State & Regional | The Daily Chronicle

Congresswoman Marie Gluesenkamp Perez speaks at a town hall in the TransAlta Commons at Centralia College on Tuesday, April 22.

MGP town hall gets rowdy amid disruptions from the audience

Third Congressional District U.S. Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, D-Skamania, held a town hall in Centralia Tuesday, April 22. The event, which was held in the TransAlta Commons at Centralia … more

By Jacob Moore / jacob@chronline.com | 4/23/25

Rep. Joel McEntire listens during a public hearing on an initiative regarding parental rights in Olympia on Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2024.

Rep. Joel McEntire scores victory for coastal shellfish farms as bill becomes law

State Rep. Joel McEntire, R-Cathlamet, celebrated a win for coastal communities this week as Gov. Bob Ferguson signed Substitute House Bill 1309 into law. The bill establishes a research program … more

By The Chronicle staff | 4/23/25

Portland goes a month without homicide

Portland has not recorded a homicide in a month, a gap not seen since 2023 and a noticeable respite after the city saw seven killings this March. Officers last responded to the scene of a … more

Zaeem Shaikh / oregonlive.com (TNS) | 4/23/25

Zidell Yards, the proposed ballpark site along the Willamette River on Portland

Oregon leaders go to bat for ballpark but skeptics say ‘the finances don’t make a lot of sense’

Jim Scherzinger counts himself a lifelong baseball fan. He finds the notion of a ballpark on Portland’s South Waterfront enchanting. “I love baseball,” Scherzinger said. … more

Mike Rogoway / oregonlive.com (TNS) | 4/23/25

FILE - In this Aug. 4, 2015, file photo, downtown Portland, Ore., is visible under the Interstate-5 Marquam Bridge on the Willamette River.

Another body recovered from Willamette River, third found this month

Sheriff’s officials on Friday pulled another dead body from the Willamette River — marking the third to be found in the waterway in a week. The body discovered on April 15 was Rachel … more

Tatum Todd / oregonlive.com (TNS) | 4/23/25

Tape denotes an evacuation route in the Lookout Mountain region in eastern Oregon near Durkee, OR on Sun., July 28, 2024. The Thompson wildfire has burned through much of the area in recent days.

Oregon Senate votes to repeal contentious wildfire map

Oregon senators voted unanimously Tuesday to repeal a highly controversial wildfire hazard map. Republican lawmakers have repeatedly criticized the map, which they say has punished rural property … more

Sami Edge / oregonlive.com (TNS) | 4/23/25

Bill would turn down temperatures in Oregon crematory incinerators

A bill that would adjust the temperature at which crematories must incinerate remains advanced unanimously through the Oregon House on Tuesday — and for a moment, partisanship went up in smoke. … more

Jonathan Bach / oregonlive.com (TNS) | 4/23/25

August 18, 2024, Seattle, Washington, USA: Hundreds of new Tesla electric vehicles, including Cybertrucks and the company's sedans and SUV Models 3, S, X, and Y, stand in a storage lot in an industrial area near a rail yard in Seattle, Washington, USA, on Sun., Aug. 18, 2024. (Credit Image: © Scott Brauer/ZUMA Press Wire)

Washington state House advances ‘Tesla tax’ bill after tense late-night debate

Democrats in the Washington state House advanced legislation in the early morning hours of Tuesday that some have nicknamed the “Tesla tax” bill. House Bill 2077 cleared the lower … more

Simone Carter/ The News Tribune (TNS) | 4/23/25

Accused burglar caught dragging box spring out of home in Washington state, cops say

A man accused of burglary was caught outside a home in Washington with a box spring, deputies said. A suspicious neighbor reported the incident to authorities before 2:45 p.m. Friday, April 18, … more

Helena Wegner / The News Tribune (TNS) | 4/23/25

Protests call for ICE to leave Washington state

Protests were held Saturday, April 19, in areas of Skagit County, including Mount Vernon and Anacortes, as part of the ongoing Hands Off movement that has spoken out against changes and proposed … more

Skagit Valley Herald / (TNS) | 4/23/25

Man sentenced to six years in federal prison for sexual abuse of incapacitated teenager

A 20-year-old man has been sentenced to six years in federal prison for the sexual abuse of an incapacitated teenager on the Yakama Reservation. Darius Morning Star Speedis, 20, was sentenced on … more

Yakima Herald-Republic / (TNS) | 4/23/25

Democratic lawmakers push tax increases in hopes of balancing Washington's budget

Faced with a looming deadline, the Washington Senate passed a trio of bills over the weekend that would raise the capital gains tax on financial assets above $1 million a year, close certain tax … more

Mitchell Roland / The Spokesman-Review, Spokane (TNS) | 4/23/25

Debate continues after Washington state proposals dealing with transgender athletes fail

Two proposed rule changes dealing with transgender student-athletes in Washington did not pass, but the issue certainly didn't end with those votes. The first proposal, labeled ML/HS #7, stated … more

Scott Hanson / The Seattle Times (TNS) | 4/23/25

A sunset painted Mount Rainier pink during the evening hours of Sunday, March 16, in Roy.

Key bridge to Mount Rainier 'starting to buckle,' closes indefinitely

The Carbon River Bridge has "permanently closed" to all traffic, cutting off Highway 165 to the northwest of Mount Rainier National Park, according to the Washington State Department of … more

Trevor Lenzmeier / The Seattle Times (TNS) | 4/23/25

State militias now prevented from entering Washington without permission from governor

Militias from other states, districts or territories are now restricted from entering Washington state for duty in most instances without approval from either the governor or president. "State … more

Mitchell Roland / The Spokesman-Review (TNS) | 4/23/25

Washington state lawmakers want PFAS testing for human waste fertilizer

Washington is one step closer to eliminating a major blind spot for potential contaminants in crops grown across the state using human waste as fertilizer. Lawmakers voted unanimously last week … more

Conrad Swanson / The Seattle Times (TNS) | 4/23/25

Washington state K-12 savings bill moves ahead without amendment capping pay for superintendents

Legislation meant to implement K-12 savings and efficiencies is scheduled for a public hearing in the Senate Ways & Means Committee on Tuesday afternoon. House Bill 2050 , which adjusts the … more

By Carleen Johnson / The Center Square | 4/22/25

In the dead of night, Washington state House passes trio of tax hike bills

The Washington State House of Representatives approved three tax bills after midnight on Tuesday morning as part of a revenue-generating package to deal with a projected $16 billion operating budget … more

By Brett Davis / The Center Square | 4/22/25

Gov. Bob Ferguson signing Senate Bill 5480, a bill that would exempt medical debt from credit reports, on April 22, 2025. (Photo by Jacquelyn Jimenez Romero/Washington State Standard)

Washington state bill to keep medical debt off credit reports signed into law

Washingtonians’ medical debt will not be included in their credit reports, under a bill signed into law on Tuesday. Having medical debt can create a spiraling effect and prevent … more

By Jacquelyn Jimenez Romero / The Washington State Standard | 4/22/25

Six-cent gas tax hike central to new transportation deal in Washington state Legislature

Transportation budget writers in the Washington Legislature are settling on a revenue package that would hike the state’s gasoline tax 6 cents a gallon beginning July 1. The potential gas … more

Jake Goldstein-Street / Washington State Standard | 4/22/25