Governing

Why do so many judges run for reelection unopposed?

In Washington state, there are many judges on the Nov. 8 ballot and the only choice voters can make in most of those races is whether to vote at all.

Family visits resume at King County jails, but staffing shortages remain a major hurdle

In-person visits are scheduled to begin again Monday for people held at King County’s jail in downtown Seattle. It’s the first time family members have been able to visit face-to-face at that facility since the Covid pandemic began. In October, the county resumed family visits at the second adult jail in Kent. But critics and jail officials say short staffing is still constraining their operations.

The race is on for King County's next prosecuting attorney

KUOW reporter Amy Radil joins Soundside to discuss the upcoming election for King County Prosecutor.

Why the wave of voting reform measures in the Northwest?

Tacoma tries a guaranteed basic income

Basic income programs have been all the rage in policy circle, and Tacoma just tried it out. The city has been running a guaranteed income pilot, called GRIT. The program gave 110 low-income families money each month to help them with expenses they otherwise would not likely be able to afford. Abigail Lawson is the director of GRIT, Tacoma's guaranteed income pilot, and she shares what she learned.

New King County police contract increases pay, body cams, and civilian oversight

The latest contract ratified by King County’s 633 sergeants and deputies will raise their salaries more than 20% over the next three years. It also paves the way for the King County Sheriff’s Office to implement body-worn cameras.

Activists call mayor's plan to return parking enforcement to police a 'huge betrayal'

When racial justice protestors called for cuts to the Seattle Police Department in the summer of 2020, the City Council responded by moving parking enforcement officers to the transportation department. The shift began in 2021 and did not go smoothly.

Portland considers plan for sanctioned tent camps, at large camping ban

‘A lot of people see this as history repeating itself, and to be determined whether it will actually work and change the direction of the region's homeless crisis.’

As elections near, Spokane sees growing interest in ballot systems

Certified election observers from political parties are not new. But the appearance of self-deputized election watchers seems to be a growing trend. That includes Spokane County, where local Republican politicians have called for audits of the previous election and activists are training citizens to become ballot box observers.