Mid-Columbia Republican state senators say the 2026 Washington legislative session delivered few wins for local businesses, agriculture and economic development projects, raising concerns about taxes, the state budget and regional priorities.

Farmers face a fourth consecutive year of drought, forcing tough decisions on irrigation, crop survival and water management for orchards and vineyards across the state.

Kennewick is turning wastewater and sewage sludge into nutrient-rich Class A fertilizer using innovative greenhouse-based technology, creating a sustainable, revenue-generating solution for the city.

Hanford remains the nation’s most expensive and technically complex cleanup project, and delays, legal obligations and debates over how to treat tank waste – including whether to vitrify or grout certain wastes – mean the site could still take decades and tens of billions more to fully clean up. 

An HR consultant hired by the Port of Benton has delivered a scathing 28-page report on port operations, calling the organization “immersed in chaos, confusion and leadership neglect” and laying out sweeping recommendations for restructuring. Attorneys for the administrators vehemently dispute the report’s findings, with one calling it a “hit piece” and the other a “hatchet job.”

Two of the world’s largest pharmaceutical companies sued Washington state, alleging a new law to tamp down prescription drug prices for hospitals won’t result in discounts for patients. 

State officials recently announced funding for a slew of solar power projects along with a few other clean energy efforts in the Mid-Columbia. 

Research programs at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory may be facing more belt tightening if President Donald Trump’s budget proposal for the next fiscal year is implemented. 

Opponents of Washington’s new income tax asked the state Supreme Court on April 3 to allow them to pursue a referendum in hopes of giving voters a shot at repealing the controversial new law this November.