Washington in Focus

Washington's girls' sports debate is intensifying after several Camas High School cross-country runners declined to compete in a race involving a transgender athlete. Superintendent Chris Reykdal is responding as voters prepare to decide a statewide girls' sports initiative.

Meanwhile, Everett Public Schools has agreed to a $275,000 settlement and issued an apology following a religious freedom lawsuit involving LifeWise Academy. A...

Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson's proposed $9.1 billion budget is drawing questions over government spending, future deficits and police funding. Meanwhile, Washington's historical income tax voting records disappeared from a state website before being restored ahead of a major income tax repeal vote. And Washington Supreme Court candidates debate the court's decision to strike down a voter-approved natural gas initiative.

In the Octobe...

A Washington newspaper editor is facing questions about media bias after rejecting an opinion piece supporting a girls' sports ballot initiative. Meanwhile, a Washington lawmaker challenges Superintendent Chris Reykdal over a federal education scholarship tax credit program, and Republican congressional candidate John Braun responds to a controversial campaign ad from Democratic Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez.

In the October 15 editi...

Washington's closely watched 3rd Congressional District race takes a personal turn as Democratic Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez and Republican challenger John Braun clash during a heated debate. Meanwhile, Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson faces questions about public safety and police staffing, and the controversy surrounding LEAD co-founder Lisa Daugaard's fentanyl comments continues.

In the October 14, 2026 edition of Washington In Focus...

Washington's Department of Children, Youth and Families (DCYF) is facing renewed scrutiny after redacting the names of daycare providers receiving taxpayer-funded grants. Meanwhile, Seattle's LEAD drug diversion controversy continues as co-founder Lisa Daugaard responds to criticism over her comments about fentanyl addiction, and Washington education officials clash over a federal scholarship tax credit program.

In the October 13, ...

Seattle's drug diversion policies are facing renewed scrutiny after a tense exchange involving LEAD program creator Lisa Daugaard at a public panel discussion. Meanwhile, a new study warns Washington's 9.9% income tax could reduce economic growth, and journalist Brandi Kruse scores a major public records victory against the City of Seattle.

SEATTLE LEAD PROGRAM / FENTANYL POLICY DEBATE

At a We Heart Seattle event, LEAD program creato...

Washington's 9.9% income tax faces a major repeal vote as supporters and opponents clash over Initiative 645. Meanwhile, Washington Supreme Court candidates answer questions about voter initiatives, and 13 mayors urge Gov. Bob Ferguson to rethink the state's approach to fentanyl addiction.

WASHINGTON INCOME TAX / INITIATIVE 645

At the Bellevue Chamber's Eastside Leadership Conference, Sen. Manka Dhingra, Dr. Soleil Boyd, House Repu...

Vice President JD Vance is targeting Microsoft over alleged H-1B visa abuse and American worker layoffs, announcing a suspension of the company's PERM labor-certification processing amid a federal investigation. Microsoft is pushing back against the administration's claims.

JD VANCE TARGETS MICROSOFT OVER H-1B VISAS

Vance accused Microsoft of laying off thousands of American workers while relying on foreign employees through the H-...

Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson is still deciding whether to join a new federal education tax credit program that supporters estimate could bring more than $700 million annually to Washington students. Meanwhile, Washington's 9.9% income tax faces new questions, and the Tacoma Urban League confirms its CEO has been terminated following months of scrutiny.

FEDERAL EDUCATION TAX CREDIT

Former Obama Education Secretary Arne Duncan is urg...

A Washington high-school wrestler is asking the U.S. Supreme Court for emergency relief in a major girls sports and Title IX case, while Seattle business leaders are sounding the alarm over the city's growing tax burden and the Freedom Foundation is suing New York over a new union-related communications law.

Washington wrestler Kallie Keeler and her mother have asked the U.S. Supreme Court to intervene in their ongoing legal fight ...

Former Washington Gov. Jay Inslee is taking aim at the oil and gas industry as the U.S. Supreme Court hears a major climate-change case that could affect lawsuits against fossil-fuel companies across the country.

The U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments Monday in Suncor Energy v. Boulder County, a case involving ExxonMobil, Suncor Energy and local governments in Colorado seeking damages for alleged climate-change impacts.

At issue is...

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 approximately 29% electric rate inc...

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 provisions would be repealed while sever...

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 Washington's constitutional single-...

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 puts the Community Assisted Response a...

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.

Under a Washington law that took e...

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 contacted Washington lawmakers and early-...

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 new income tax. He also argues that...

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 roughly 5.2 guns. The su...