Washington State Government

Washington lawmakers passed new laws on gun control, housing, abortion protections and criminal justice. But there is at least one issue the legislature left unresolved.

The Washington state legislative session starts in January, but this month, a wave of retiring lawmakers are getting ready to say goodbye to the state capitol.

Gov. Jay Inslee has moved up the timeline for lifting Washington's mask mandate to March 12. The announcement comes as lawmakers are in the final stretch of the legislative session. Olympia correspondent Austin Jenkins joined Morning Edition host Kirsten Kendrick to talk about the latest from the state capital.

The Washington Senate has approved a measure that authorizes legislative leaders to terminate a governor's state of emergency after 90 days if the Legislature is not in session. The vote comes nearly two years after Gov. Jay Inslee declared a state of emergency due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Today is a milestone day in the Legislature's 60-day session, and lawmakers are facing a key deadline. Olympia correspondent Austin Jenkins joined KNKX Morning Edition host Kirsten Kendrick to talk about it.

Washington made at-home COVID-19 tests free via an online portal last week. But within hours, they were all gone. Meanwhile, state lawmakers are covering a lot of ground this week as the legislative session continues. Listen to Olympia correspondent Austin Jenkins break it down with Morning Edition host Kirsten Kendrick.

This is the second week of Washington's legislative session, and there's a lot going on in state politics. Olympia correspondent Austin Jenkins joined KNKX Morning Edition host Kirsten Kendrick to explain it all, from the governor's controversial housing plan to a Republican proposal that would eliminate the gas tax for a year.

Washington Gov. Jay Inslee is calling on state lawmakers to take action on a multitude of issues during their 60-day legislative session, including addressing the homelessness crisis, helping children impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and taking more steps to address climate change.

It’s day two of the 2022 legislative session, and Gov. Jay Inslee is delivering his State of the State address. But instead of speaking to a packed joint session of the Legislature, it will be a mostly virtual event.

Three weeks before the start of the legislative session, the state Legislature has once again filed a lawsuit against Gov. Jay Inslee that claims he abused his veto power. Meanwhile, omicron has quickly become the dominant variant circulating in Washington state, and Republican state Sen. Doug Ericksen has died.