Local News

OLYMPIA — State Senate Republican leaders have agreed to authorize college financial aid for students illegally brought to the United States as children, a surprising shift that is expected to pave the way for passage of the major Democratic priority. The Senate GOP will announce the decision at a 3:30 p.m. news conference, according to a…

WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. Patty Murray is proposing to earmark $750 million over 10 years to entice all states to make college more affordable for tens of thousands of poor, including undocumented, high school graduates each year. The Washington Democrat on Thursday introduced a bill that would financially reward Washington and 18 other states that already…

OLYMPIA — The state House overwhelmingly passed the so-called Washington Dream Act on Monday, kickstarting the 60-day legislative session with a rare opening-day floor vote. But state Senate leaders signaled the bill is unlikely to move in that chamber. The proposal, House Bill 1817, would allow access to financial aid for aspiring state college students who were…

Updated at 1:17 p.m. with comment from protest organizers After a group of women was arrested at state Republican Party headquarters in Bellevue on Thursday during a protest about national immigration policy, state GOP Chairwoman Susan Hutchison issued a friendly statement saying she shared their concerns. “Like them, we agree that our immigration system is broken…

WASHINGTON — U.S. Rep. Suzan DelBene rolled out a new immigration bill Wednesday,  attempting to restart a move toward comprehensive reform that has stalled in the Republican-controlled House of Representatives. The bill, called the Border Security, Economic Opportunity and Immigration Modernization Act, largely mirrors a measure passed by the Senate earlier this year. It would, among other…

U.S. Rep. Dave Reichert of Auburn has come out in favor of citizenship for undocumented immigrants, joining nearly two dozen of his House Republican colleagues and in defiance of his caucus leadership. In a radio interview Wednesday with John Carlson of 570 KVI, Reichert said Congress needs to “build a solution around the 12…

“Regardless of the past actions that led to undocumented students arriving in our state, we have the opportunity to affect their future and ours. Our state has the ability to change the outcome of their stories and give them the tools they need.” That statement, urging support for legislation in Olympia to allow undocumented immigrant…

U.S. Reps. Adam Smith and Jim McDermott joined eight other members of Congress in signing a letter calling for an independent investigation into the U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s authority to stop people and vehicles within 100 miles of the northern border. The letter instructs the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO), to look into practices by…

Note: This post has been updated to include the position of Congressional candidate Bill Driscoll. Republican gubernatorial hopeful Rob McKenna is drawing another distinction with his national party — this time on immigration. With Republicans preparing for next week’s national convention in Tampa, Fla., the platform committee decided Thursday to adopt a plank calling for the…