Keeping up with Washington news shouldn’t feel like a second job. That’s why The Center Square is launching text updates. About twice a week, we’ll send you a concise breakdown of a government or policy development worth knowing: what happened, why it matters, and what it could mean for you. Text TCSWA to 206-944-3016 or sign up here: joinsubtext.com/c/thecenters… Spend less time keeping up. Stay informed about what matters. Msg & data rates may apply.

Who can be your county sheriff? A new Washington law sets stricter requirements for the job, and it went before a judge today. Hear from the people challenging it on Monday's show.

The mayor said King County prosecutors were on board with her gun violence plan. Prosecutors say they never saw the full plan, and their statement wasn't printed in full.

King County's prosecutor and her staff say they first learned about Seattle's new gun violence plan by watching the announcement on TV. Now the mayor's office is under growing pressure to explain whether it misrepresented support for the plan when it was released. Read the full story: thecentersquare.com/washingt…

Spokane County leaders may hold off on changes to the rules that guide how the county and its cities plan for growth, as questions grow over how much control cities keep. A decision could come in October. Here's what's being proposed and what comes next: thecentersquare.com/washingt…

Washington has taken about 55,000 acres of older state forest off its logging schedule, but that protection may not last. Timber revenue helps support counties and school construction, but it has faced pressure from stagnant prices and rising costs. To protect forests while maintaining that revenue, the state is exploring ways to give conservation financial value, while also proposing higher timber management fees for the first time in 12 years. Here's what's at stake: thecentersquare.com/washingt…

Washington's courts aren't bound by the state's public records law the way lawmakers are, according to the group behind a new initiative, and they want to change that. The citizen initiative, filed Thursday, would add the state Supreme Court, the Court of Appeals, trial courts, judges, clerks and court staff to the list of government offices residents can request records from. Supporters say elected judges should be held to the same transparency standard as the rest of state government. The measure still has to clear several review steps before signature gathering can begin, and the sponsors say the timeline is uncertain. What happens next, and when could lawmakers see it? Read the full story: thecentersquare.com/washingt…

Spokane could raise its sales tax to 9.2%, and this time voters might not get a say. The 0.1% increase would bring in an estimated $4.5 million to $6 million a year to buy a new justice center, add mental health clinicians to 911 operations and expand crisis response. Supporters on the council say residents have been asking for this. One council member says the decision should go to voters. The council's final vote is Oct. 16. Here's what's at stake: thecentersquare.com/washingt…

Taxpayers fund these deals but aren't allowed to watch them get made. Washington courts have repeatedly ruled that's legal, even in closed-door union contract talks.

Seattle Budget Chair raises concerns about proposed fire department cuts thecentersquare.com/washingt…

Could talking up a ballot measure on your own podcast count as a campaign donation? Regulators just said no.

A strike on Boeing's scale, about 17,000 workers, could drain millions from Washington's unemployment insurance fund, the same safety net laid-off workers depend on.

Washington Department of Revenue officials warned during the legislative session that provisions in the proposed income tax could present not just enforcement complications, but invite legal challenges aside from those it currently faces, new records obtained by The Center Square show. Find out more: thecentersquare.com/washingt…

Pierce County voters will decide this fall whether to stop electing their sheriff, plus create a new watchdog to police that office.

Two shoppers could order the exact same groceries, from the same store, at the same time, and still pay different prices. That's what a 2025 investigation found, uncovering price gaps of up to 23% for identical grocery orders placed online. Seattle just voted to become the first city in the country to ban grocery stores and online shopping services from using shoppers' personal data and AI to set individual prices. The mayor is expected to sign it in the coming days. Grocery chains are pushing back, warning the change could eliminate personalized discounts and end up costing shoppers more, not less. The ban is set to take effect in September 2027. Here's what's behind the change, and what the grocery industry says could go wrong: thecentersquare.com/washingt…

Mike Solan says the November election is an opportunity for Pierce County voters to decide whether they want a change in direction.

Diesel just hit a record price in Washington, and drivers aren't the only ones paying for it. The statewide average reached $7.47 a gallon this week. Parts of the Tri-Cities paid even more, hitting $7.53. That's nearly $2.40 higher than a year ago, and well above the national average. Contractors moving building materials, businesses shipping goods, and even homeowners running lawn equipment are all feeling the squeeze. Those extra fuel costs tend to get built into the price of everything being delivered, from lumber to tile. See what's driving the spike, and how some drivers are trying to save at the pump: thecentersquare.com/washingt…

Could Washington lawmakers pursue new restrictions affecting journalists investigating taxpayer-funded programs?

A video posted showed a reporter going door to door at several home daycares that receive taxpayer subsidies, finding no one home and neighbors who said they had never seen any kids there. Instead of calling for more oversight, one of Washington's public sector unions is now urging state lawmakers to limit how reporters can investigate cases like this, arguing the coverage unfairly targets immigrant childcare providers. Some state lawmakers disagree. They say agencies still cannot explain how some of these daycares are collecting over a million dollars a year, and they expect Washington could see legislation like a California law that lets people sue. Here's what's driving the pushback over who gets to ask questions about taxpayer-funded daycare spending: thecentersquare.com/washingt…

Who should be responsible for uncovering fraud involving taxpayer-funded programs? One lawmaker says state government needs to do more and they shouldn't be "locking out the press."

Was confusion over what constituted a press briefing behind Seattle’s delayed public safety messaging?