Inside Olympia

This week on Inside Olympia...Austin Jenkins sits down and talks budget and spending with Senate Ways and Means Chair June Robinson and the Ranking Republican on that committee Senator Chris Gildon. 

Two panels of early-term Washington state lawmakers describe why they ran, what surprised them in Olympia, and where they think they can make an impact. Democratic Reps. Brianna Thomas and Osman Salahuddin cite affordability, housing, child care, and immigrant and refugee support. Republican Reps. Deb Manjarrez and Hunter Abell emphasize taxes, budget growth, housing costs, and bipartisan pathways on veterans and oversight.

On this episode of Inside Olympia:  Host Austin Jenkins sits down with Washington State Supreme Court Chief Justice Debra Stephens.

Microsoft President Brad Smith has been in Olympia this week to talk with lawmakers about the company's policy priorities – affordability, tax reform and infrastructure, including housing supply targets, “pay our own way” data center energy commitments, and a shared responsibility agreement under which the company gets to build and invest, and the town gets lasting value in return.. He also discusses water replenishment and “closed-loop liquid cooling” for data centers, AI's job impacts, bubble risks, and the state's role in balanced AI regulation.

This week on Inside Olympia:  Host Austin Jenkins sits down and goes one-on-one with Robert J. Jones, President of the University of Washington.

On this episode of Inside Olympia hodt Austin Jenkins sits down with State Treasurer Mike Pellicciotti and Anneliese Vance-Sherman, Chief Labor Economist for the State of Washington.

On this episode of Inside Olympia: Austin Jenkins sits down with Washington State University's 12th president and the first woman to hold the role. We meet President Dr. Elizabeth "Betsy" Cantwell. What are her priorities for the state's land grant university? How does she plan to address enrollment declines and budget cuts?

Host Austin Jenkins sits down with Dennis Worsham, Washington State Department of Health Secretary.

Host Austin Jenkins sits down with the new Secretary of the Department of Social & Health Services Angela Ramirez.

Host Austin Jenkins sits down with pollster Stuart Elway on Washingtonian's perceptions over the past 5 decades.

Host Austin Jenkins sits down with State Chief Privacy Officer Katy Ruckle and Chief Technology Officer Gretchen Peri to discuss digital privacy and AI.

Host Austin Jenkins sits down with State Insurance Commissioner Patty Kuderer and Ingrid Ulrey of the State Health Benefit Exchange to talk about the spike in 2026 health insurance rates.

Host Austin Jenkins sits down for an interview with retiring State Supreme Court Justice Mary Yu.

This week on Inside Olympia: host Austin Jenkins sits down with Office of Independent Investigations Director Roger Rogoff.

Inside Olympia, with host Austin Jenkins, sits down this week with State Patrol Chief John Batiste.

This wekk on Inside Olympia: host Austin Jenkins, sits down with Washington Commissioner of Public Lands Dave Upthegrove.

Inside Olympia, with host Austin Jenkins, sits down with Department of Ecology Director Casey Sixkiller.

On this episode of Inside Olympia:  Austin Jenkins sits down with the Washington State's chief economist, Dave Reich and goes over the latest revenue and budget numbers.  Plus we talk with Capitol Press Corps members and get their take on the budget challenges ahead.

On this week's Inside Olympia: We continue our focus on education -- Austin sits down with the new Executive Director of the Washington State Board of Community and Technical Colleges, Nate Humphrey.

Washington Superintendent Chris Reykdal is asking lawmakers for $10 million in 2026 to fund statewide AI tutoring pilots and teacher training, arguing scale is key to equity. The request comes as state test scores inch upward but reveal persistent gaps, with higher-poverty students improving more slowly. Reykdal cautioned against overreliance on high-stakes tests and urged lawmakers not to cut education in a tight budget year. He said AI is “in the middle of everything” and must be integrated responsibly. Teachers Cassondra Smith and Adam Aguilera described AI as a powerful tool to boost access, streamline planning and support multilingual students, but warned of inequities, privacy risks and the need for training.

On the season premiere of Inside Olympia, Austin Jenkins interviews Ed Lazowska, the Bill and Melinda Gates Chair Emeritus in Computer Science and Engineering at the University of Washington Paul G. Allen School, about his five-decade career and the rapid rise of artificial intelligence. Lazowska reflects on Washington's ascent as a global software hub, driven by Microsoft, Amazon, and close ties between UW and industry. He contrasts the internet's arrival in the 1990s with AI's surprising breakthroughs, noting the unprecedented pace of change. Emphasizing optimism, he urges using AI to augment human capabilities. For education, Lazowska stresses three tiers of preparation: innovators, advanced users, and broad AI fluency for all students, coupled with informed skepticism to navigate an AI-driven world.

This week on Inside Olympia.....Austin Jenkins sits down with the career newspaperman and State Chief Historian John C. Hughes. 

We talk traffic safety with Shelly Baldwin, acting director of the Washington Traffic Safety Commission.

What's driving higher health care costs? We talk with WA Health Benefit Exchange CEO Ingrid Ulrey. Plus, Director Ben Veghte on WA's long-term care insurance program. 

On this episode of Inside Olympia:  Austin Jenkins takes a look at the reasons behind the decline in news sources in Washington State with Dr. Jennifer Henrichsen, Assistant Professor with the Edward R. Murrow College of Communication at WSU.

This week on Inside Olympia....we sit down with legislative leaders.  On the program, House Majority Leader Rep. Joe Fitzgibbon and Senate Republican Leader John Braun.

On this episode of Inside Olympia:  Austin Jenkkins sits down with WA State Schools Superintendent Chris Reykdal.

On this episode of Inside Olympia:  Austin Jenkins sits down with the head of the WA State Department of Corrections, Tim Lang.

On this episode of Inside Olympia:  Austin Jenkins finds out the latest happenings at the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) with the head of the agency, Julie Meredith.

On this episode of Inside Olympia: Austin Jenkins sits down with members of the Capital Press Corps and recaps the 2025 legislative session.  Plus, Austin interviews two Murrow News Fellows based here in Olympia for this session.

Water is an increasingly precious commodity. How is Washington State managing water resources in areas like the Columbia River Basin where demand outstrips supply? And as drought becomes more common, how is the state preparing for current and future dry spells? On the program, Tom Tebb, the recently retired Director of the Office of Columbia River at the Department of Ecology and Caroline Mellor, the statewide drought lead at Ecology.

Austin Jenkins sits downs and discusses tariffs, agriculture and energy with Washington State's Director of Commerce Joe Nguyen.

Inside Olympia, with host Austin Jenkins, sits down with State Supreme Court Chief Justice Debra Stephens.

This week on Inside Olympia....Austin Jenkins sits down with first-term State Representatives Natasha Hill of Spokane and Brian Burnett of Wenatchee.

We discuss the state budget with House Democratic Majority Leader Rep. Joe Fitzgibbon, and Rep. Travis Couture, the ranking Republican on the House Appropriations Committee. Plus, Capital Press journalist Don Jenkins on covering agriculture- and farming-related news. 

This week on Inside Olympia....we sit down with top legislative leaders.  On the program, Speaker of the House Rep. Laurie Jinkins and Senate Republican Leader John Braun.

On this episode of Inside Olympia ... The debate over how to balance Washington's budget? Should lawmakers cut spending? Raise taxes? Or do some of both? We hear two perspectives. Treasure Mackley with Invest in Washington Now and Paul Graves with Enterprise Washington.

On this week's episode Austin Jenkins sits down with Matt Powers to discuss his newly released report titled, "Statehouse Journalism in Transition."

House Republican Leader Drew Stokesbary. Plus, Rep. Kristine Reeves on her proposal to ban flavored vapes.

This week Austin Jenkins sits down with newly elected Washington State Attorney General Nick Brown.

This week we interview the new leader of WA's Dept of Children, Youth and Families, Tana Senn. Plus, Rep. Shelley Kloba on her data privacy bill, and Rep. Stephanie Barnard on her bills to advance nuclear power.

Washington's Public Works Board is celebrating its 40th anniversary in 2025. While the board is not well known to most Washingtonians, chances are it has helped pay for an infrastructure project in your community -- from roads and bridges to drinking water, stormwater and sewer systems, recycling and solid waste, and more recently, broadband.Established by the Legislature in 1985, the board's low-interest loans have funded more than 2,000 critical infrastructure projects in towns and cities across the state. In 40 years there's never been a default on a loan.This week we dig into the history, mission, and future of the Public Works Board with its Executive Director, Maria Jawad, Board Chair Kathryn Gardow, and board members Kelly Snyder, Public Works Director for Snohomish County, and Gary Rowe, who retired after a career in public works in Jefferson and Skagit Counties, plus working for the Washington State Association of Counties.

This week on Inside Olympia....Austin Jenkins sits down with the newly sworn-in Insurance Commissioner Patty Kuderer.  Plus, we sit down with Rep. Clyde Shavers and talk Artificial Intelligence Legislation.

Host Austin Jenkins talks taxes with House Finance Chair April Berg and Ranking Republican Ed Orcutt. Plus, the state's fiscal health with State Treasurer Mike Pelicciotti.

We go in-depth with Senate budget leaders June Robinson and Chris Gildon. Plus, Capitol reporters look at the 2025 Legislature.

Host Austin Jenkins sits down for an interview with the outgoing Washington State Governor Jay Inslee who is leaving office after three consecutive terms.

An interview with newly re-elected Washington Secretary of State Steve Hobbs, and an exit interview with outgoing Department of Social and Health Services Secretary Jilma Meneses.

This week on Inside Olympia....Austin Jenkins discusses the 5-year-old Career Connect Program with individuals from Partnership for Learning and the Chehalis School District.

Legislative budget writers watch his quarterly state revenue forecasts closely, to see how much revenue will be available to fund the state budget. Host Austin Jenkins sits down with state economic forecaster Dave Reich, who leads the Washington's Economic and Revenue Forecast Council.

Host Austin Jenkins interviews outgoing Washington State Department of Corrections Secretary Cheryl Strange.

This week on Inside Olympia...we breakdown the election results with Democratic State Representative Joe Fitzgibbon and Republican Senator John Braun.