Washington courts rarely discipline guardians ad litem accused of misconduct in custody cases
Minimal oversight of court investigators makes it difficult for parents to challenge flawed reports without risking damage to their cases
Government
Inflation has turned Washington state’s property tax cap into a county budget-killer
Frustrated county officials say state leaders have shunted the state’s financial burden onto local governments
Proposed constitutional amendment to block ranked choice voting fails in Idaho House
Constitutional amendments require the support of two-thirds of the Idaho House and Idaho Senate
WA bill requiring clergy to report child abuse dies in House committee
Committee rejected a compromise with Catholic lobbyists that survivors argued “protects abusers”
Oregon House passes bill to fix law that forces state to refund child labor fines
State labor officials say bill would allow investigators to crack down on child labor violations
Plans for long-sought Tribal Early Learning Hub collapse three years after Oregon lawmakers mandated its creation
Tribal representatives bank on an early learning success plan to increase services
Bundy Ranch militant Eric Parker says he’s the driving force behind Idaho bill to narrow definition of 'terrorism'
Critics argue the legislation “essentially guts” Idaho’s Terrorist Control Act
WA lawmaker wants to make voting mandatory … sort of?
Sen. Sam Hunt reintroduced a bill to legally require people to vote — but there wouldn’t be any consequences if you don’t.
Oregon’s labor regulators ask for lawmakers’ help to tackle backlogs
The bottleneck of civil rights and wage claims has decreased, but workers still face long waits for service
WA lawmakers introduce bill requiring clergy to report child abuse, one year after similar bill died over Catholic opposition
Lawmakers hope a compromise will get Catholic lobbyists on board
The failed promise of independent election mapmaking in WA
In Washington and other states, independent redistricting commissions have fallen prey to partisanship, just like the legislative bodies they were meant to replace.
WA Democrats propose new tax on real estate sales over $3M to fund affordable housing
Supporters estimate the tax could raise nearly $300 million every two years. Republicans argue it could drive up costs for renters.