Washington State Standard

The Washington State Standard is a nonprofit news outlet dedicated to delivering independent news on political matters and policies. Our mission is to help residents grasp the workings of the Washington state government and the impact of decisions made by officials on the community. We provide insights into how tax dollars are utilized, laws are enforced, and significant projects are executed. During election seasons, we offer comprehensive coverage of campaigns, and when the legislature is in session, we keep you updated on all developments happening in Olympia.

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WA looks to tighten compliance under police accountability law

2 days ago | washingtonstatestandard.com | Jake Goldstein-Street

Washington state auditors have started investigating whether local police departments are properly reporting officer misconduct. As part of police accountability measures passed in 2021, the Legislature required law enforcement agencies to report to the state Criminal Justice Training Commission when officers leave the department for any reason, use force that results in death or serious injury, are charged with a crime or are found to commit certain misconduct.
Two veterans accused of robbing WA Army base had Nazi flags, machine gun, prosecutors say

2 days ago | washingtonstatestandard.com | Jake Goldstein-Street

An investigation into a two-year-long string of military equipment theft from Joint Base Lewis-McChord, near Tacoma, turned up Nazi memorabilia, white supremacist literature and a cache of weapons in the suspects’ home in Lacey, according to charges filed in federal court Wednesday.
Trump’s birthright citizenship order lands in Seattle appeals court

2 days ago | washingtonstatestandard.com | Jake Goldstein-Street

SEATTLE — Federal appeals court judges in Seattle on Wednesday questioned a Trump administration lawyer and Washington’s solicitor general over the president’s executive order restricting birthright citizenship.
Trump tariffs would lower deficit but slow U.S. economic growth, nonpartisan CBO finds

3 days ago | washingtonstatestandard.com | Ashley Murray

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump’s tariffs would decrease the deficit over the next decade but overall shrink the U.S. economy and raise costs for consumers, according to a Congressional Budget Office analysis released Wednesday. Tariffs are paid to the U.S. government by domestic companies and purchasers who buy goods from abroad.
Trump doubles tariffs on steel and aluminum

3 days ago | washingtonstatestandard.com | Ashley Murray

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump signed a directive Tuesday doubling tariffs on steel and aluminum, marking another escalation in his on-and-off policy rocking global trade. Trump announced the increased levies to 50%, up from 25%, on steel and aluminum Friday during a visit to U.S. Steel’s Irving plant in West Mifflin, Pennsylvania, just outside Pittsburgh.
$20M expansion of Tacoma’s largest homeless shelter in the works • Washington State Standard

3 days ago | washingtonstatestandard.com | Cameron Sheppard

This article was first published by the Tacoma News Tribune. One of Tacoma’s largest homeless shelters plans to expand to more than double the number of beds it has available. The $20 million project is expected to be completed by summer 2026. Tacoma Rescue Mission is the largest homeless shelter operator in Pierce County. The organization’s largest shelter is in Tacoma at 425 South Tacoma Way.
Court fight pits religious group that doesn’t want LGBTQ+ employees against WA law

3 days ago | washingtonstatestandard.com | Jake Goldstein-Street

A Christian ministry in Yakima and the state of Washington are clashing in federal court over whether the religious group can decline to hire LGBTQ+ employees. The Union Gospel Mission of Yakima runs a homeless shelter, addiction recovery programs and medical and dental clinics. The mission wants only to hire employees who follow the biblical notions forbidding sex outside of marriage and between anyone other than a man and woman.
Washington’s AG sees no sign of legal battles with Trump letting up • Washington State Standard

4 days ago | washingtonstatestandard.com | Jake Goldstein-Street

21:25 News Story ImmigrationPolice & CourtsPolitics Nick Brown described a “crisis” surrounding the president’s use of executive power and said he expects to file more lawsuits against the administration, in addition to 20 brought so far.
Alaska man sentenced to one year in prison over illegal transport of crab to Washington

5 days ago | washingtonstatestandard.com | Yereth Rosen

by Yereth Rosen, Washington State Standard June 2, 2025 A Kodiak fisher has been sentenced to spend a year in jail for illegally shipping thousands of pounds of tanner crab, much of it infected with a parasitic disease, out of Alaska to Washington state, federal officials said.
Washington overdose deaths decline after years of growth, data show

5 days ago | washingtonstatestandard.com | Jake Goldstein-Street

Washington is showing promise in its work to combat the epidemic of drug overdose deaths that has ravaged the state and country in recent years. In 2024, fatal overdoses in the state dropped nearly 11% from the previous year, from 3,512 to 3,137, according to preliminary data released by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.