Washington state
Washington Justices Strike Down Death Penalty as Racially Biased
The use of the death penalty is racially biased and therefore violates the Washington state Constitution, a unanimous panel of the Evergreen State’s highest court ruled Thursday.
Read moreGovernment Calls Mountain Goat Relocation a Success
Ninety-eight mountain goats are starting over in the peaks of the Cascade Mountains in Washington state, after the government flew them there from the Olympic Peninsula, in an effort to eradicate the animals from an area where humans introduced them.
Read moreGoats Airlifted Out of Park Into Other Washington Forests
Helicopters and trucks are relocating hundreds of mountain goats from Olympic National Park in an effort officials said will protect natural resources, reduce visitor safety issues and boost native goat populations elsewhere in Washington state.
Read moreGOP Witnesses Dispute Science at Hearing Over Dam Removal
The House Committee on Natural Resources vowed to fight growing public calls to remove the four dams along the Snake River in Idaho, after hearing testimony from those who say the dams are the “economic lifeblood” of the Pacific Northwest and claim their removal would do nothing to benefit imperiled salmon.
Read moreNinth Circuit Revives Fight of Washington Cyberstalking Law
A blogger challenging Washington state’s cyberstalking law – which prohibits actions that harass, intimidate, torment or embarrass people – can pursue his claims in federal court, the Ninth Circuit ruled Friday.
Read moreImpossible Choices: The Complicated Task of Saving Both Orca and Salmon
Decades of politics and foot-dragging have stymied the recovery of threatened and endangered Chinook salmon, while an iconic population of killer whales that depends on them veered toward extinction. Now, a last-ditch effort to save the whales may also be what thwarts the recovery of Chinook.
Read moreStates Go on Offensive After 3D-Printed Gun Settlement
With a settlement in Texas auguring the era of the 3D-printed gun, Pennsylvania won a federal injunction Sunday to keep downloadable firearms out of the hands of its citizens. On Monday, at least 20 other states followed suit.
Read moreNinth Circuit Urged to Dump Washington State Cyberstalking Law
An activist blogger challenging Washington state’s cyberstalking law prohibiting actions that harass, intimidate, torment or embarrass people asked the Ninth Circuit on Wednesday to revive his free speech claims.
Read moreBubble Burst
Former Washington state auditor Troy Kelley was sentenced Friday to a year in prison after being convicted this past December on fraud and other charges related to a real-estate escrow business he ran during the last housing bubble.
Read moreSupreme Court Vacates Washington Florist Discrimination Case
The Washington Supreme Court should reconsider its conclusion that a florist discriminated against a gay couple by refusing to sell them wedding flowers, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled Monday.
Read moreHigh Court Tie in Salmon-Habitat Case Will Cost Washington
An unusual tie Monday at the Supreme Court has left intact an order expected to cost Washington billions of dollars after Native American tribes contested culvert work that blocked fish migration.
Read moreJustices Punt Decision on Land Dispute With Tribe
The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday perpetuated a years-long fight between an Anglo couple and a Native American tribe over a single acre of land in Washington state, finding the Evergreen State’s high court must decide whether common law bars sovereign immunity for the tribe when real estate is involved.
Read moreHealth Advocates, Soda Magnates Battle Over Sugary Drink Tax
Just months after the city of Seattle passed a tax on sugary drinks, health advocates and soda magnates are firing up efforts to influence Washington voters on similar taxes in the future.
Read more