Ferguson's pens have been on the minds of a lot of people for weeks: Democrats, who worried he'd bring out the red veto pen on the budget, and fiscal conservatives, who worried he'd use his blue pen and pass it.The pens have also been on our hosts' minds -- because they represent a big stylistic change from previous governors, and maybe an extension of Ferguson himself? This week on Sound Politics -- what did Ferguson pass, and what did he use the veto pen on, in the state budget?

Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/politics. Sound Politics is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network. Our editor is Gabriel Spitzer. Our producer this week is Hans Anderson. Our hosts are Scott Greenstone and Libby Denkmann.And we want to hear from you!

Send us your politics questions by emailing [email protected] or give us a call at 206-221-0511.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's an odd year election coming up, and something odd is happening: NINE state legislative districts will hold elections, more than any odd year for the past decade. Why is that happening? In a word: dominoes. Today on Sound Politics we'll talk about the Democratic domino effect, and how these races are exposing intra-party fault lines over the Democrats' new tax plan.

Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/politics. Sound Politics is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network. Our editor is Gabriel Spitzer. Our producer this week is Hans Anderson. Our hosts are Scott Greenstone and Libby Denkmann.

And we want to hear from you! Send us your politics questions by emailing [email protected] or give us a call at 206-221-0511.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's been a busy first term so far for U.S. Representative Emily Randall of Bremerton, one of two freshman members of Congress, in the other Washington. She's a Democrat representing Washington's 6th congressional district.

This week, she joins Sound Politics to talk about her initial months in Congress, her visit to an ICE detention facility in Tacoma, and why she appeared at a town hall in Spokane -- in the district of her fellow freshman, a Republican.

Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/politics. Sound Politics is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network. Our editor is Gabriel Spitzer. Our producer this week is Gabrielle Healy. Our hosts are Scott Greenstone and Libby Denkmann.
And we want to hear from you! Send us your politics questions by emailing [email protected] or give us a call at 206-221-0511.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s been dubbed “muzzle velocity.” Or a “blizzard.” Fast and expansive changes to the federal government during President Trump's first one hundred days in office. Immigration policy, tariffs, even the size of the federal workforce has been drastically altered. We've talked to Democrats about this change and heard words like "disaster" or "catastrophe." Trump critics on the Left are numerous and loud here in Washington state.

But what about the Right side of the political spectrum? Almost 45% of our electorate voted for a Republican for governor last year, after all. How are conservatives feeling about the direction of the country, 100 days into Trump 2.0?

Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/politics. Sound Politics is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network. Our editor is Gabriel Spitzer. Our producer this week is Hans Anderson. Our hosts are Scott Greenstone and Libby Denkmann.

And we want to hear from you! Send us your politics questions by emailing [email protected] or give us a call at 206-221-0511.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Washington Legislature’s final week in session has brought bills (and debates) to the floor on topics ranging from rent caps to recycling to gun permits. 

This week Axios Seattle reporter Melissa Santos and Washington Observer publisher Paul Queary join Sound Politics to discuss what the legislature managed to pass this year, and what was left on the cutting-room floor. Oh yeah, and there’s also the little matter of the budget.

Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/politics.

Sound Politics is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network. Our editor is Gabriel Spitzer. Our producer this week is Sarah Leibovitz. Our hosts are Scott Greenstone and Libby Denkmann.

And we want to hear from you! Send us your politics questions by emailing [email protected] or give us a call at 206-221-0511.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Democrats released their plan to cover the state's multi billion dollar budget gap this week. Notable progressive proposals like the wealth tax and a payroll tax weren't a part of that plan. Did the progressive wing lose out to big business? And what does a hacked crosswalk button have to do with all of this? KUOW's Jeanie Lindsay and Seattle Times’ Jim Brunner talk about the latest tax proposals and whether the push to tax the rich is still alive.

And just a note, since we recorded this episode, Gov. Ferguson has released his response to the legislature's tax plan, you can read about it here: https://www.kuow.org/stories/tension-over-new-taxes-mounts-in-olympia-as-ferguson-slams-latest-pitch-from-democrats

Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/politics.

Sound Politics is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network. Our editor is Gabriel Spitzer. Our producer this week is Hans Anderson. Our hosts are Scott Greenstone and Libby Denkmann.

And we want to hear from you! Send us your politics questions by emailing [email protected] or give us a call at 206-221-0511.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The U.S. stock and bond markets are continuing to see uncertainty amidst President Donald Trump's flips in tariff policy. While the tariffs placed on a majority of countries have been paused, those in China are continuing to rise as the two nations retaliate against one another. 

Hosts Libby Denkmann and Scott Greenstone are joined by former Governor, Secretary of Commerce, and Ambassador to China Gary Locke to get his insights on what an economic clash with China could mean for Washington state's economy -- the state exports more products to China than anywhere else.

But that’s not all. Today the show is local but international: international trade policy... international relations... international students on visas, whose work and study here in the U.S. just got upended.

Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/politics.

Sound Politics is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network. Our editor is Gabriel Spitzer. Our producer this week is Alec Cowan. Our hosts are Scott Greenstone and Libby Denkmann.

And we want to hear from you! Send us your politics questions by emailing [email protected] or give us a call at 206-221-0511.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week, President Trump announced a slew of international tariffs. The United States will levy a 10 percent tax on goods imported from all trading partners except Canada and Mexico. That's just the start: there are an additional, higher tariffs on the European Union, Japan, India, China, and many, many more countries. Washington state could be in for some special pain: one in four jobs here is tied to international trade.

Even though Canada was spared from the latest round of international tariffs, the relationships between the United States and our neighbors to the north has become frosty. And it could affects everything from sales tax revenue to who shows up to local Renaissance Faires.

Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/politics.

Sound Politics is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network. Our editor is Gabriel Spitzer. Our producer this week is Hans Anderson. Our hosts are Scott Greenstone and Libby Denkmann.

And we want to hear from you! Send us your politics questions by emailing [email protected] or give us a call at 206-221-0511.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Scott got overwhelmed this week trying to keep track of everything happening in our political sphere. And where does he turn to when he feels overwhelmed? Email newsletters. The world condensed into less than 2,000 words.

So this week, he's joined by two newsletter writer-reporters, Axios Seattle reporter Melissa Santos and Washington Observer publisher Paul Queary to discuss their favorite stories you might've missed.

Plus, we tackle one big story with a Washington connection you may not know about: it wasn’t just an Atlantic editor that got Pete Hegseth’s text messages – it was also a former Washington state Republican candidate.

Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/politics.

Sound Politics is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network. Our editor is Gabriel Spitzer. Our producer this week is Sarah Leibovitz. Our hosts are Scott Greenstone and Libby Denkmann.

And we want to hear from you! Send us your politics questions by emailing [email protected] or give us a call at 206-221-0511.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hey Sound Politics listeners. We're here in your feed because we want to know: what questions do you all have in this kind of bonkers political moment?

Curious about what happens when lawmakers ignore court rulings? Why are the governor and the legislature getting a raise right now? Other burning politics questions you've been dying to have answered?

Let us know: email [email protected], or leave us a voicemail at 206-221-0511.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.