Tom Banse
Regional Correspondent
About
Tom Banse covers national news, business, science, public policy, Olympic sports, and human interest stories across Washington state. Now semi-retired, Banse is an Olympia-based reporter with more than three decades of experience covering the Pacific Northwest. Most of his career was spent with public radio's Northwest News Network, but now in semi-retirement his work appears on multiple nonprofit news outlets including KUOW. His recent areas of focus range from transportation, U.S.-Canada borderlands, the Northwest region's planned hydrogen hub, and emergency preparedness.
Previously, Tom covered state government and the Washington Legislature for 12 years. He got his start in radio at WCAL-FM, a public station in southern Minnesota. Reared in Seattle, Tom graduated from Carleton College in Northfield, Minnesota with a degree in American Studies.
Location: Olympia
Languages: English, German
Stories
-
Washington state on verge of tightening the tap for new bottled water plants
-
Business
The curious case of a big company (Boeing) that wants to give up a tax break
The Boeing Company is bringing an unusual request to state lawmakers in Olympia: please take away our airplane manufacturing tax break. The Washington Legislature seems likely to oblige, but possibly will add some strings to the deal.
-
Researchers considering long-term health effects of wildfire smoke
Wildfire smoke is bad for people, but researchers say they still don’t know what the long-term effects could be.
-
Bringing back Oregon's sea otters gets federal bucks for feasibility study
A group that wants to bring back wild sea otters to the Oregon Coast is taking a big step forward. The federal government has awarded them a grant to launch a feasibility study for a possible reintroduction effort.
-
They had a beachcombing blast on the coast after old munitions washed ashore
Beachcombing was a blast for soldiers from Joint Base Lewis-McChord earlier this week. An ordnance disposal unit was called out after unexploded military munitions washed up on the beach north of Ocean Shores, Washington.
-
Odds improving that Washington may legalize sports betting, but not like Oregon
The US Supreme Court has cleared the way for states to allow sports betting. While Oregon has already started a sports betting program, Washington is looking to start its own legal sports betting rules.
-
Odds improving that Washington may legalize sports betting, but not like Oregon
A couple of years ago, the U.S. Supreme Court cleared the way for states beyond Nevada to have sports betting. Oregon dove in last year. Idaho, Washington and California have held back. Now, Washington state lawmakers are taking a hard look at legalizing sports betting. But they do not seem inclined to copy much from Oregon's playbook.
-
Legal betting on last Sunday's NFL Super Bowl was a big winner in Oregon. Meanwhile, Washington state lawmakers ponder whether to legalize sports betting too.
Legal betting on last Sunday's NFL Super Bowl was a winner for the state of Oregon and a handful of Oregon tribal casinos. This comes as legislators in Washington state ponder whether to legalize sports betting too.
-
Want to own a ferryboat? A former Washington state ferry is for sale again
Do you want to own an old ferryboat? A retired Washington car ferry is for sale again after the current owner's many ideas for the boat did not work out.
-
Law & Courts
What's in your wallet? It's time for air travelers to get real about Real ID
Effective this October, a standard Oregon or Washington driver's license won't pass muster with the Transportation Security Administration to board a...
