Court Sides With Washington State House in Press Access Dispute

A federal judge has rejected a temporary restraining order requested by three conservative journalists who said the Washington State House of Representatives unconstitutionally blocked them from the state Capitol’s restricted press areas. U.S. District Judge David G. Estudillo determined Tuesday that the House’s credentialing policy is reasonable and does not discriminate based on point of view. The ruling stems from a lawsuit filed by Ari Hoffman, Jonathan Choe, and Brandi Kruse, whose requests for day passes to the House chambers’ wings and the press table during the 2026 legislative session were rejected. The plaintiffs claimed the denials violated their First Amendment rights to gather news, as well as due process protections under the U.S. and Washington constitutions. They also argued the House wrongly delegated authority to the Washington State Capitol Correspondents’ Association (CCA), a private group that advises on credentials....