States crack down on at-home sexual assault kits
Policymakers are concerned that self-administered sexual assault exams can impede justice and recovery for survivors.
Emails reveal how health departments struggle to track human cases of bird flu
Farm owners' resistance to tracking human bird flu infections is creating significant gaps in disease surveillance. But forcing farmers to submit to testing could reignite a backlash against public health efforts.
More states are planning for the coming retirement surge
Increasingly, states are turning to automated savings programs to help their constituents—and budgets.
Will Washington voters buy into Inslee’s vision on climate policy?
Voters are set to weigh in on the governor’s “proudest accomplishment.” The state’s cap-and-trade law that some say is key to the third-term Democrat’s legacy is on the ballot this fall.
California inspired a wave of plastic bag bans—with an unfortunate loophole
The Golden State finally fixed its ban last month, but at least five other states still allow the distribution of extra-thick "reusable" plastic bags.
Six airports want to charge ahead preparing for electric aircraft
All-electric passenger planes are still experimental. But regional airport managers are eager to install charging infrastructure to accommodate them.
The states where climate progress is on the ballot
Getting laws passed is one thing. Protecting them from Republican opposition is another.
‘License plate flippers’ help drivers evade police, tickets and tolls
A few states and cities are cracking down on the devices, which obscure or conceal license plates.
26 states may soon need to regulate cannabis—here’s what they can learn from Colorado and Washington
COMMENTARY | Colorado and Washington, the first two states to legalize marijuana, have more than a decade of experience writing and enforcing laws to control the marijuana marketplace.
Data centers demand a massive amount of energy. Here’s how some states are tackling the industry’s impact.
As the draw on the grid from these computer warehouses undergoes explosive growth, states that offer tax exemptions to support the industry are considering whether their approach still makes sense.
Western cities won the right to clear homeless encampments—but will they use it?
California Gov. Gavin Newsom issued an executive order encouraging cities to “move with urgency” to clear out camps. The move, which is at odds with others in the West, follows a Supreme Court ruling in June.
Skills-based hiring smashes through ‘paper ceiling’
Multiple states have embraced a movement to drop degree requirements for certain jobs. But the change is not as simple as a stroke of a pen.
Could this state's health ‘hub’ model treating opioid addiction go nationwide?
Washington state's model provides a walk-in, “one-stop shop” for substance-use disorder patients. U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell is now championing it in Congress.
As cities ban them from public spaces, homeless people scatter in search of refuge
Attorneys say bans could become more common nationwide if the U.S. Supreme Court overturns lower-court rulings in Oregon and Idaho that protect homeless people from being ticketed, charged or arrested for sleeping on public property.
US long-term care costs are sky-high, but one state's plan to help pay for them could be nixed
COMMENTARY | Washington state's WA Cares Fund collects a 0.58% tax out of residents’ paychecks to fund a new long-term care social insurance program. It’s not clear, however, whether the state’s strategy is going to work out.
Can the snarky ‘Save Our Yachts’ campaign save Washington’s capital gains tax?
The long-fought-for and hard-won tax has survived its legal challenges. Now it must survive the ballot.
In reversal, more areas allow high-speed police chases
Supporters of policy rollbacks say police pursuits can reduce crime; some experts aren’t so sure.
Longtime state senator announces plans to retire
In an interview from earlier this year, Washington’s Karen Keiser discussed her nearly 30-year career and how to affect change in state legislatures.
Washington’s key climate law is under attack
In 2023, the state’s Climate Commitment Act generated more than $2 billion for projects to clean up transportation, shift to clean energy and help communities adapt to the effects of a changing climate. But this fall, voters will get a chance to shut it all down.
Washington’s cap on carbon is raising billions for climate action. Can it survive the backlash?
A repeal initiative blaming the state's climate law for higher gas prices could wind up on the ballot in November.
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