Latest Washington Headlines

All the headlines from our Washington Topic Page, ordered by recency.

Washington Contractor Fined $300K for Wage Violations

Mar 28 2023 // A Vancouver, Washington contractor was found to owe $201,223 in wages and interest to 20 employees on construction projects at four area schools.The contractor, 360 Sheetmetal LLC, and owner Beverley Martin, were also...

Professional Benefit Services in Washington Acquired by Parker, Smith & Feek

Mar 27 2023 // Parker, Smith & Feek acquired Professional Benefit Services Inc. in Washington. PBS President Jere Meyer and Account Executives Katie Stewart and Lesley Behrndt will join Parker, Smith & Feek’s team of more...

New Heat Rules for Outdoor Workers in Washington Proposed

Mar 23 2023 // Proponents of a new proposal this week to update Washington’s permanent heat rules say they will increase protections for agricultural, construction, and other workers exposed to dangerous outdoor temperatures on the...

Insurers: Washington’s Proposal for More Premium Increase Explanations May Delay Filings

Mar 17 2023 // Insurers say a new regulation proposed by Washington state Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler that requires them to explain premium increases to their policyholders in language consumers can understand has the potential...

Washington Greenhouse Gas Allowance Auction Raises $300M

Mar 10 2023 // Washington state’s first auction of greenhouse-gas pollution allowances has generated an estimated $300 million as companies, consumers and the Legislature get a glimpse of the cost of emitting greenhouse gases that...

Washington, Oregon Ending Health Care Settings Mask Mandate

Mar 9 2023 // Washington and Oregon will soon drop mask requirements in health care settings, state health officials said, moving to lift the last major masking requirements meant to curb the spread of COVID-19.Mandates in both states...

Washington Insurance Commissioner Issues $25K in Fines to Producers, Carriers

Mar 8 2023 // Washington Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler issued fines in February totaling $25,500 against insurance companies, producers, brokers and individuals who reportedly violated state insurance laws and...

Investigation Leads to Woman’s Insurance Fraud Conviction in Washington

Mar 6 2023 // An Edmonds, Washington, woman pled guilty to committing insurance fraud after an investigation completed by Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler’s Criminal Investigations Unit. Eden Gebru pled guilty to the charge of...

Dam Owner Fined $1M in Field Turf Pollution of Washington River

Mar 1 2023 // A company that operates a century-old hydroelectric dam near Mount Rainier National Park and its chief operating officer each pleaded guilty to a single criminal count Monday in connection with a spill of synthetic field...

Washington Man Ordered to Repay $127K in Workers’ Comp Scam

Feb 20 2023 // A Washington contractor who claimed he was too injured to work despite reportedly running his own construction company was ordered to pay back the state more than $127,000.Daniel Joseph Lesieur, of Washougal, pleaded...

Washington Contractor Fined $400K for Safety Violations in Fatal Trench Collapse

Feb 15 2023 // A Kent, Washington contractor is facing more than $400,000 in fines for safety violations that led to the death of a construction worker last year in Renton.Surjit Gill, 36, was killed when the dirt walls of the trench he...

Washington Insurance Commissioner Fines Producers, Insurers

Feb 3 2023 // Washington Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler issued fines in January totaling $11,000 against insurance companies, producers, brokers, and individuals who violated state insurance laws and regulations.Following are the...

460K Partial Social Security Numbers Mistakenly Released in Washington

Jan 24 2023 // A county in Washington inadvertently released nearly half a million partial Social Security Numbers when responding to a routine public records request in December, according to county officials.The Pierce County...

Washington Insurance Commissioner’s Report on Utilities’ Liability Shows Increased Costs, Exclusions

Jan 23 2023 // The Washington Office of the Insurance Commissioner recently delivered a report to the state Legislature and governor on the liability insurance market for electric utilities in Washington.The OIC worked with the Utilities...

Washington AG Sues Plastic Surgery Provider for Fake Reviews

Jan 23 2023 // By Claire RushWashington state Attorney General Bob Ferguson has filed a lawsuit against a plastic surgery provider in the Seattle area over claims it misled patients and the public “through a multitude of unlawful,...

Washington Contractor Fined $400K for Repeat Fall Protection Violations

Jan 23 2023 // The owner of a Washington state framing company is facing nearly $400,000 in fines for allegedly allowing crew members to work high above the ground without fall protection, according to the state Department of Labor and...

Washington Commissioner Fines Insurers, Producers

Jan 20 2023 // Washington Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler issued fines in December totaling $55,500 against insurance companies, producers, brokers, and individuals who violated state insurance laws and regulations.Following is a...

Washington Bill Would Force Period Tracking Apps to Follow Privacy Laws

Jan 18 2023 // When the Supreme Court last June stripped away constitutional protections for abortion, concerns grew over the use of period tracking apps because they aren’t protected by federal privacy laws.Privacy experts have...

Washington Schools Suing over Social Media Harm

Jan 9 2023 // The public school district in Seattle has filed a novel lawsuit against the tech giants behind TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and Snapchat, seeking to hold them accountable for the mental health crisis among...

Washington AG Sues Plastic Surgery Provider for Fake Reviews

Jan 4 2023 // Washington state Attorney General Bob Ferguson has filed a lawsuit against a plastic surgery provider in the Seattle area over claims it misled patients and the public “through a multitude of unlawful, unfair and...