State & Regional News | The Daily Chronicle

Fire captain from Washington state rescues toddler swept out to sea off Mexico beach

A fire captain from Washington was vacationing in Mexico when he spotted a family struggling in the ocean, fire officials said. Captain Kevin Smith then leapt into action to help them, the City … more

Helena Wegner / The News Tribune (TNS) | 4/24/25

Rep. Travis Couture, R-Allyn, speaks on the House floor in an undated photo. He was among the Republicans who walked out of a House Appropriations Committee meeting this week in protest of a bill that would close a facility in Pierce County for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. (Photo courtesy of Legislative Support Services)

Republicans walk out after Washington state House committee votes to close center for people with disabilities

Republican lawmakers walked out of a committee meeting in the Washington Legislature on Wednesday to protest approval of a bill that would close a residential center for people with intellectual and … more

By Jacquelyn Jimenez Romero / The Washington State Standard | 4/23/25

Washington Superintendent of Public Instruction Chris Reykdal, left, and Senate Minority Leader John Braun, R-Centralia.

School funding bill generates sharp exchange between OSPI's Chris Reykdal and Sen. John Braun

Washington Superintendent of Public Instruction Chris Reykdal and Senate Minority Leader John Braun, R-Centralia, verbally sparred over Engrossed House Substitute Bill 2049 at a Wednesday afternoon … more

By Carleen Johnson / The Center Square | 4/23/25

Cherry blossoms in bloom at the Washington state Capitol on April 18, 2025. (Photo by Jacquelyn Jimenez Romero/Washington State Standard)

Democrats in Washington state Legislature wrap up budget negotiations

Democratic budget writers are done hashing out details on a new two-year operating budget for Washington state, key lawmakers said Wednesday. “We have made all the decisions, but … more

By Jerry Cornfield / The Washington State Standard | 4/23/25

Permit-to-purchase bill for gun buyers headed to Washington state governor’s desk

A new state permit requirement for gun buyers is poised to become law, as the Washington House sent the legislation to the governor’s desk late Tuesday. House Bill 1163 would require gun … more

By Jake Goldstein-Street / The Washington State Standard | 4/23/25

Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield (right) and Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes (left) at a town hall they hosted in Portland April 10, 2025. Nearly 200 people came to discuss concerns about President Trump’s executive orders and cuts to federal agencies. The two states attorneys general are among 23 Democratic attorneys general nationwide who have sued the federal government more than a dozen times in the first three months of Trump’s second term. (Photo by Alex Baumhardt/Oregon Capital Chronicle)

Oregon attorney general leads suit against Trump, administration to block tariffs

Oregon is leading 11 other states in suing President Donald Trump and officials in his administration over tariffs that have touched nearly all goods imported into the U.S. The suit, State of … more

By Alex Baumhardt / Oregon Capital Chronicle | 4/23/25

Congresswoman Marie Gluesenkamp Perez speaks at a town hall in the TransAlta Commons at Centralia College on Tuesday, April 22.

MGP town hall gets rowdy amid disruptions from the audience

Third Congressional District U.S. Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, D-Skamania, held a town hall in Centralia Tuesday, April 22. The event, which was held in the TransAlta Commons at Centralia … more

By Jacob Moore / jacob@chronline.com | 4/23/25

Rep. Joel McEntire listens during a public hearing on an initiative regarding parental rights in Olympia on Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2024.

Rep. Joel McEntire scores victory for coastal shellfish farms as bill becomes law

State Rep. Joel McEntire, R-Cathlamet, celebrated a win for coastal communities this week as Gov. Bob Ferguson signed Substitute House Bill 1309 into law. The bill establishes a research program … more

By The Chronicle staff | 4/23/25

Portland goes a month without homicide

Portland has not recorded a homicide in a month, a gap not seen since 2023 and a noticeable respite after the city saw seven killings this March. Officers last responded to the scene of a … more

Zaeem Shaikh / oregonlive.com (TNS) | 4/23/25

Zidell Yards, the proposed ballpark site along the Willamette River on Portland

Oregon leaders go to bat for ballpark but skeptics say ‘the finances don’t make a lot of sense’

Jim Scherzinger counts himself a lifelong baseball fan. He finds the notion of a ballpark on Portland’s South Waterfront enchanting. “I love baseball,” Scherzinger said. … more

Mike Rogoway / oregonlive.com (TNS) | 4/23/25

FILE - In this Aug. 4, 2015, file photo, downtown Portland, Ore., is visible under the Interstate-5 Marquam Bridge on the Willamette River.

Another body recovered from Willamette River, third found this month

Sheriff’s officials on Friday pulled another dead body from the Willamette River — marking the third to be found in the waterway in a week. The body discovered on April 15 was Rachel … more

Tatum Todd / oregonlive.com (TNS) | 4/23/25

Tape denotes an evacuation route in the Lookout Mountain region in eastern Oregon near Durkee, OR on Sun., July 28, 2024. The Thompson wildfire has burned through much of the area in recent days.

Oregon Senate votes to repeal contentious wildfire map

Oregon senators voted unanimously Tuesday to repeal a highly controversial wildfire hazard map. Republican lawmakers have repeatedly criticized the map, which they say has punished rural property … more

Sami Edge / oregonlive.com (TNS) | 4/23/25

Bill would turn down temperatures in Oregon crematory incinerators

A bill that would adjust the temperature at which crematories must incinerate remains advanced unanimously through the Oregon House on Tuesday — and for a moment, partisanship went up in smoke. … more

Jonathan Bach / oregonlive.com (TNS) | 4/23/25

August 18, 2024, Seattle, Washington, USA: Hundreds of new Tesla electric vehicles, including Cybertrucks and the company's sedans and SUV Models 3, S, X, and Y, stand in a storage lot in an industrial area near a rail yard in Seattle, Washington, USA, on Sun., Aug. 18, 2024. (Credit Image: © Scott Brauer/ZUMA Press Wire)

Washington state House advances ‘Tesla tax’ bill after tense late-night debate

Democrats in the Washington state House advanced legislation in the early morning hours of Tuesday that some have nicknamed the “Tesla tax” bill. House Bill 2077 cleared the lower … more

Simone Carter/ The News Tribune (TNS) | 4/23/25

Accused burglar caught dragging box spring out of home in Washington state, cops say

A man accused of burglary was caught outside a home in Washington with a box spring, deputies said. A suspicious neighbor reported the incident to authorities before 2:45 p.m. Friday, April 18, … more

Helena Wegner / The News Tribune (TNS) | 4/23/25

Protests call for ICE to leave Washington state

Protests were held Saturday, April 19, in areas of Skagit County, including Mount Vernon and Anacortes, as part of the ongoing Hands Off movement that has spoken out against changes and proposed … more

Skagit Valley Herald / (TNS) | 4/23/25

Man sentenced to six years in federal prison for sexual abuse of incapacitated teenager

A 20-year-old man has been sentenced to six years in federal prison for the sexual abuse of an incapacitated teenager on the Yakama Reservation. Darius Morning Star Speedis, 20, was sentenced on … more

Yakima Herald-Republic / (TNS) | 4/23/25

Democratic lawmakers push tax increases in hopes of balancing Washington's budget

Faced with a looming deadline, the Washington Senate passed a trio of bills over the weekend that would raise the capital gains tax on financial assets above $1 million a year, close certain tax … more

Mitchell Roland / The Spokesman-Review, Spokane (TNS) | 4/23/25

Debate continues after Washington state proposals dealing with transgender athletes fail

Two proposed rule changes dealing with transgender student-athletes in Washington did not pass, but the issue certainly didn't end with those votes. The first proposal, labeled ML/HS #7, stated … more

Scott Hanson / The Seattle Times (TNS) | 4/23/25

A sunset painted Mount Rainier pink during the evening hours of Sunday, March 16, in Roy.

Key bridge to Mount Rainier 'starting to buckle,' closes indefinitely

The Carbon River Bridge has "permanently closed" to all traffic, cutting off Highway 165 to the northwest of Mount Rainier National Park, according to the Washington State Department of … more

Trevor Lenzmeier / The Seattle Times (TNS) | 4/23/25