My colleague John Craig has the story: State Sen. Bob McCaslin, 83, has filed for a seat on the Spokane Valley City Council.McCaslin, who last November was re-elected to his senate seat, could hold both posts. The challenge would be trying to balance simultaneous duties…
This story, from this morning's New York Times, about the causes of the nation's fast-mushrooming deficit:There are two basic truths about the enormous deficits that the federal government will run in the coming years. The first is that President Obama’s agenda, ambitious as it may…
As a reporter, I get upwards of 100 emails a day. But some just jump out at you."More than 6,500 scientists and doctors will convene at SLEEP 2009," one recent one began.It turns out that a group called the "Associated Professional Sleep Societies" hosts an…
The trend won't be a surprise, but the numbers are pretty startling: state Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler said this week that the number of Washingtonians with no health insurance has shot up to a record 876,000.That's 1 in 5 people between the ages of 19…
From my weekly print column:Getting a breather from the tax man: Struggling to pay your property taxes? Some low- and middle-income homeowners can delay paying those taxes.Here's who qualifies:-You must have had a household income of $57,000 or less last year,-You must have owned the…
If you're approached by a Referendum 71 signature-gatherer and want to read the petition before you sign it, you'd better bring a magnifying glass, a chair and a cool drink. As required by law, R-71 authors managed to squeeze the entire 114-page bill onto a…
One of the budget items that gave lawmakers heartburn this year was the decision to trim the state's Basic Health Plan -- state-subsidized health insurance for the working poor -- by 43 percent.With the program covering nearly 100,000 Washingtonians, that would likely mean cutting about…
Referendum 71 proponents have been saying for days that they're on the verge of printing petitions, but the process has faced repeated delays, apparently from the technical challenge of compressing a 113-page bill onto a petition form that people can actually read."It will go to…
Here's a follow-up: my story from the print paper:OLYMPIA – Former Nirvana bassist Krist Novoselic is running for clerk of tiny Wahkiakum County, one of the most sparsely populated counties in the state.He made it clear Thursday that he doesn’t want the job. He’s voting…
Former Nirvana bassist Krist Novoselic has filed election papers to run for clerk of tiny Wahkiakum County, one of the most sparsely populated counties in the state.The county auditor's office confirmed to me this morning that Novoselic has filed not as a Democrat or Republican,…
I had this story in the print paper today:OLYMPIA _ Citing a smaller population of female prisoners, state corrections officials plan to shutter one of two units at Pine Lodge Corrections Center for Women, the only women’s prison east of the Cascades. The 359-woman prison…
No, not for a special session. Just for "assembly days," the legislature's periodic gatherings to hold hearings and figure out what to put on the plate for the next session -- now just six months away.This year, the meetings will be later than normal:-Oct. 1-2…
Petitions are being printed today for Referendum 71, which asks voters to overturn a new law granting same-sex domestic partners many of the rights of spouses. But those who sign the petitions may be in for a surprise. Some R-71 opponents have put up a…
Mike Fagan, who for years has helped run Tim Eyman's anti-tax ballot measures, has filed for a Spokane City Council seat. "While the city of Spokane braces itself for some lean budget years...the taxpayers of this city deserve to be protected from wanton taxation in…
A group opposing Referendum 71 says it will publicize the names of everyone who signs petitions to put Referendum 71 on the fall ballot.The group, which has named the site whosigned.org, says that the referendum process "must meet a high standard of transparency to ensure…
Washington Values Alliance President Larry Stickney has dropped his challenge to the ballot language for Stickney's Referendum 71, and organizers say that petitions could hit the streets as early as tomorrow. The measure asks voters to veto legislation that gives domestic partners many of the…
Short takes and breaking news from the Washington Legislature and the state capital.
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