A longtime port commissioner, who has served on the Port of Kennewick board since 2014, in addition to stints in Kennewick City Hall and Olympia, says it’s time for a new generation of leaders to step up.

The state insurance commissioner’s office says companies are reducing their risk in certain areas of the state by not renewing the policies on some homes, likely due to fire risk. The agency is also collecting data on how many policies insurers are not renewing to get a better picture of the market and potential government intervention.

The state is seeking companies from industries ranging from food and beverage processing to metal fabrication to apply for funding for a state internship program, which will provide $8,500 stipends for interns working on projects and efforts such as reducing emissions, water conservation, finding safer chemical alternatives for industry applications and more.

Proposed legislation in Olympia aims to ease the burden of child care costs for Washington families by allowing businesses to help their employees pay for it. If put into law, businesses could reduce the amount they spend on business and occupation taxes by the amount they pay for child care assistance to workers.

Officials with the Associated General Contractors say the Trump administration’s recent executive order to freeze funding to federal infrastructure projects could stall the construction industry’s growth.

The bank sold nearly $1 billion in multifamily real estate loans at the end of December in a bid to return to profitability. The effort was driven by its failed merger with FirstSun Capital Bancorp, which the institutions called off after regulators halted it. 

A proposed bill aims to update Washington laws so insurance companies follow standard care guidelines while easing administrative hassles and financial risks for providers. 

Washington State University Tri-Cities’ chancellor is part of a team of university administrators tracking how recent decisions by the new U.S. presidential administration may impact the university’s federal funding for current and future research as well as the availability of reports and data. 

The state’s lack of a corporate income tax rate and strong business growth in 2024 earned a top spot in rankings developed by an online business publication. 

Bills to allow backyard cottages in new areas, to expand where developers can receive tax breaks for building apartments and to let property owners split their plots are all making their way through the legislative process.