The IMPACT

A comprehensive look at two very different real estate market dynamics impacting Washington: a surplus of vacant office space available and an ongoing shortage of housing stock. Featuring Q&A with real estate economist Matthew Gardner.

A post-session, pre-primary look at some of the hottest topics in state government. Features panel interview with Sarah Mizes-Tan from KUOW/KNKX and Jerry Cornfield from the Washington State Standard.

The entire Washington state House and roughly half of the state Senate will be on the ballot this fall, along with five of nine Washington Supreme Court positions, and all ten Congressional seats. We'll highlight battleground districts and competitive races drawing big money this year, as well as the state implications of a national redistricting debate. Panelists: WA Democrats Communications Director Stephen Reed and Washington State GOP Chair Jim Walsh.

What can we expect from the 2026 wildfire season? DNR’s Wildland Fire Division manager explains the implications of different environmental conditions, strategies for various situations, and evolving challenges for the wildland-urban interface. He also shares a personal perspective on the devastating losses from the 2023 Gray Fire in Spokane County.

A popular program that lets high school students earn free college credit is facing funding cuts in 2026. We'll dive into how Running Start works and what students stand to lose from the reductions.Guest: Jamie Traugott, director of student services and K12 alignment for the Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges.

Washington's gray wolf population is on the rise again after rebounding from a year of losses. You’ll hear from state wolf biologist Trent Roussin about where they’re found in the greatest numbers and where they might be heading next. We'll also showcase a sanctuary for displaced wolves tucked away in Tenino.

Washington AG Nick Brown takes center stage on "The Impact" with Mike McClanahan for a one-on-one interview covering the latest consumer protection lawsuit over grocery prices, his agency's role in crafting the contentious 'millionaires tax,' and its approach waging courtroom warfare against the Trump administration. It's an in-depth look at the legal battles shaping the state's future.

A 2025 policy shift at DNR set aside tens of thousands of acres of structurally complex forests and older trees. Celebrated by some groups and criticized by others, the change has sparked debate over the future of timber-dependent counties, rural jobs, biodiversity, and how Washington manages older trees that aren't yet old growth. We explore different perspectives on the issue with Heath Heikkila of the American Forest Resource Council and Miguel Pérez-Gibson of Washington Conservation Action.

As we head into warmer months, representatives of Washington tribes and environmental groups are speaking out about wildfire resilience funding cuts. Interview guests: Skippy Shaw, Washington state government relations director for The Nature Conservancy and Cody Desautel, executive director of the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation

Exploring popular majors and enrollment trends across Washington’s public universities. Featuring an interview featuring Ruben Flores, head of the state’s Council of Presidents, which represents the state’s six public four-year universities and colleges.

How expensive is living in Washington? A new study suggests prices have risen faster in the Evergreen State in recent years than anywhere else in the country.Interviews include Washington Roundtable president Rachel Smith and CEO Marc Casale of the Kinetic West consulting firm.

Lawmakers adjourned without creating a new funding stream for public defense, while a state supreme court mandate is expected to dramatically increase the cost. Thurston County's public defense director joins the executive director of the Washington State Association of Counties to weigh in on funding needs and uncertainties.

Advances in artificial intelligence are fueling a new wave of sophisticated scams targeting consumers. Two top state financial watchdogs, Ali Higgs and Faith Anderson from the Washington State Department of Financial Institutions, explain how the state is fighting back -- and what you can do to protect yourself.

Taxes, consumer protection, and policing - a recap of the big stories of 2026 as the legislative session comes to a close. The latest on a statewide overhaul of curbside recycling. Then a behind the scenes look at Teach with TVW programs to help students understand state government and learn how their own voices fit in.

Bills to outlaw mask wearing police, create a new process for removing sheriffs, and restrict license plate scanning cameras are all under consideration this year. ACLU-WA’s Jazmyn Clark and Kent P.D. Chief Rafel Padilla join us to debate the proposed changes and how they could impact your community.

Proposed state budgets, potential state laws, and a landmark tax decision. A panel of state government reporters talk through the major threads and high profile questions for the final weeks of the Legislative Session.Panelists include: Mitchell Roland of the Spokesman-Review and Jake Goldstein-Street of the Washington State Standard. Later, we look at the debate over new regulations for cryptocurrency kiosks.

Election laws and voter data are in the spotlight this year, with proposed initiative restrictions and a state-federal dispute over access to voter registration data. Washington Secretary of State Steve Hobbs weighs in on the bills and the federal litigation.

From taxes to public defense funding and the federal phase out of the penny, House Finance Committee leaders from both sides of the aisle weigh in on hot topics for 2026. Guests: Democratic Chair April Berg and Ranking Republican Member Ed Orcutt.

From surveillance pricing to property tax breaks. Leaders of the House Technology, Economic Development, and Veterans Committee weigh in on a slate of bills dealing with artificial intelligence, consumer protection, and Washington’s tech economy. 
Guests: Committee Chair, Democratic Rep. Cindy Ryu and Ranking Republican Member, Rep. Stephanie Barnard.

New limits on public defender caseloads are rolling out, but Washington is facing a chronic defender shortage. How will the lower caseloads impact recruitment and local government finances? What happens if there aren’t enough lawyers?  Snohomish County Office of Public Defense Director Jason Schwarz and Washington State Office of Public Defense Deputy Director Katrin Johnson break down the stakes, the staffing crunch, and what comes next.

The Impact -- from expanded collective bargaining to the costs of business regulation, we examine the labor and business flashpoints driving the 2026 session.Hear from April Sims, President of the Washington State Labor Council, and Morgan Irwin, Vice President of Government Affairs at the Association of Washington Business.

An inside look at the high-stakes policy and revenue battles set to dominate Olympia as the 2026 Legislative Session begins. This episode features key takeaways from interviews with Governor Bob Ferguson and top Democratic and Republican leaders in both chambers.

The Impact breaks down the two major 529 options for college savings in Washington: the GET (Guaranteed Education Tuition) plan and WA529 Invest, a market-based savings portfolio. Luke Minor, Senior Director of Postsecondary Affordability for the Washington Student Achievement Council, offers practical guidance for families who aren’t sure where to begin.

From chasing stories to leading change, The Impact interviews former investigative reporter Jesse Jones about his new role as director of Your Washington, the state government improvement unit.

This is a special edition of The Impact taped on-location at the Washington Digital Government Summit in Tacoma, organized by GovTech magazine. The episode features a panel discussion with state, city, and county-level technology leaders answering questions about the use of artificial intelligence in government decision making, workforce displacement, and oversight. The panel also explored the privacy implications of smart infrastructure— such as vehicle-tracking sensors— and efforts to promote digital equity in a rapidly evolving technological landscape.
Panelists: Jake Hammock, Seattle Chief Information Security Officer (CISO)Bill Kehoe, WaTech Director and Washington State Chief Information Officer (CIO)Stephen Heard, interim Chi...

From wolf conflicts to owl culls — inside Washington’s toughest wildlife decisions. Guest: Julia Smith, WDFW's endangered species recovery manager

Political writers wade into early returns from the fall election, and what that says for the direction of the legislature next year.   "We had a record package of tax increases in the legislature this year. The majority Democrats paid no price at the ballot box," said Paul Queary,  Washington Observer. 
"I would look for this session for folks who have been hiding things in their back pocket that they didn't use to try to balance the budget last time,” said Jerry Cornfield, Washington State Standard.We also cover the automatic voter registration system error discovered in two counties.Then, we look at...

A new study points to major PNW earthquakes potentially triggering California earthquakes and vice-versa. DNR earthquakes expert Alex Steely breaks down the potential link between the Cascadia Subduction Zone and the San Andreas fault.Later, we cover "sonic boom" earthquakes, the Seattle fault nightmare scenario, and why so many Washington buildings are vulnerable to shaking.   Guest: Alex Steely, Assistant Director of Geologic Hazards and Mapping at the Washington Department of Natural Resources
Other topics:A constitutional amendment on the ballot would allow the state's long-term care program funding to be invested in stocks.Good news and bad news about tra...

Exploring political violence and the decline of civil discourse. Q&A with Lieutenant Governor Denny Heck about his work on developing strategies to promote healthy debate in society.

Historic surface water restrictions hit the Yakima Basin as a monumental water rights lawsuit gets underway in Whatcom County. Department of Ecology Water Resources Program lead, Ria Berns talks through the rationale and what to expect. Then hear what local stakeholders, are saying about the adjudication.

Is your town ready for a ransomware attack? State Auditor Pat McCarthy and SAO cybersecurity lead Scott Ford weigh in on the job of promoting government accountability with IT safeguards and spotting mismanaged tax dollars.

For island residents, commuters, and students — there's a lot riding on reliable ferry service. Deputy Secretary Steve Nevey addresses current problems, the timeline for new vessels, and fall schedule changes that may restructure service on your route.

Electric vehicle subsidies end this month. Will the policy shift in Washington D.C. derail WA state's electrification plans? One of the architects of Washington's clean transportation strategy joins us for an extended 1-on-1 discussion.  Guest: Steven Hershkowitz, Managing Director of the Clean Transportation Unit at the Washington State Department of Commerce.

The second half of an education discussion with Marguerite Roza (Georgetown Univ. Edunomics Lab) and Larry Delaney (Washington Education Association) covers special education funding changes and the new federal tax-credit scholarship program which could boost private school enrollment.

We explore school funding shifts could mean for classroom resource gaps and what to make of falling test scores, disciplinary shifts, and grappling with AI written homework. Guests: Marguerite Roza, Director of the Georgetown University Edunomics Lab and Larry Delaney, President of the Washington Education Association, and a high school math teacher in Snohomish County.

A spike in child fatalities and near-fatal injuries from early 2025 has reignited debate over a shift in policies that dictate when children are removed from a home. The head of Washington's independent child welfare system oversight body weighs in on the trend. The agency in charge of the system responds. Guests: Patrick Dowd, Director of the Office of Families and Children's Ombuds, & Allison Krutsinger, Chief Public Affairs Officer for the Department of Children Youth and Families.

An in-depth look at new housing laws that cap annual rent increases and allow homeowners more freedom to build a second smaller dwelling on the same lot. Featuring Sen. Jessica Bateman (D-Olympia) and Rep. Andrew Barkis (R-Olympia).

Sunsets, s’mores, and swimming. An overview of in-state summer getaways and what to know before you go. Features Q&A with Sarah Fronk of Washington State Parks.

As lawmakers in D.C. and Olympia grapple with ways to reduce public healthcare spending, Washington hospitals warn of higher fees, longer wait times, and potential closures.

State earthquake/volcano program manager weighs in on survey of vulnerable buildings and what to make of the new magma chamber discovery. Q&A with Brian Terbush, Emergency Management Division