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

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/…

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/…

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/…

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/…

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/…

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

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/…

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/…

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

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/…

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

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/…

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

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/…

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/…

Long lines on Election Day aren’t common in Washington with the state’s vote-by-mail system. But this year, some counties were inundated with people taking advantage of a relatively new same-day registration system. #waelex #waleg washingtonstatestandard.com/…

Most of Washington state courts’ computer systems are up and running again following a two-week shutdown that disrupted operations in local courts and halted processing of thousands of firearm background checks. buff.ly/40ZUCD0

The natural gas initiative Washington voters approved calls for erasing some of the state’s building codes but that might not happen when the measure takes effect next month. #waelex washingtonstatestandard.com/…

More than half a colony of Caspian terns on a small island in northwest Washington died last year amid an outbreak of bird flu. Researchers also found the virus attacked the brains of infected harbor seals in the area. washingtonstatestandard.com/…