State & Regional News | Thurston Chronicle

A Starbucks Coffee sign and drive-thru sign are displayed on the side of a brick building.

Starbucks laying off 252 more Seattle employees

A new state regulatory filing on Monday revealed that Starbucks is laying off 252 more workers across its Seattle headquarters. The latest filing with the state Employment Security … more

By Randy Diamond | The Center Square | 5/19/26

Chief Justice declines comment on AG's office emails about millionaire tax referendum

Washington State Supreme Court Chief Justice Debra Stephens declined to comment on communications obtained by The Center Square from the State Attorney General’s Office speculating at the time that … more

By TJ Martinell | The Center Square | 5/19/26

Earlier this year, state staff and contractors viewed potential materials, like glass panels, for the restoration of skylights above the Washington state Capitol legislative chambers in Olympia.

More sunshine coming to Washington state government with Capitol skylight restoration

Let there be light. When Washington state lawmakers return to Olympia for the 2027 legislative session, natural light will again shine on the House and Senate chambers. Construction … more

By Jake Goldstein-Street / Washington State Standard | 5/19/26

A wrecked vehicle in Thurston County after it collided with a power pole, splitting the car in half on June 23, 2025. The driver was treated for minor injuries and was booked for DUI. The vehicle’s speedometer was stuck at 100 mph, according to the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office.

Deaths on Washington roads drop again

In an encouraging sign for road safety, traffic deaths in Washington fell significantly for the second year in a row in 2025, according to state data released Tuesday. Washington saw 659 … more

By Jake Goldstein-Street / Washington State Standard | 5/19/26

The Washington state Capitol on April 18, 2025. (Photo by Jacquelyn Jimenez Romero/Washington State Standard)

Federal judge rebuffs bid to toss Washington legislative maps

A federal judge has rejected a request to ditch political maps for Washington’s Legislature that he approved two years ago. Now, opponents are waiting to see if the U.S. Supreme Court will … more

5/18/26

Washington state Supreme Court Justice Theo Angelis dons his robe alongside wife Kim and children Katherine and John as he is sworn in as a justice at the Temple of Justice on Monday, May 18, 2026, in Olympia. (Photo by Jake Goldstein-Street/Washington State Standard)

Theo Angelis sworn in as Washington Supreme Court justice

Theo Angelis is Washington’s newest state Supreme Court justice. While he has been on the court for about six weeks, Angelis was formally sworn in Monday in a ceremony at the Temple of Justice … more

By Jake Goldstein-Street / The Washington State Standard | 5/18/26

State Sen. Jamie Pedersen, D-Seattle, smiles at House Speaker Laurie Jinkins during a Legislative Media Day at the Washington state Capitol on Thursday, Feb. 19, in Olympia.

Architect of Washington’s income tax test case defends collaboration with AG's office

For the first time since The Center Square obtained exclusive documents revealing how Democratic supporters of Washington’s new income tax worked behind the scenes with the Washington Attorney … more

By Carleen Johnson / The Center Square | 5/18/26

The Legislative Ethics Board is set to hold public hearings next month on allegations that Rep. Tarra Simmons, D-Bremerton, violated state ethics laws. (Photo courtesy of Legislative Support Services)

Washington lawmaker stares down ethics charges ahead of rare public hearing

For more than a year, Rep. Tarra Simmons has been dogged by allegations she improperly used her cachet as a lawmaker and cash from her prior campaigns to assist two nonprofit organizations, one of … more

By Jerry Cornfield / The Washington State Standard | 5/18/26

A Sound Transit Link light rail train is stopped at a station as riders use the stairs and escalator to exit.

Concerns raised around Sound Transit's advertising budget amid $34.5B ST3 shortfall

Despite sitting $34.5 billion short on a 2016 voter-approved system expansion, Sound Transit still has millions to spend on billboard advertising. The Board of Directors will consider punting … more

Tim Clouser | The Center Square | 5/16/26

A homeless encampment with tents and tarps on a sidewalk in Seattle’s Pioneer Square.

Deadline set for Seattle Mayor to decide on the future of homeless authority

A Seattle City Council Committee is directing Mayor Katie Wilson to make a recommendation by Aug. 1 as to the fate of the troubled King County Regional Homeless Authority. The resolution … more

By Randy Diamond | The Center Square | 5/16/26

A firefighter sprays water while battling a wildfire near Spokane, Washington.

As property insurance crisis worsens, some lawmakers target Big Oil

Desperate to get a handle on rising property insurance costs driven by natural disasters, some state lawmakers are opening up a new line of attack in the effort to force oil companies to bear the … more

By Alex Brown / Stateline | 5/16/26

Gov. Bob Ferguson hands over one of the pens he used to sign House Bill 1296, the ‘students bill of rights’ to a child who attended the bill signing. (Photo by Jacquelyn Jimenez Romero/Washington State Standard)

Judge rejects lawsuit against rewrite of Washington parental rights law

A Washington judge on Friday sided with the state as he turned back a lawsuit seeking to block a controversial 2025 law concerning rights for parents of public school students. Thurston County … more

By Jake Goldstein-Street / The Washington State Standard | 5/15/26

Sen. John Braun speaks to attendees of his congressional campaign town hall event on Wednesday, May 13, at the Skookumchuck Grange in Tenino.

Braun makes stop at Tenino’s Skookumchuck Grange as campaign for Congress heats up

Washington state Sen. John Braun, R-Centralia, made a campaign stop on the outskirts of the Third Congressional District on Wednesday, May 14, at the Skookumchuck Grange in Tenino, speaking to … more

By Jacob Dimond / For The Chronicle | 5/15/26

WDFW extends special hunt application submission deadline to May 27

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) has extended this year’s special hunt application submission deadline by one week to May 27 following an unexpected delay in the availability … more

By The Chronicle staff | 5/15/26

Entrepreneur exodus continues as Washington's new income tax looms

“Everybody is leaving.” Washington AI startup entrepreneur Jesse Proudman said in a Thursday interview with The Center Square that he's had enough, and he's not alone. The Venice.ai … more

By Carleen Johnson / The Center Square | 5/15/26

Food stamp enrollment drops in Washington as immigrants exit program

Food stamp enrollment in Washington state fell sharply between last summer and early this year amid federal cuts to the program and as fewer immigrants accessed benefits. The decline here is … more

By Jake Goldstein-Street / The Washington State Standard | 5/15/26

Attorney General Nick Brown greets legislators in the House chambers at the Washington state Capitol in Olympia on Tuesday, Jan. 13.

AG’s office speculated Washington Supreme Court might ‘punt’ on millionaire’s tax

Washington Attorney General's Office officials described the state Supreme Court as “favorable a venue as we’re likely to get” to thwart a referendum on a new millionaire's tax, according to … more

By TJ Martinell / The Center Square | 5/14/26

State audits raise flags around compliance, grant oversight for various programs

From mandatory police trainings to millions of dollars in state spending to close the “digital divide,” Washington agencies are struggling to prove whether major programs are working. The … more

Tim Clouser / The Center Square | 5/14/26

Washington state gets $538M in delayed COVID-era payments from FEMA

The federal government announced Wednesday it’s reimbursing the Washington state health department $263 million for costs responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. The money is part of $538 … more

By Jake Goldstein-Street / The Washington State Standard | 5/14/26

$Raven spends time with her daughter in a park in Thurston County, Wash. on a spring day. A judge gave Raven custody of her daughter in January 2026 following a 2 ½ year custody battle.$

A girl caught in a custody battle said she was raped. The court-appointed investigator didn’t believe her.

When a 7-year-old girl, caught in the middle of a custody battle, said that her uncle raped her and that her dad didn’t protect her, Angela Rinaldo wasn’t convinced. Rinaldo, a guardian ad … more

By Kelsey Turner/InvestigateWest | 5/14/26