Issaquah Police Chief Paula Schwan will retire June 1. The city has launched a nationwide search and is asking residents to weigh in.

Organizers have plotted roughly 66 No Kings protests across Washington next Saturday, with neighborhood rallies in Seattle and statewide trainings for volunteers.

Gov. Bob Ferguson signed a law creating the PreK Promise Account to accept private donations for ECEAP, unlocking a Ballmer Group pledge to add thousands of preschool seats.

Washington Attorney General Nick Brown joined a 13‑state suit accusing OneMain of sneaking costly add‑ons into loans and hiding fees in pages of fine print.

Pierce County Executive Ryan Mello proposed a six‑month pause on new or expanded detention facilities in unincorporated Pierce County while planners rewrite siting and zoning rules. Council hearings and a vote are set this month.

Gov. Bob Ferguson signed HB 2632 to swap “alien” for “noncitizen” in most Washington statutes; supporters praise clarity while critics warn of drafting confusion. The new wording applies to laws enacted after July 1, 2026.

Nearly 30 Ninth Circuit judges rebuked a colleague for coarse language in a dispute over a Lynnwood women‑only spa. The court denied rehearing and the panel ruling remains in place.

DHS sent a Washington man a $1.82M civil penalty for failing to leave after a removal order, his lawyer says. Rule changes in 2025 and legal challenges raise due‑process questions.

Ben Shuldiner plans to pare Seattle Public Schools’ central office, letting positions go unfilled to redirect funds and simplify decision-making amid a multimillion-dollar gap.

Shelby Parker, who has led Olympia police as interim since June 2025, was named the city’s permanent chief. Her commissioning is set for March 24; a public open house follows March 31.

A new state measure gives Spokane’s waste‑to‑energy plant temporary free carbon allowances and an extended timetable, shielding local ratepayers from roughly $15M through 2030.

A data project shows the old PERS money-match still produces hundreds of six-figure pensions even as the formula is phased out for new hires. The system has $100B+ in assets but heavy long-term obligations.

Two initiatives would ban trans girls from girls’ teams and restore a broad parents’‑rights law; Olympia has until March 12 to act or voters decide in November.