Inside Olympia

Host Austin Jenkins sits down with the new Secretary of the Department of Social & Health Services Angela Ramirez.

Host Austin Jenkins sits down with pollster Stuart Elway on Washingtonian's perceptions over the past 5 decades.

Host Austin Jenkins sits down with State Chief Privacy Officer Katy Ruckle and Chief Technology Officer Gretchen Peri to discuss digital privacy and AI.

Host Austin Jenkins sits down with State Insurance Commissioner Patty Kuderer and Ingrid Ulrey of the State Health Benefit Exchange to talk about the spike in 2026 health insurance rates.

Host Austin Jenkins sits down for an interview with retiring State Supreme Court Justice Mary Yu.

This week on Inside Olympia: host Austin Jenkins sits down with Office of Independent Investigations Director Roger Rogoff.

Inside Olympia, with host Austin Jenkins, sits down this week with State Patrol Chief John Batiste.

This wekk on Inside Olympia: host Austin Jenkins, sits down with Washington Commissioner of Public Lands Dave Upthegrove.

Inside Olympia, with host Austin Jenkins, sits down with Department of Ecology Director Casey Sixkiller.

On this episode of Inside Olympia:  Austin Jenkins sits down with the Washington State's chief economist, Dave Reich and goes over the latest revenue and budget numbers.  Plus we talk with Capitol Press Corps members and get their take on the budget challenges ahead.

On this week's Inside Olympia: We continue our focus on education -- Austin sits down with the new Executive Director of the Washington State Board of Community and Technical Colleges, Nate Humphrey.

Washington Superintendent Chris Reykdal is asking lawmakers for $10 million in 2026 to fund statewide AI tutoring pilots and teacher training, arguing scale is key to equity. The request comes as state test scores inch upward but reveal persistent gaps, with higher-poverty students improving more slowly. Reykdal cautioned against overreliance on high-stakes tests and urged lawmakers not to cut edu...

On the season premiere of Inside Olympia, Austin Jenkins interviews Ed Lazowska, the Bill and Melinda Gates Chair Emeritus in Computer Science and Engineering at the University of Washington Paul G. Allen School, about his five-decade career and the rapid rise of artificial intelligence. Lazowska reflects on Washington’s ascent as a global software hub, driven by Microsoft, Amazon, and close ties...

This week on Inside Olympia.....Austin Jenkins sits down with the career newspaperman and State Chief Historian John C. Hughes. 

We talk traffic safety with Shelly Baldwin, acting director of the Washington Traffic Safety Commission.

What's driving higher health care costs? We talk with WA Health Benefit Exchange CEO Ingrid Ulrey. Plus, Director Ben Veghte on WA's long-term care insurance program. 

On this episode of Inside Olympia:  Austin Jenkins takes a look at the reasons behind the decline in news sources in Washington State with Dr. Jennifer Henrichsen, Assistant Professor with the Edward R. Murrow College of Communication at WSU.

This week on Inside Olympia....we sit down with legislative leaders.  On the program, House Majority Leader Rep. Joe Fitzgibbon and Senate Republican Leader John Braun.

On this episode of Inside Olympia:  Austin Jenkkins sits down with WA State Schools Superintendent Chris Reykdal.

On this episode of Inside Olympia:  Austin Jenkins sits down with the head of the WA State Department of Corrections, Tim Lang.

On this episode of Inside Olympia:  Austin Jenkins finds out the latest happenings at the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) with the head of the agency, Julie Meredith.

On this episode of Inside Olympia: Austin Jenkins sits down with members of the Capital Press Corps and recaps the 2025 legislative session.  Plus, Austin interviews two Murrow News Fellows based here in Olympia for this session.

Water is an increasingly precious commodity. How is Washington State managing water resources in areas like the Columbia River Basin where demand outstrips supply? And as drought becomes more common, how is the state preparing for current and future dry spells? On the program, Tom Tebb, the recently retired Director of the Office of Columbia River at the Department of Ecology and Caroline Mellor,...

Austin Jenkins sits downs and discusses tariffs, agriculture and energy with Washington State's Director of Commerce Joe Nguyen.

Inside Olympia, with host Austin Jenkins, sits down with State Supreme Court Chief Justice Debra Stephens.