Austin Jenkins
Since January 2004, Austin Jenkins has been the Olympia-based political reporter for the Northwest News Network. In that position, Austin covers Northwest politics and public policy, as well as the Washington State Legislature. You can also see Austin on television as host of TVW's (the C–SPAN of Washington State) Emmy-nominated public affairs program "Inside Olympia."
Prior to joining the Northwest News Network, Austin worked as a television reporter in Seattle, Portland and Boise.
Austin is a graduate of Garfield High School in Seattle and Connecticut College in New London, Connecticut. In 2019, he received his Master of Communication in Digital Media from the University of Washington Communication Leadership program.
Austin's reporting has been recognized with awards from the Association of Capitol Reporters and Editors, Public Radio News Directors Incorporated and the Society of Professional Journalists. Austin was part of a team that won a 2018 national Edward R. Murrow award for breaking news coverage.
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Dozens of Washington state troopers, prison correctional officers, ferry workers and other public sector employees have filed a lawsuit in Walla Walla County to try to overturn Gov. Jay Inslee's COVID-19 vaccine. The lawsuit alleges the mandate is unlawful and unconstitutional.
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Gov. Jay Inslee on Thursday announced that people attending outdoor events with 500 or more attendees will have to wear a mask, whether vaccinated or not.…
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The Washington Federation of State Employees announced a tentative deal with Gov. Jay Inslee early Saturday morning.
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It’s a problem nationally and in the Northwest. Pet owners are having trouble getting access to veterinary services. It’s another example of the fallout from the ongoing pandemic.
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Long-term care insurance companies have temporarily halted sales in Washington. The move follows a frenzy of interest in the costly insurance policies prompted by a November 1 deadline to opt out of a new state-run long-term care program.
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How bad is the fifth wave of COVID-19? One hospital in Thurston County, Washington is limiting visitors, the intensive care unit is at capacity and elective surgeries and procedures are being delayed.
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Following the lead of several other states, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee on Monday issued a requirement that state employees along with private health care and long-term care workers get the COVID-19 vaccine or face termination from their jobs.
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Washington’s new police use-of-force law does not prevent officers from responding to non-criminal calls. That’s the upshot of a legal memo from the Attorney General’s office.
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A new report is sounding the alarm about the state of mental health care in Washington prisons. It finds numerous shortcomings that increase the risk of suicide and contribute to lengthy stays in solitary confinement. The Department of Corrections acknowledges ongoing challenges, but says it's been making improvements and plans to seek additional funds from the Legislature to increase mental health staffing.
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The Washington Legislature's Black Members Caucus was formed in 2019. This year the members led on a number of issues, including the enactment of sweeping police accountability measures and passage of a bill that made Juneteenth a state holiday. The caucus used its collective voice to urge Gov. Jay Inslee to extend the state’s eviction moratorium. The caucus also issued statements following the conviction of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin for the murder of George Floyd and following the decision to charge three Tacoma police officers in the killing of Manny Ellis.