State Watch

Washington Policy Center Washington 8/10 ?

Context counts: the farmer's share, the legislative session, and Washington's farms

By Pam LewisonAbout a month ago, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced a revision in how it was calculating the “farmer’s share” of the food dollar.The results were bleak.The USDA noted instead...

Washington Policy Center Washington 8/10 ?

Air Quality Funds Diverted to Advocacy, Not Pollution Reduction

By Todd MyersIn 2024, then-governor Jay Inslee warned that “We have this epidemic of asthma in our state,” saying that funding from the state’s CO2 tax would help fund projects to reduce air pollution...

Washington Policy Center Washington 8/10 ?

Gray wolf population rebounds after brief decrease

By Pam LewisonIn 2024, theCenter for Biological Diversitycharacterized the 9 percent drop in the state’s total gray wolf population as “infuriating,” “dramatic,” and “disturbing.”Washington State Depa...

Washington AG Washington 7/10 ?

AG Brown opposes Northwest Natural Gas Company’s steep rate hikes

AG Brown opposes Northwest Natural Gas Company’s steep rate hikesFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:Apr 7 2026atgSamBlobaumTue, 04/07/2026 - 12:53On Friday, the Washington State Attorney General’s Office challenge...

Washington Policy Center Washington 8/10 ?

Washington's retail theft crisis is getting worse and Governor Ferguson's veto won't help

By Mark HarmsworthWashington is one of the highest states when it comes to retail crime, yet Governor Bob Ferguson just vetoed $500,000 from the state budget that would have extended a proven program ...

Washington Policy Center Washington 8/10 ?

Internal Emails Show Income Tax Bill Was Designed to Bypass the Constitution and Lock Out Voters

By Ryan FrostThree main takeaways:There's a lawful way to change Washington's constitution. Legislators didn't use it.Legislators and the AG's office made sure voters couldn’t refer the income tax bil...

Washington Policy Center Washington 8/10 ?

Internal Emails Show Income Tax Was Designed to Bypass the Constitution and Lock Out Voters

By Ryan FrostThree main takeaways:There's a lawful way to change Washington's constitution. Legislators didn't use it.Legislators and the AG's office made sure voters couldn’t refer the income tax bil...

Washington AG Washington 7/10 ?

CONSUMER ALERT: Investment scams proliferate on Meta platforms

CONSUMER ALERT: Investment scams proliferate on Meta platformsFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:Apr 6 2026atgSamBlobaumMon, 04/06/2026 - 14:07Attorney General Nick Brown today issued an investor alert to warn Was...

Washington Policy Center Washington 8/10 ?

Bait and Switch: State Funding to Reduce Air Pollution in Overburdened Communities Prioritized Advocacy, Not Cleaner Air

Bait and Switch: State Funding to Reduce Air Pollution in Overburdened Communities Prioritized Advocacy, Not Cleaner Air Policy Brief TODD MYERS Apr 20, 2026 About the Author Todd Myers Vice President...

Washington Policy Center Washington 8/10 ?

NEW STUDY: Washington's homelessness problem is worse than you think (and avoidable)

NEW STUDY: Washington's homelessness problem is worse than you think (and avoidable) Blog DAVID BOZE Apr 17, 2026 About the Author David Boze Communications & Strategy Director Email PHONE (206) 946-1...

Washington Policy Center Washington 8/10 ?

When process blocks opportunity: The WinCo case

By Elizabeth NewThree takeaways:WinCo’s North Seattle project is delayed over process, not proven environmental harm.That delay means less food access, fewer job opportunities and less competition in ...

Washington AG Washington 7/10 ?

Washington wins appeals court ruling against HUD over housing assistance programs

Washington wins appeals court ruling against HUD over housing assistance programsFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:Apr 2 2026atgAshleyGrossThu, 04/02/2026 - 08:42In a decisive win for Washington and other states,...

Washington Policy Center Washington 8/10 ?

Tax Day Good News: You Could Keep $1,700 and Help Washington Kids

By Vicki MurrayOn Tax Day, Washington families are thinking about what they owe. They should also be thinking about what their state is leaving on the table. Congress created the country’s first feder...

Washington Policy Center Washington 8/10 ?

How should teachers adapt to AI?

How should teachers adapt to AI? DONALD KIMBALL Apr 14, 2026 About the Author Donald Kimball Communications Manager, Tech Exchange Editor Email PHONE (206) 946-1008 See More I spoke with teachers abou...

Washington Policy Center Washington 8/10 ?

Public workers' First Amendment rights are getting attention in Idaho, not Washington

By Elizabeth NewI'm jealous of Idaho. Lawmakers there passed abillthat would stop public school employers from collecting union dues through government payroll systems. Idaho Republican Gov. Brad Litt...

Washington AG Washington 7/10 ?

Two Yakima County men sentenced in ‘Net Nanny’ cases prosecuted by AG’s office

Two Yakima County men sentenced in ‘Net Nanny’ cases prosecuted by AG’s officeFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:Apr 2 2026atgSamBlobaumThu, 04/02/2026 - 08:36After successful prosecutions by the Attorney General’...

Washington Policy Center Washington 8/10 ?

The Path to Real Tax Reform Requires a Spending Limit

By Ryan FrostProgressive lawmakers in Olympia have been talking about tax reform for years, and the conversation always comes back to the issue of fairness. We constantly hear that the tax code is “re...

Washington Policy Center Washington 8/10 ?

The Growing Gap Between Public Voice and Political Power

By Todd MyersOn the day of the No Kings protest, I went into town to get tacos from my favorite food truck.As I was waiting for my tacos to be made, I walked over to the nearby group of protestors (wh...

Washington Policy Center Washington 8/10 ?

The state's RFK-proofing bill comes with a cost

By Elizabeth NewWashington state’s health insurance system is already weighed down by mandates and rising costs. House Bill 2242 reinforces both. It was one of the session’s more visible health care b...

Washington AG Washington 7/10 ?

WA joins coalition challenging rollback of limits on mercury emissions and other pollutants from power plants

WA joins coalition challenging rollback of limits on mercury emissions and other pollutants from power plantsFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:Mar 31 2026atgAshleyGrossTue, 03/31/2026 - 13:50The Environmental Pro...

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