwhile, Krishnadasan, of Gig Harbor, beat Republican state Rep. Michelle Caldier in the 26th District that covers part of Kitsap and Pierce counties. Caldier, who is in her sixth term in the House, conceded Thursday.

Eight Democratic state lawmakers in Washington retained their seats in this week’s election, with a ninth on the cusp of winning. State Rep. Edwin Obras inched closer to success Friday in the tightest House contest. Sen. Deb Krishnadasan declared victory a day earlier in the year’s most expensiv...

Boeing broke ground on a $1 billion expansion of its Charleston-area manufacturing campus, as the aerospace giant works ...
11/07/2025

Boeing broke ground on a $1 billion expansion of its Charleston-area manufacturing campus, as the aerospace giant works to bolster production of the South Carolina-built 787 Dreamliner.

Crews have already begun work on the second assembly facility that mimics the complex’s existing final production line.

Dignitaries, including Gov. Henry McMaster, members of South Carolina’s congressional delegation and U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, were on hand Friday to officially celebrate the much-needed buildout as global demand for the 787 takes flight.

“This expansion enables us to go to (production) rates that we only dreamed of in the past,” said Lisa Fahl, engineering vice president for the 787. “It’s huge. We’re doubling the size of the flight line. We’re doubling the size of the factory. We could one day have four production lines running concurrently.”

The company headquartered in Arlington, Virginia, also announced it is doubling the number of jobs associated with the expansion since it was first announced last December. It’s now pledging to hire 1,000 people in the next few years.

Production in the new building is expected to begin in 2028.

The latest expansion will bring Boeing’s total capital investment in South Carolina to more than $3 billion since the company opened its Palmetto State location in 2011. As of 2024, the company employed more than 8,250 workers in the state across its North Charleston and Orangeburg facilities.

The aerospace giant is working to bolster production of the 787 Dreamliner. Production in the new building is expected to begin in 2028.

Two former Washington state lawmakers will return to public office after winning elections this week.Democrat Mark Mulle...
11/07/2025

Two former Washington state lawmakers will return to public office after winning elections this week.

Democrat Mark Mullet and Republican J.T. Wilcox each exited the Legislature at the end of their term in January. Both found success Tuesday in bids for nonpartisan posts.

Mullet spent Wednesday morning picking up campaign signs in Issaquah, where voters elected him to be the city’s next mayor.

The ex-state senator and 2024 gubernatorial candidate said he’s looking forward to reengaging in “public service that solves problems” minus the partisan bickering of the legislative process.

“My focus will be on making sure state policies don’t have a negative impact on the local level,” said Mullet, who served on the Issaquah City Council before winning his Senate seat in 2012.

Two former Washington state lawmakers will return to local office after handily winning elections this week.

With the state strapped for cash, Democrats’ chief budget writer in the Washington Senate has told colleagues there’s no...
11/07/2025

With the state strapped for cash, Democrats’ chief budget writer in the Washington Senate has told colleagues there’s no money available for new spending they might desire next year.

Don’t even bother asking, Sen. June Robinson, chair of the Senate Ways and Means Committee, warned fellow lawmakers in an email Tuesday.

“I will not be soliciting or accepting any member requests for the operating budget in the upcoming session,” she wrote. “Please help set expectations around this with your constituents and advocates as you meet with them.”

Early each session, lawmakers typically submit requests to budget writers for new or additional funding for programs and services. Wish lists are the product of legislators’ conversations with a wide berth of individuals and interests.

Robinson, an Everett Democrat, said in an interview Wednesday she reached out before any submissions arrived in hopes of tamping down expectations.

“We don’t have money to pay for what is needed, let alone new spending that members might request,” she said.

Democrats’ chief budget writer in the Washington Senate told colleagues there’s no money for new spending they might desire next year.

A close contest between two Democrats for a Washington state House seat tightened further Wednesday.Kevin Schilling’s le...
11/06/2025

A close contest between two Democrats for a Washington state House seat tightened further Wednesday.

Kevin Schilling’s lead on state Rep. Edwin Obras shrank to 199 votes in their 33rd Legislative District duel in south King County. The district includes Burien, Normandy Park, Des Moines, SeaTac and much of Kent.

Schilling, the mayor of Burien, led Obras by 358 votes on Tuesday night. More votes will be counted in the days ahead.

“We are excited we got a lot closer. We will keep looking at the numbers the next couple days but this is a good sign,” said John Wyble, Obras’s campaign advisor. “The most important thing is that every vote is counted.”

Schilling also preached patience citing the many ballots left to tally.

“We always knew no matter what it was going to be a close race,” he said. Noting his campaign knocked on 30,000 doors, he added, “Each vote matters. Each of those conversations is going to be a big difference maker here.”

Kevin Schilling’s narrow lead on state Rep. Edwin Obras shrank in their 33rd Legislative District duel, in south King County.

Voters were giving the go-ahead Tuesday for the state to make stock market investments with payroll taxes collected for ...
11/05/2025

Voters were giving the go-ahead Tuesday for the state to make stock market investments with payroll taxes collected for Washington’s new long-term care program.

A measure to amend the state constitution was passing by an overwhelming margin of 56.8% to 43.2%. Results will be updated as more votes are tallied.

If Tuesday’s results for Senate Joint Resolution 8201 hold, it will allow the Washington State Investment Board to legally handle assets of the WA Cares program in a similar manner as it does pension and retirement accounts. The fund had a balance of $2.9 billion on Sept. 30.

“Voters are sending a clear message to lawmakers that they support strengthening this essential benefit for seniors and people with disabilities,” said Ana Ascanio, manager for the Approve 8201 campaign.

Voters on Tuesday were backing a measure to allow stock market investments with payroll taxes collected for Washington's new long-term care program.

Two potentially vulnerable Democrats in the Washington state Senate appeared poised to retain their seats after an initi...
11/05/2025

Two potentially vulnerable Democrats in the Washington state Senate appeared poised to retain their seats after an initial ballot count on Tuesday.

Sen. Vandana Slatter faced a challenge from a more moderate candidate within her own party, and Victoria Hunt from a Republican opponent hoping to chip away at the lopsided balance of power in favor of Democrats in Olympia.

For each, it was their first time defending their seats. Both were promoted from the House to the Senate via appointment.

On Tuesday, Hunt, of Issaquah, comfortably led former state lawmaker Chad Magendanz, a moderate Republican, by a margin of 54.5% to 45.3%.

Slatter was ahead of her former state House colleague, Rep. Amy Walen, D-Kirkland, 56% to 42.3% after Tuesday’s ballot drop.

Meanwhile, Rep. Edwin Obras trailed fellow Democrat and Burien mayor Kevin Schilling. Schilling, considered the moderate candidate in the race, narrowly led with about 50.2% of the vote to Obras’ 47.2%. Roughly 350 votes separate the candidates.

Two potentially vulnerable Democrats in the Washington state Senate appeared poised to retain their seats after an initial ballot count on Tuesday.

Democratic state Sen. Deb Krishnadasan was holding off Republican Rep. Michelle Caldier on Tuesday in an expensive battl...
11/05/2025

Democratic state Sen. Deb Krishnadasan was holding off Republican Rep. Michelle Caldier on Tuesday in an expensive battle cast as a bellwether of the political mood in Washington.

Krishnadasan led Caldier by a comfortable margin of 52.7% to 47.3% in a contest that drew nearly $4 million in spending by candidates and outside groups. Results will be updated as more votes are tallied.

The winner will represent the 26th Legislative District that spans parts of Pierce and Kitsap counties and includes Bremerton, Port Orchard, Purdy and Gig Harbor. It is one of Washington’s few swing districts where residents are represented by lawmakers from both parties.

The early results suggest Trump continues to drag down Republican candidates in suburban areas, and that progressives are in no mood to cede ground they’ve secured at the state level.

Krishnadasan was winning handily in both counties on Tuesday, unlike the August primary, where she trailed on election night and then moved ahead in later counts.

“We are encouraged by tonight’s results but know there are many ballots left to count,” Krishnadasan said in a statement. “We are optimistic that our campaign has beaten back one of the most expensive onslaughts of corporate-funded attack ads in state history.”

As of Tuesday, candidates had collectively spent about $1.4 million in the race, with outside groups accounting for another $2.6 million.

If Tuesday’s results hold, it will be a blow to Republicans who viewed this contest as their best chance this year to chip away at Democrats’ 30-19 seat advantage in the state Senate.

TKTK

Republican U.S. Rep. Michael Baumgartner and Democratic Gov. Bob Ferguson both agree the federal government shutdown has...
11/04/2025

Republican U.S. Rep. Michael Baumgartner and Democratic Gov. Bob Ferguson both agree the federal government shutdown has gone on too long.

But the two fixtures of Washington state politics insist the other’s party is preventing it from ending. The shutdown hit 34 days on Monday.

Baumgartner thinks he and Ferguson should air their perspectives on the government gridlock in a televised debate.

He issued the challenge last week after a Ferguson post on X blamed suspension of the federal food assistance program ubiquitously known as SNAP on the “Congressional Republicans’ shutdown,” adding that “President Trump needs to tell his party to do their job.”

Baumgartner responded: “Bob, I think you are being dishonest with the people of Washington state. Let’s you and I do a televised debate on it and they can decide for themselves. Sound good?”

Congressman Michael Baumgartner invited Gov. Bob Ferguson to publicly hash out who is to blame for the month-long federal government shutdown.

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