As the new legislative session begins, Gov. Jay Inslee delivered his 2023 State of the State speech today at a joint session of the House and Senate. …

In a tight labor market, workers are tougher to find, tougher to keep, and they command a higher salary. State agencies are investing in recruitment and retention, at a cost. Across the country and across economic sectors, the challenge to recruit and retain workers has been acute. For state agencies…

2022 is in the books, and it’s been quite a saga. 2022 began with a deadly surge of COVID-19 activity and the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade and dashed decades of hard-fought progress for reproductive rights. Congress, at long last, took action on…

Gov. Jay Inslee released his 2023–25 budget proposals today, urging legislators to continue prioritizing investments in housing, homelessness, and behavioral health with urgency and audacity. His budgets also outline updated plans for climate, salmon recovery, education, public safety, state workforce, and more. Housing referendum will front-load funding so we can…

Gov. Jay Inslee visited the University of Washington today to tour the first-of-its-kind behavioral health teaching hospital currently under construction. Inslee proposed the hospital in 2018 as part of a larger effort to transform and expand the state’s behavioral health system. The hospital will not only provide 150 behavioral health…

Adolescence is a hurricane. Friendships, family matters, schoolwork, extracurriculars, jobs, and social media bluster around youth. Some could use a hand to help them through. A 2020 national survey revealed that nearly 17 percent of youth 12 to 17 had suffered a “major depressive episode” within a year. A 2021…

Aspiring college students and young professionals are leaving money on the table. As much as $50 million has been forgone by Washington graduates that never filed for federal aid, according to Rep. Drew Hanson. In fact, only 41.7 …

“What goes around, comes around,” as the idiom goes. What one puts into the world is often returned in kind. It’s true of good humor, and it’s true of malice. It’s also true of waste — the effects of consumption increasingly confront humanity. The consequences of human activity are shocking…

The future of car travel in Washington state will be electric. Washington will join California in requiring auto companies to require that new cars sold have zero tailpipe emissions starting with 2035 models. Many governments are adopting similar measures — it’s a matter of planetary necessity to reduce carbon emissions. …