Washington State Standard

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The first item on every Washington voter’s ballot is a proposal to add a few lines to the state constitution that would ...
10/31/2025

The first item on every Washington voter’s ballot is a proposal to add a few lines to the state constitution that would change how billions of taxpayer dollars are managed.

Senate Joint Resolution 8201 seeks to let the state make stock market investments with payroll taxes collected for its long-term care program, known as WA Cares. Any earnings would have to be used solely for the program’s beneficiaries.

If approved Tuesday, the Washington State Investment Board would be legally able to handle the program’s assets in a similar manner as it does pension and retirement funds.

This will allow for the tax dollars to be invested in a “safe and risk averse way” while producing greater returns for the program, said Heather Weiner of the Approve 8201 campaign in a recent debate at the University of Washington.

Washington voters on Tuesday will decide if the state constitution should be amended to change how billions of taxpayer dollars are managed.

Democratic state senators are eyeing an income tax on millionaires as they seek to overcome Washington’s persisting budg...
10/30/2025

Democratic state senators are eyeing an income tax on millionaires as they seek to overcome Washington’s persisting budget shortfall.

Individuals and households would pay a 9.9% tax on adjusted gross income above $1 million, and get credit for state capital gains tax payments, according to those familiar with the broad outline. It could generate an estimated $3 billion from a projected 20,000 households subject to the tax.

The Senate Democratic Caucus discussed the politically explosive idea, which has been repeatedly rejected by voters and the state Supreme Court, during a retreat earlier this month. They also talked about other means of raising revenues to avert deficits in the current and next budget.

Senate Majority Leader Jamie Pedersen, D-Seattle, said Wednesday it’s too early to know if the income tax concept solidifies into legislation in the 2026 session that begins Jan. 12.

“We’ve got a lot of things being discussed and researched. I am aware of at least four or five different ideas being evaluated in various ways,” he said. “It is not the case that anybody has settled on any ideas to the point that anyone is going to introduce something.”

An income tax would not be a short-term solution to the state’s budget difficulties because it is certain to be challenged in court or on the ballot. But supporters view it as a stable revenue source for the future, and a long-sought step toward rebalancing the tax code.

Washington is among nine states nationwide that do not tax individual wage and salary income.

Democratic state senators are eyeing an income tax on millionaires as they seek to overcome Washington’s persisting budget shortfall.

Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson on Wednesday indicated that he’s reluctant to support major new tax increases in the legisl...
10/30/2025

Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson on Wednesday indicated that he’s reluctant to support major new tax increases in the legislative session that begins in January.

The first-term Democrat also said housing and road maintenance are two areas he plans to focus on.

“We did raise billions of dollars in revenue earlier this year, and I’m skeptical of additional revenue at this time,” he told the Standard.

His remarks come as Democratic lawmakers are in the early stages of discussing tax ideas ahead of the session, including a possible income tax on higher earners. Ferguson said he was aware of conversations about the income tax proposal but did not have a position on it.

In the spring, Ferguson signed off on more than $9 billion in tax increases over four years that Democratic lawmakers pushed through to help close a gap in the state’s operating budget. Since then, revenue forecasts have shown tax collections falling short of expectations.

“We did raise billions of dollars in revenue earlier this year, and I'm skeptical of additional revenue at this time,” he told the Standard.

A Swiss company behind a $1.5 billion climate-friendly fertilizer factory proposed in central Washington is not giving u...
10/30/2025

A Swiss company behind a $1.5 billion climate-friendly fertilizer factory proposed in central Washington is not giving up on the project despite the Trump administration’s termination of a significant federal subsidy.

In fact, CEO Petter Østbø said Atlas Agro will double down with a further $500 million investment in a large data center next door to the planned fertilizer plant.

Atlas Agro’s plans represent a potential economic boon for the Tri-Cities and Washington state. But local enthusiasm for the projects is paired with a dose of caution.

Earlier this month, the U.S. Department of Energy nixed funding for the Pacific Northwest Hydrogen Hub, which was set to pass through a large subsidy to Atlas Agro for making zero-carbon fertilizer using clean hydrogen. Funding for the hub won approval during President Joe Biden’s time in office.

Apart from the lost federal dollars, other hurdles lie ahead for the project.

In an interview Wednesday, Østbø described an unexpected way to recover from the funding setback: by tacking on a second costly and energy-intensive component to his company’s plans in Washington.

“One very interesting thing is the ability to share infrastructure,” Østbø said about adding a profit-making data center. He said sharing the cost of construction for power infrastructure at the site could be “very beneficial” and that this expense alone amounted to almost twice as much as the canceled federal funding.

A Swiss company behind a $1.5 billion climate-friendly fertilizer factory proposed in central Washington is not giving up on the project despite the Trump administration’s termination of a significant federal subsidy.

Voters in western Washington are casting ballots in four legislative races that could reveal whether the electorate want...
10/29/2025

Voters in western Washington are casting ballots in four legislative races that could reveal whether the electorate wants to change the direction the state is going.

But another factor might be more decisive in the Nov. 4 election: Democrats’ desire to rebuke President Donald Trump.

“They used to say all politics are local. But, in a lot of ways, all politics are national right now,” said Jared Leopold of New Direction PAC, the political committee behind hundreds of thousands of dollars in spending across the four contests. “Everyone who is upset with Donald Trump is looking for a way to send a message and voting is the easiest way to do it.”

It’s a dynamic largely unchanged since the August primary, when four appointed Democratic state lawmakers defeated experienced opponents.

Those results came about seven months into a second Trump administration, and after a legislative session when Democratic majorities pushed through tax hikes, budget cuts and expansive social policies.

Washington voters are casting ballots in four legislative races that could reveal if they want to change the direction the state is going.

Facebook’s parent company is asking Washington’s high court to overturn what the state’s attorney general has called the...
10/28/2025

Facebook’s parent company is asking Washington’s high court to overturn what the state’s attorney general has called the largest campaign finance penalty in the nation’s history.

Meta argues the Washington campaign finance law used to justify the $35 million fine violates the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. The company also argues that the punishment, for not providing required records for digital campaign advertisements hosted on its platform, is excessive and misguided.

The state attorney general’s office, which sued Meta in 2020, says provisions of the law are necessary to inform voters about who is spending money to influence Washington elections. Gov. Bob Ferguson was leading the attorney general’s office when the case was filed.

“This purpose is even more urgent today, given the targeted and ephemeral nature of digital media, yet Meta has repeatedly and intentionally violated our law,” said deputy solicitor general Cristina Sepe, as the state and Meta argued their cases before state Supreme Court justices Tuesday.

Meta was represented in court by Rob McKenna, the former two-term Republican state attorney general and 2012 gubernatorial candidate.

It could be months before the court issues a ruling.

Meta is asking Washington’s high court to overturn what the has been called the largest campaign finance penalty in history.

Washington’s lands commissioner, Dave Upthegrove, is on a mission to secure $60 million of additional wildfire funding i...
10/27/2025

Washington’s lands commissioner, Dave Upthegrove, is on a mission to secure $60 million of additional wildfire funding in next year’s legislative session, despite a tightening budget outlook.

On Monday, he and a leading Democratic House lawmaker indicated that they want to tap revenue from the state’s cap-and-trade program for at least some of that money. The maneuver would mean turning to a steady-flowing stream of cash outside the state’s squeezed operating budget.

“Climate Commitment Act dollars are going to be on the table,” said state Rep. Larry Springer, D-Kirkland, who is deputy House majority leader.

At issue is funding provided under a 2021 law known as House Bill 1168, which passed with broad bipartisan support. With that legislation, lawmakers committed to direct $500 million over eight years to wildfire programs. Springer was a lead sponsor.

The HB 1168 funding supports three general areas: initial attacks on wildfires to keep them from growing into huge blazes; forest health measures, like prescribed burns and thinning; and community resilience initiatives focused on making buildings and property less fire-prone.

Legislators largely kept up the funding, with $115 million in the 2023-25 budget and $130 million in the 2021-23 cycle. This year, confronted with a budget deficit, they delivered just $60 million.

Washington’s lands commissioner Dave Upthegrove and a leading Democratic House lawmaker indicated that they want to tap revenue from the state’s Climate Commitment Act for at least some of the money.

School board directors and parents sued Washington state Thursday to block a Democrat-backed law overhauling rights for ...
10/27/2025

School board directors and parents sued Washington state Thursday to block a Democrat-backed law overhauling rights for public school students and their parents.

The policy has become a flashpoint in the national debate over gender inclusivity and diversity, equity, and inclusion in schools. A conservative political group has a separate push underway to get it overturned through the legislative process or at the ballot box.

This week’s lawsuit, filed in Thurston County Superior Court, argues House Bill 1296 violates state and U.S. constitutional rights guaranteeing the free exercise of religion and ensuring parents can raise their children without state interference.

The debate over House Bill 1296 was one of the most contentious of this year’s legislative session in Olympia. Democratic Gov. Bob Ferguson signed the law in May.

Republicans argued that it undermines Initiative 2081, which lawmakers passed last year.

The earlier initiative enshrined certain rights for parents of public school children, specifically around issues like reviewing classroom materials, obtaining medical records, and opting children out of assignments involving questions about their sexual experiences or their family’s religious beliefs.

School board directors and parents sued Washington on Thursday to block a law overhauling rights for students and their parents.

In recent years, hundreds of thousands of Californians have purchased home insurance from a state-managed “last resort” ...
10/24/2025

In recent years, hundreds of thousands of Californians have purchased home insurance from a state-managed “last resort” insurance pool that has grown rapidly as private insurance companies have fled the market.

Now, in the wake of the devastating Los Angeles wildfires earlier this year, the Fair Access to Insurance Requirements (FAIR) Plan is seeking approval from the state for an average 36% rate hike, which would further squeeze homeowners who have no other options for coverage.

Insurance experts say it’s a national warning sign, as the effects of climate change cause private insurance companies to pull back on coverage in disaster-prone areas, leaving states and their residents to assume more of the risk. Fewer homeowners will be able to purchase private insurance in the future, and even those who do may face higher premiums as companies charge more to pay for the FAIR Plan losses.

In some states, these state-managed insurance plans have grown from a handful of policies, as originally intended, to hundreds of thousands of homeowners. The plans charge high premiums and provide limited coverage.

“It was supposed to be a stopgap measure. People are supposed to be on a FAIR Plan policy for a short amount of time, but with climate change and these extreme weather events, that’s not going to happen,” said Alfonso Pating, global financial regulation analyst with the Natural Resources Defense Council, an environmental nonprofit.

Californians who buy property insurance from the state-managed, “last resort” FAIR Plan could be facing rate hikes of 36% on average in the wake of the wildfires that devastated Los Angeles earlier this year.

More than 1,600 federal workers in Washington state have filed for unemployment benefits since the government shutdown b...
10/24/2025

More than 1,600 federal workers in Washington state have filed for unemployment benefits since the government shutdown began at the start of October.

Of the 1,625 claims the state Employment Security Department had received by Tuesday, 411 had been paid. The rest were pending.

The state’s goal is no more than 21 days from getting an unemployment insurance application to the applicant receiving benefits.

“Our No. 1 goal is to get people paid as quickly as possible,” Employment Security Commissioner Cami Feek said. “We understand the stress involved in being furloughed or laid off.”

The agency is receiving dozens more claims each day. This tracks with what the state saw during the last shutdown in late 2018 and early 2019. The current shutdown was in its 23rd day on Thursday and is now the second-longest in U.S. history.

King, Pierce, Kitsap and Thurston counties are home to the most federal employees filing claims. An Employment Security Department spokesperson said information about which federal agencies employed the laid-off workers is confidential. But the departments of Defense, Veterans Affairs, Homeland Security and Transportation, along with the Postal Service, are among the agencies with the most workers in Washington.

As of the first quarter of this year, Washington had nearly 80,000 federal workers in total.

More than 1,600 federal workers in Washington have filed for unemployment since the government shutdown began at the start of October.

Gov. Bob Ferguson signed an executive order Wednesday to strengthen how the state consults and works with Native America...
10/23/2025

Gov. Bob Ferguson signed an executive order Wednesday to strengthen how the state consults and works with Native American tribes in Washington.

It calls for drafting new policies for tribal consultation and requires expanded training for state workers on sovereignty and other issues related to understanding the unique nature of the ties between the state and tribal governments.

Tribal leaders applauded the move, but also flagged ongoing tensions in the relationship.

In addition, the Governor’s Office of Indian Affairs will get a permanent seat in Ferguson’s executive cabinet and expanded authority and responsibility to carry out the order’s directives.

“I’ve heard from Tribal leaders about how we can improve our partnership with Tribal governments,” Ferguson said in a statement. “I’m putting that feedback into action and laying out my vision for fostering meaningful government-to-government relationships.”

Ferguson signed the six-page order to kick off Wednesday’s session of the 2025 Centennial Accords meeting hosted by the Cowlitz Indian Tribe in southwest Washington. This was Ferguson’s first time attending as governor.

The Centennial Accord, a 1989 agreement signed by then Washington Governor Booth Gardner and leaders of federally recognized tribes, is a framework for relations between the state and tribal governments. Representatives gather each year to take stock of how the relationship is evolving. Historically open to the media, this year’s event was closed to the press.

Gov. Bob Ferguson signed an executive order Wednesday to strengthen how the state consults with Native American tribes in Washington.

The roughly 300,000 Washingtonians who buy health insurance through the state’s online marketplace are set for a rude aw...
10/22/2025

The roughly 300,000 Washingtonians who buy health insurance through the state’s online marketplace are set for a rude awakening as they begin shopping for plans.

That’s because premiums for individual insurance bought on the Washington Health Benefit Exchange through the Affordable Care Act are set to rise an average of 21% next year. The steep hikes stem from the expiration of federal tax credits that congressional Republicans refuse to extend.

Similar price jumps are happening nationwide. Last year’s average rate increase in Washington was 10.7%. Nationally, over 24 million people are covered with insurance from the marketplaces, which are used by people who do not have access to health insurance through their jobs or from government programs, like Medicaid.

Open enrollment begins Nov. 1, and will run through Jan. 15. To begin coverage by Jan. 1, enrollees should sign up by Dec. 15. Existing customers will be automatically renewed, but can still shop around and compare plans. The window shopping period for plans began Tuesday.

The enhanced tax credits, which began during the COVID pandemic, are central in the federal government shutdown that began Oct. 1.

Democrats in the U.S. Senate have refused to vote to reopen the government without the extension of the subsidies. Republicans haven’t yielded to that demand.

Less than two weeks from open enrollment, it’s unclear what would happen if Congress decided to extend the tax credits at this late stage.

The around 300,000 Washingtonians who buy health insurance through the online marketplace are in for a rude awakening as they shop for plans.

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