Should teachers be allowed to strike? Some state senators say no. On Friday, the Senate Commerce and Trade Committee held a hearing on two bills dealing with the issue. Senate Bill 5155 would ban strikes by educational employees. Senate Bill 5021 would prevent teachers and…
The House of Representatives, in its first vote this year, will consider Substitute House Bill 1053 Wednesday. The bill would allow "performance audits" of state agencies, to see how well they're doing their jobs."It's something that we have not had an opportunity to do in…
Remember last year's brouhaha over Gonzaga University's $1.5 million request for a stadium, err, parking lot? State lawmakers had heartburn, and so did the university, reluctant to surrender control of the planned stadium in exchange for a relatively small percentage of state construction money. Both…
Eastern Washington University President Steve Jordan braved controversy and made a pitch Thursday for vouchers in public higher education, calling them "a bad idea whose time has come." To listen to a Television Washington recording of Jordan's presentation, along with responses from other higher education…
Hundreds of gambling-industry workers demonstrated in the Olympia rain Tuesday, asking state lawmakers to allow slot-style machines at non-Indian casinos, taverns, bowling alleys, charity fundraisers and fraternal lodges. Tribes, they said, have a monopoly on the popular electronic machines. Read the full story.
Want to know how big the governor's paycheck is? Or the attorney general's? Or a state Supreme Court justice's?You can see the salary schedule for state officials, including state lawmakers, at this site.
As things stand now, people who commit sex offenses against children cannot be prosecuted if the crimes took place more than three years after the victim's 18th birthday or seven years after the crime. Some lawmakers, including local Rep. Mark Schoesler, R-Ritzville, want to remove…
How do our state and local taxes compare to those paid by people in other states?How many state employees are there in Washington?How can you file a consumer complaint with state officials?How do you get your own citizens’ initiative on the ballot?Who donated money to…