“To be conservative has now been equated with being angry and engaging in grievance politics, and it’s just not for me,” said Flake, former ambassador to Turkey and current director of the...

State challengesAmid confusion about the status of Head Start funding, Washington state is also cutting funding for its early learning programs. The state’s early-learning program, known as the Early Childhood Education and...

In some seats, incumbents are running unopposed. In others, multiple candidates filed by the May 9 deadline. Some Democratic incumbents face strong Republican challengers while others face opposition from their own party.New...

Additional funding will be spent on systems to improve traffic flow and transit, with earmarks for ferry operations, additional ferry terminal and sailing crews, increased security and traffic management, and tunnel maintenance...

ID cardsThe fee for new driver’s licenses or state ID cards is also increasing slightly. Currently, the per-year fee is $9. That would increase to $10 starting in July and increase $1...

After the budget was released Saturday, Ferguson said he was pleased that it maintained the state’s savings and made increased investments in K-12 education. He did not comment on the new taxes....

Despite the session’s complexity, lawmakers finished on time Sunday evening, gaveling out one last time after signing a budget including a host of new taxes, cuts to services and new spending. Over...

The bill’s supporters, including progressive Democrats and housing advocates, said it would help keep people in their homes. But opponents – property owners, Republicans and moderate Democrats – say the cap could...