U.S. Rep. Adam Smith, a Washington Democrat, said Tuesday that his party’s brand is “broken” and that criticizing President-elect Donald Trump would not be enough to get it on a more successful track. buff.ly/4fDkARA

Washington Secretary of Health Umair Shah will step down next month, joining other state agency leaders planning to exit before Gov.-elect Bob Ferguson takes office in January. washingtonstatestandard.com/briefs/inslee-…

A new state revenue forecast shows a drop in tax collections, sobering news for Washington lawmakers and Gov. Jay Inslee, who were already weighing options for spending cuts and raising new revenue to erase a projected $12 billion budget shortfall. #waleg buff.ly/3Zhqdix

A half-dozen state Senate committees will have new chairpersons heading into the 2025 session, with Democrats releasing the lineup on Thursday. #waleg washingtonstatestandard.com/briefs/wa-sena…

Washington’s Senate Democratic caucus will soon have three openings. Sens. Karen Keiser, Patty Kuderer and Emily Randall are all planning to leave the state Senate in the weeks ahead. #waelex #waleg buff.ly/3V0ZTGM

With overcrowding at Washington’s two juvenile detention centers, the Department of Children, Youth and Families is asking state lawmakers for money to open a new facility. #waleg buff.ly/4fXXEfj

Providers of supported living services for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities are asking the Legislature for more funding to increase wages in an increasingly difficult-to-staff field. #waleg buff.ly/3Opthmk

Washington plans to open a new juvenile detention center on the campus of a prison in Aberdeen, an attempt to ease overcrowding at two existing state facilities for young people convicted of crimes. #waleg washingtonstatestandard.com/2024/11/25/wa-…

A 5,000-member public employee union in Washington that overwhelmingly rejected a new two-year contract in September is accusing the governor’s office and several community colleges of bad-faith bargaining. #waleg buff.ly/3V9WlSx

Democrat Adrian Cortes narrowly defeated Republican Brad Benton in a closely-watched election for an open seat in the Washington Senate, according to county-certified election results. But with only a 172-vote margin, the race will go to a recount. #waelex washingtonstatestandard.com/2024/11/26/a-w…

House Speaker Laurie Jinkins and Minority Leader Drew Stokesbary will lead their respective caucuses in the Washington state House of Representatives in the 2025 legislative session. buff.ly/4eP9Uhh

Washington’s Dan Newhouse looks ahead to a new Trump era: He voted to impeach the former president. Now, with Donald Trump returning to the White House, the five-term congressman says the GOP is poised to accomplish "good things for the country." #waelex washingtonstatestandard.com/2024/11/28/was…

State funds that pay for homelessness services in Washington are running low, and the Legislature may need to find extra money to avoid program cuts. The Department of Commerce anticipates a nearly $403 million shortfall. #waleg washingtonstatestandard.com/2024/12/02/fee…

Washington lawmakers have begun teeing up legislation ahead of the 2025 session. Here are some of the highlights so far. #waleg washingtonstatestandard.com/2024/12/02/fir…

With the state facing a multi-billion dollar budget gap, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee has ordered state agencies to freeze "most non-discretionary and non-essential" hiring, service contracts, purchasing and travel. #waleg washingtonstatestandard.com/briefs/wa-gov-…

The cost of projects that received support from Washington's Housing Trust Fund dipped last year but remained high, according to new data. #waleg washingtonstatestandard.com/2024/12/04/cos…

Businesses and nonprofit groups in Washington should watch out for fraudulent letters that claim to be asking for money on behalf of the state government. #waleg washingtonstatestandard.com/briefs/scammer…

The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced Friday it will require dairy farms to share samples of unpasteurized milk when requested, in an effort to gather more information about the spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza. washingtonstatestandard.com/2024/12/06/dc/…

State legislators are meeting in Olympia this week for their annual "committee days," a chance to get up to speed on issues that may arise during next year’s session and to get familiarized with any committee changes. #waleg washingtonstatestandard.com/2024/12/09/law…

The leaders of the Greater Idaho movement have asked President-elect Donald Trump to support their efforts to have counties in eastern Oregon join Idaho – a state they say is more in tune with them politically, economically and culturally. buff.ly/3ZrjUrt