Washington in Focus

Puget Sound Energy customers are pushing back against a proposed three-year rate plan that could significantly increase electric and natural gas bills across Washington. PSE is asking the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission to approve electric rate increases of 15.15% in 2027, 3.74% in 2028 and 8.70% in 2029. The Washington Attorney General's Office characterizes the proposal as an...

Washington voters will soon decide whether to repeal the state's newly enacted 9.9% income tax, and a new analysis examines what Initiative 645 would actually do to the rest of Washington's tax package. The Washington Research Council has released a policy brief examining I-645 and the state's new income tax established under Senate Bill 6346. If voters approve Initiative 645, the income-tax provi...

A Washington Supreme Court ruling striking down voter-approved Initiative 2066 is raising new questions about whether the court's single-subject reasoning could have consequences for other Washington laws—including the state's newly enacted 9.9% income tax. The Washington Supreme Court struck down Initiative 2066 in a 6-3 decision, ruling that the voter-approved natural gas measure violated Washin...

Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson's new gun violence prevention plan is facing questions over coordination, the role of police and how much advance notice key public safety officials received before the strategy was announced. Mayor Wilson unveiled Seattle's new gun violence strategy following a series of high-profile shootings and continuing concerns about public safety in downtown Seattle. The plan put...

A potential Boeing strike could put Washington state's new unemployment benefits law for striking workers to one of its biggest tests yet. Approximately 17,000 Boeing employees represented by the Society of Professional Engineering Employees in Aerospace, or SPEEA, are voting on a new four-year contract agreement. Union members previously authorized a strike if they reject Boeing's contract offer....

New questions are being raised about Washington's taxpayer-funded childcare system as reporters continue investigating Seattle-area home daycare providers receiving government subsidies. Post Millennial reporter Katie Daviscourt recently visited Somali-run home daycares in South Seattle and Tukwila while examining how taxpayer childcare subsidies are being distributed. SEIU 925 subsequently contac...

DocuSign co-founder Court Lorenzini is speaking out about Washington state's new 9.9% income tax and backing Initiative 645, the November ballot measure that would repeal the tax and prohibit state and local governments from imposing taxes on individual income. Lorenzini tells The Center Square that he plans to remain in Washington, but says some friends have already left the state because of the...

A new national firearms survey estimates Americans own approximately 461 million guns—including roughly 40 million AR-15-style rifles—as major Second Amendment litigation moves through the U.S. Supreme Court. The 2026 National Firearms Survey from Georgetown University professor William English estimates approximately 88 million American adults own firearms, with the average gun owner possessing r...

On the 25th anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks, America remembers the victims of 9/11, the first responders who rushed toward danger and the thousands who have died in the years since from illnesses and injuries associated with the attacks and their aftermath. The 2026 commemoration included a new moment of silence honoring those who died from 9/11-related illnesses and injuries, ad...

Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson is facing new pressure over public safety, former Seattle Police Chief Shon Barnes' departure and the city's decision to keep surveillance cameras turned off around Pioneer Square and the Stadium District. Seattle City Council Public Safety Committee Chair Bob Kettle is demanding greater transparency from Mayor Katie Wilson over Shon Barnes' exit as Seattle police chief....

Seattle public safety is facing renewed scrutiny after three separate shootings in the Belltown neighborhood left three people dead and three others injured, with no arrests announced in connection with the killings at the time of this episode. Seattle Police Officers Guild President Kent Lou is now calling for broader changes to Seattle's criminal justice system, arguing that adding police office...

Three people are dead and three others injured after a violent holiday weekend in Seattle, raising new questions about public safety, street takeovers, gun violence and the Seattle Police Department's response to crime. Three separate shootings occurred in Seattle's Belltown area over the weekend, including violence connected to another street takeover near the Seattle Center and Space Needle. At...

The Washington State Supreme Court has deadlocked in a major legal battle over Initiative 645, the November ballot measure seeking to repeal Washington state's new income tax. A 4-4 split by the Washington Supreme Court leaves the Public Investment Impact Disclosure, or PIID, written by Attorney General Nick Brown's office in place on the November 3 ballot. The disclosure warns voters that approvi...

A major Washington media lawsuit has reached a settlement in a fight over press freedom and access to state lawmakers, while an iconic Seattle restaurant is closing after more than 50 years as its owner blames rising rent, labor costs, taxes, construction and other pressures facing small businesses. Plus, a Washington lawmaker is questioning why the Department of Natural Resources is trying to fil...

Washington’s income tax repeal fight is escalating as Initiative 645 heads toward the November ballot and the Washington State Supreme Court considers a major challenge involving the ballot language voters will see. Former Congresswoman Jaime Herrera Beutler is urging Washington voters to support Initiative 645 and repeal the state's new 9.9% tax on household income above $1 million. Herrera Beutl...

Seattle Public Schools could delay the start of classes as the Seattle teacher union and school district remain locked in contract negotiations, while another Washington public-sector union fight is escalating and an iconic Seattle restaurant is preparing to close its doors. Seattle Public Schools and the Seattle Education Association are negotiating ahead of the scheduled September 2 start of sch...

Washington state is facing growing labor unrest as thousands of public employees walk off the job and Seattle teachers move closer to a potential strike that could disrupt the start of school for roughly 50,000 students. Thousands of Washington public employees represented by the Washington Federation of State Employees participated in the "Walkout for Washington" at more than 100 worksi...

Washington state's income tax repeal fight is heading back before the Washington Supreme Court as the battle over Initiative 645 and its controversial ballot language intensifies ahead of the November election. A panel of Washington Supreme Court justices is set to consider government transparency advocate Arthur West's challenge to the Public Investment Impact Disclosure, or PIID, that will accom...

Seattle Public Schools could be headed toward a teacher strike just days before the new school year begins. The Seattle Education Association says 91% of voting members authorized a strike if an agreement isn't reached by September 1, potentially putting teachers on the picket line September 2. The union is seeking smaller class sizes, additional special education staffing and pay increases beyond...

A legal battle is underway in Pierce County over a proposed charter amendment that would make the county sheriff an appointed rather than elected position. Sheriff Keith Swank opposes the proposal, while former Washington State Auditor Brian Sonntag and other plaintiffs are suing in an effort to keep the amendment off the November ballot. Swank is also speaking out about an encounter with Seattle...

Tyson Foods is looking to sell its Pasco-area beef processing facility, raising new concerns about the future of Washington agriculture and food processing. The facility handles roughly 2,000 cattle per day and processes most of the fed cattle in the Pacific Northwest. Washington cattle industry leaders say the announcement sent immediate shockwaves through the market while stressing that the plan...

Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson is facing another troubling poll, with new Seattle Metro Chamber numbers showing her favorability falling from 57% in April to just 37%. Public safety appears to be a major concern as Wilson faces scrutiny over violent crime, the departure of Police Chief Shon Barnes, surveillance policy and an active recall effort. Meanwhile, the legal battle over Washington’s income ta...

A longtime Seattle Times sportswriter has resigned after editors declined to publish his column featuring two Washington female athletes who oppose competing against biological males. Matt Calkins, who spent 11 years at The Seattle Times, spoke with Washington In Focus Daily after his resignation story went viral. Calkins discussed why the rejected column became his final straw and argued that the...

New political disclosure complaints are escalating Washington's battle over ballot initiatives and campaign activity. Radio host Ari Hoffman, acting as a private citizen, has filed a Public Disclosure Commission complaint involving the Seattle Times and several organizations, alleging that coverage surrounding the 2024 campaign over Initiative 2117 and the Climate Commitment Act amounted to undisc...

A major Washington girls sports and Title IX battle is back in federal court as a Puyallup-area high school wrestler challenges policies allowing biological males to compete against female athletes. The student and her mother are suing the school district, the WIAA and others following an alleged sexual assault during a wrestling match last December. Another Washington legal battle is gaining new...