In conjunction with National Poetry Month, poet Rena Priest has been appointed Washington State Poet Laureate by Governor Jay Inslee. A member of the Lhaq’temish (Lummi) Nation, Priest will be the first Indigenous poet to be the state’s Poet Laureate. Priest’s literary debut, Patriarchy Blues, was honored with the 2018 American Book Award, and her most recent work is Sublime Subliminal. The two-year term officially begins April 15, 2021. She will succeed Claudia Castro Luna, the current poet laureate.
Effective October 1, 2025, Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill (ESSB) 5814 expanded Washington’s retail sales tax to include new types of services. Some of these new taxes directly affect arts and…