Tagged: Government and Politics

Washington State took another step Thursday to protect minors from sexual exploitation through online ads. Overall a dozen anti-human trafficking bills were signed into law by Governor Chris Gregoire.

One of the laws is aimed directly at sex ad publishers, like backpage.com, which has so far refused to verify age in its escort ads.

OLYMPIA, Wash. – Washington Governor Chris Gregoire says the next 48 hours are critical to reaching a deal to rebalance the state budget. The Democrat resumed signing legislation into law Thursday after holding dozens of bills hostage.

OLYMPIA, Wash. – Just like the rest of us, police officers use cell phones and smart phones. But in an emergency, they still rely on old-fashioned two-way radios to communicate. In Washington, the State Patrol is about to upgrade that radio system to meet new federal standards. The $26 million contract went to Motorola with no opportunity for other companies to bid. Now the project is under fierce criticism from a tech-savvy Washington state lawmaker.

OLYMPIA, Wash. – Unless Congress acts, 2011 will be the last year Washington residents were able to deduct sales tax from their federal income tax returns. Governor Chris Gregoire signed onto a letter Tuesday asking Congressional leaders to reauthorize the deduction for 2012.

OLYMPIA, Wash. – The debate over debates continues in the Washington governor’s race. Republican Rob McKenna announced Monday that he will commit to 15 joint appearances with Democrat Jay Inslee. Meanwhile, Inslee made it official: he will not participate in one debate that’s become a tradition in Washington.

The four remaining candidates for the GOP presidential nomination get most of the political attention. But one Libertarian Party hopeful made a swing through the Northwest Friday.

Washington will have a so-called "Blue Alert" system to enlist the public's help in looking for cop killers. Governor Chris Gregoire signed the alert bill into law Thursday. The new system is similar to the Amber Alert for abducted children.