Inside Olympia

On this episode of Inside Olympia:  Host Austin Jenkins sits down with Washington State Supreme Court Chief Justice Debra Stephens.

Microsoft President Brad Smith has been in Olympia this week to talk with lawmakers about the company’s policy priorities – affordability, tax reform and infrastructure, including housing supply targets, “pay our own way” data center energy commitments, and a shared responsibility agreement under which the company gets to build and invest, and the town gets lasting value in return.. He also discus...

This week on Inside Olympia:  Host Austin Jenkins sits down and goes one-on-one with Robert J. Jones, President of the University of Washington.

On this episode of Inside Olympia hodt Austin Jenkins sits down with State Treasurer Mike Pellicciotti and Anneliese Vance-Sherman, Chief Labor Economist for the State of Washington.

On this episode of Inside Olympia: Austin Jenkins sits down with Washington State University’s 12th president and the first woman to hold the role. We meet President Dr. Elizabeth "Betsy" Cantwell. What are her priorities for the state’s land grant university? How does she plan to address enrollment declines and budget cuts?

Host Austin Jenkins sits down with Dennis Worsham, Washington State Department of Health Secretary.

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.