A political blog in the other Washington, The Daily Caller,  suggests a certain congresswoman from this Washington could have a shot at the No. 2 spot on the GOP presidential ticket this fall.

The blog quotes a Republican strategist, Kellyanne Conway, as saying Cathy McMorris Rodgers would fit the bill as a vice presidential selection that “needs to be a surprise, but not a shocker.”

The blog goes on to recount the parts of McMorris Rodgers bio that would make her a good pick on paper: daughter of fruit farmers, first in her family to attend college, married to a retired naval pilot, only woman to have two kids while in Congress, founder of the Congressional Down Syndrome Caucus after her first child, Cole, was born with that condition, leadership post in the House Republican Caucus, from a Western state…

One thing she doesn't mention is that McMorris Rodgers is very much up on social media, sort of the Twitter maven for the House GOP. Probably a skill that any of the Republican contenders could put to use.

“As a young conservative well known by the press if not the public, McMorris Rodgers is a contradiction: a familiar outsider, a seasoned political pro working just under the radar,” the post says.

McMorris Rodgers endorsed Mitt Romney, and serves as his state chairwoman, so if someone other than the former Massachusetts governor gets the GOP nomination, might be even more than a longshot.

The Eastern Washington Republican isn't taking calls for comment on the article. Her spokesman Todd Winer said she considered it “way too early to speculate” if she'd take the spot if it were offered.

“It's never a bad thing to have people include her in the discussion; it really validates her work and growing influence in national politics,” Winer said in an e-mail. “but she's 100 percent focused on her current job.”

As part of her growing influence in national poltics, and/or her focus on the current job, McMorris Rodgers office also announced she will be on CNBC's Lawrence Kudlow's show tonight,  “to discuss the president's failed policies.”

Those with long political memories might recall that this is not the first time a Washington state politician was mentioned for a spot on the national ticket. Sen. Henry “Scoop” Jackson actually campaigned for the top spot. Rep. Tom Foley was on the veep short list several times as he was moving through Democratic leadership on his way to the speakership.

One of the problems about being named as a contender, particularly this early, is that it almost disqualifies you. At this time four years ago, most people wouldn't have been able to name the governor of Alaska. At this point in 1988, most people outside of Indiana had never heard of Dan Quayle.

Conway's point is that Sarah Palin and Dan Quayle were “shockers” but McMorris Rodgers would just be a “surprise.”

This could, however, pose a significant problem for Washington Republicans. McMorris Rodgers wouldn't be named to the ticket until the Republican National Convention, which runs from Aug. 27 - 30. But to hold her seat, she'll have to run in the 5th District Congressional primary on Aug. 7. She's the prohibitive favorite to come through the Top 2, but the results won't be certified until Aug. 24.

Washington state law doesn't allow a person to be on the ballot in two major races. (Some states, like Texas, do, to give members of Congress to keep their seats if they lose the national race.) So she'd have to withdraw from the congressional race, and the Republican Party would have to come up with a replacement.

There would be no shortage of Republicans raising their hands to be considered for the job, but the decision would have to be made quickly, because county auditors all over the state will be rushing to get ballots printed to be mailed to troops overseas by Sept. 22.

OLYMPIA – House Republicans, who say they are fed up with the slow pace of budgeting process in a session where that was supposed to be the main thing the Legislature tackled, argued Thursday for a new approach.

The state should set aside what it wants to spend on K-12 education first, then figure out what’s left for other state programs. They call it “Fund Education First” and say it’s in line with both the state Constitution’s declaration that education in the state's public schools is the state’s “paramount duty” and a recent state Supreme Court ruling that the Legislature must do more to meet that duty.

“This is not a gimmick. It’s a workable solution,” said Rep. Kevin Parker, R-Spokane, a co-sponsor of a bipartisan bill that would make that change in budgeting.

To read the rest of this item, or to comment, click here to go inside the blog.

OLYMPIA — Gov. Chris Gregoire's proposal to place a $1.50 per barrel fee on oil refined in Washington state appears close to dead. Two key Senate Democrats said as much today in separate settings.

Sen. Mary Margaret Haugen, D-Camano Island, chairwoman of the Senate Transportation Committee which would decide how to spend the money the proposed fee would raise, told a breakfast gathering of the state Good Roads and Transportation Association she believes, like most Republicans, that it's really a tax, not a fee. The difference is more than just semantics. A fee can be passed by the Legislature on a majority vote, which Democrats have in both  houses; a tax needs a two-thirds majority, which they don't have.

The final decision on fee v. tax would rest with Lt. Gov. Brad Owen, who presides over the Senate, but Haugen said she thinks he'd rule it a tax, too.

Senate Majority Leader Lisa Brown of Spokane said this afternoon the proposal is “not getting any momentum” in the Senate Democratic Caucus. Translation: don't bother putting a mirror under its nostrils, this idea isn't breathing.

OLYMPIA — House Republicans, who say they've been essentially shut out of the budgeting process in a session when the budget was supposed to be the main thing the Legislature tackled, will be releasing their plans for K-12 programs today.

They call it “Fund Education First”, something that various Republicans of both chambers have suggested over the years in pointing out that basic education in the state's public schools is the “paramount duty” under the state Constitution.

This effort, however, would be more than a slogan because it would put down on paper what education programs they think the state should pay for. It's not a full budget — other spending priorities will be released later — but it would provide voters with a view of how their education priorities would differ from the supplemental budget Gov. Chris Gregoire proposed in November. At this point, that's the only other budget that exists in a form to which comparisons can be made.

OLYMPIA – With votes to spare, the state Senate passed a bill to allow same-sex couples to marry in Washington, sending it to the House of Representatives where it also has enough votes to pass.

A full gallery erupted after senators passionately but respectfully debated what Sen. Ed Murray, D-Seattle called “as contentious as any this body has considered, then passed it on a 28-21 vote.

Those who oppose it should not be accused of bigotry, Murray said. Those who support it should not be accused of religious intolerance.

“This is a difficult personal issue because it is about what is closest to us…family. Marriage is how society says you are a family.”

To read the rest of this post, or to comment, go inside the blog

OLYMPIA

7:58 p.m.

Same-sex marriage bill passes the Senate 28-21. 24 Democrats and 4 Republicans voted yes; 3 Democrats and 18 Republicans voted no.

Gallery erupts.

7:56 p.m.

Sen. Ed Murray, D-Seattle, commends other senators for the quality of the debate. Tomorrow, people who disagree on this bill will work together on other issues.

“Regardless of how you vote on this bill, an invitation will be in the mail” from him and his partner, Michael Shiosaki, Murray said. Earlier in the day, Murray said it's their plan to get married when the law changes.

Roll call vote underway.

7:53 p.m.

Sen. Margarita Prentice D-Renton,: “I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm ready to vote… We've all had our say. But I think we've just about wrapped it up”

7:49 p.m.

Sen. Cheryl Pflug, R-Maple Valley, said Americans have the ability to look at themselves and ask “do we need to do better.” There was a time when women were chattel and some people were slaves. “The way it's always been is comfortable. It's kind to the majority but not kind to the minority.”

Sen. Steve Hobbs, D- Lake STevens, said he's voting for the bill even though “it's not a winner in my district.” But after serving first in the Army and now in the National Guard, he serves with some soldiers who are gay and are willing to “take a bullet for me.”

How could I look them in the eye if I voted no? How could I stand next to them if I voted no?” Hobbs said. “I will never leave a comrade behind.”

7:40 p.m.

Sen. Kevin Ranker, D-Orcas Island, said he grew up with a father who was gay and whose abilities to be a parent were questioned by society.

“We stand ready to take a historic step,” Ranker said. “By continuing to differentiate between loving couples, we separate and isolate. I'm proud to stand on the right side of history. And I'm proud of my father.”

Sen. Jim Hargrove, D-Hoquiam, said he doesn't judge anyone and respects everyone, but will vote against the bill because of his religious belief. He said he wasn't judging anyone: “I am no better than anyone else and I need the forgiveness of my savior every day. But I have to do what is right. .And for me doing the right thing is voting against the bill.”

7:30 p.m.

Debate on SB 6239 begins.

The issue is “as contentious as any issue this body has considered,” Sen. Ed Murray, D-Seattle, said.

Those who oppose it should not be accused of bigotry.. Those who support it should not be accused of religous intolerance, he said.

“This is a difficult personal issue because it is about what is closest to us…family.” Murray said.

“Marriage is how society says you are a family…that a couple is committed to care for each other in health and in sickness.”

“We share the same short moments of life,” Murray said. “That is why we ask you to support this bill.

Sen. Dan Swecker, R-Rochester, says the bill will lead to silencing the people who believe in the traditional view of marriage.

“A bill that purports to be about ending discrimination leaves the door open for discrimination going the other way,” Swecker said. The protections aren't strong enough for people with religous objections, he said, and people who don't want to serve same sex couples because of their beliefs will be discriminated against.

Opponents say marriage is about procreation, but there are no restrictions against heterosexual couples who are too old to have children or aren't physically able to have children, Sen. Debbie Regala, D-Tacoma, said.

7:25 p.m.

Sen. Brian Hatfield, D-Raymond, offers an amendment with a referendum clause, to place the bill on the November ballot.

“I think we'd be saving a lot of time and saying we do trust the voters,” Hatfield said.

“The voters do have the ultimate say. They have the ultimate say when they elect us and send us here to make these decisions,” Sen. Lisa Brown, D-Spokane, said. “Any bill we pass here…the voters can come forward, they can collect signatures and they can submit it for a vote.”

Brown said this would be asking people to vote on the rights of the minorities and subject them to the will of the majority. “We're going to reject the concept that separate is equal,” Brown said. “We have a nation of laws, and rights.”

Sen. Mike Padden, R-Spokane Valley, said there's always a tension between what you send to the public and what the voters send legislators to Olympia to do: “If ever there was an issue of what you send to the voters, this is it… It's more basic than our constitution, it's a basic unit of society.”

In all likelihood, the bill is going to be put on the ballot anyway, Padden added.

Sen. Don Benton, R-Vancouver, said changing laws on marriage is like trying to change the law of gravity. If one steps out the window, gravity is still there.

“I think this rises to the level of significant change,” Benton said. “One that should be left to the great citizens of the state to decide . The founding fathers realized there were some issues that were too important for just the Legislature to decide.”

Sen. Ed Murray, D-Seattle, said when the Defense of Marriage Act was passed, no one thought of putting a referendum clause on it. To opponents who say the same-sex marriage law effects only one-half of 1 percent, protecting the rights of the minority “Is what we are all about.”

Roll call vote requested: Amendment fails 23-26.

That's the last amendment. Vote on the bill itself to follow.

7:10 p.m.

Sen. Don Benton has an amendment that makes “perfectly clear rather than generally” that religously affiliated foster care services are exempt from the law.

Supporters argue the amendment is “duplicative” with amendments already passed.

“It's important we have our agreements with ourselves and the governor in the law,” Benton said.

Roll call vote requested. Amendment fails 23-26.

7:03 p.m.

Sen. Mary Margaret Haugen, D-Camano Island, offers an amendment that provides protections for religious-based organizations that provide foster care.

Sen. Craig Pridemore, D-Vancouver, said courts place children in “the best interest of the child,” and the bill won't change that, but supporters don't object.

It passes by a voice vote.

7:02

Sen. Dan Swecker, R-Rochester, calls for a vote on an amendment that would offer

Protects clergy collars, but what about the blue collar worker?

“The amendment reaches into our civil rights statutes,” Sen. Ed Murray, D-Seattle, said. If opponents want to amend the civil rights statutes which ban discrimination for sexual orientation, they should do that.

“It's a problem in search of a solution,” Sen. Lisa Brown, D-Spokane, said. “This amendment is not necessary.”

Sen. Mark Schoesler, R-Ritzville, said when the sexual orientation language was added to the state's civil rights protections, “the proponents assured us it was never about marriage.”

Amendment fails 22-27.

To read earlier posts in this string, go inside the blog

OLYMPIA — The Senate convened to consider the same-sex marriage bill right at 6 p.m., then promptly went into caucus to discuss amendments.

Lt. Gov. Brad Owen, who presides over the Senate, welcomed the people in the full gallery…and asked them to conform to accepted rules of behavior.

We'll be back when they are.

Sen. Ed Murray, left, and his partner Michael Shiosaki discuss the same-sex marriage bill.

OLYMPIA — The state Senate will be debating the same-sex marriage bill in front of a full gallery and possibly late into the evening.

But it has the 25 votes needed to pass SB 6239, its prime sponsor, Sen. Ed Murray, D-Seattle, said.

The galleries have been filling since late afternoon, and at least a half dozen amendments will be considered before the final vote. One of those amendments will be to put the measure to a vote, but Murray said he was confident that amendment will fail.

The bill could pass the House and be on Gov. Gregoire's desk by the middle of next week, he said.

Despite the fact that supporters can defeat any attempt at a referendum clause, Murray said he had “no doubt” opponents will gather the signatures to suspend the law until it goes to the voters in November.

Appearing before the debate at a press conference with his partner Michael Shiosaki, Murray said Wednesday is “a historic day for gay and lesbian couples in Washington state.”

When they met some 21 years ago, Shiosaki said they “never would've imagined this day would be here.

Although Washington has a domestic partnership law that gives same-sex couples many of the legal rights as a married couple, marriage is special, he added.

“This is the way society says you're a family,” Murray said.

OLYMPIA — The Senate gave the final OK today to the new boundaries for Washington's legislative and congressional district lines.

The boundaries, drawn up by the state Redistricting Commission and approved by that panel on Jan. 1, rearrange state legislative districts and add a 10th congressional district to Washington, awarded last year because of population growth.

Under state law, the Legislature  has the authority to tweak the boundaries slightly — no more than 2 percent — but can't make wholesale changes. The House made minor changes by moving Census Blocks around among many of the congressional and legislative districts before passing the boundaries 95-0 last Friday. The Senate approved those changes on a 44-4 vote today.

The maps as approved by the Redistricting Commission can be found here. We'll be posting updated maps as soon as they are available.

OLYMPIA — Debate over the same-sex marriage bill is scheduled for 6 p.m. this evening in the Senate.

Sen. Ed Murray, D-Seattle, the bill's prime sponsor, estimates a couple hours for debate, although it could go longer.

Will probably depend on the number of amendments, and the stamina of the two sides.

We'll be live blogging the debate here at Spin Control, and providing full coverage in Thursday's print edition and the web page.

OLYMPIA – While a House committee considered plans Tuesday to cut wages for some of the state's lowest-paid private workers, a Senate committee tried to emphasize the state doesn’t pay the salaries of its highest-paid public workers.

The House Labor Committee considered five different changes to the state's minimum wage law, which rises with inflation because of a 1998 ballot initiative and is now among the highest in the nation.
It’s so high that it hurts employment, training opportunities and profits, business groups told the committee. Cut the minimum wage and those workers will have less to spend in the economy, opponents of the bills said.

The Senate Higher Education Committee, meanwhile, aired out a bill that would prohibit by statute something that currently doesn't happen anyway: using state tax money to pay the salaries of coaches and other intercollegiate sports expenses at Washington State University and University of Washington.

“Everywhere I go, people are saying ‘I can’t believe the highest paid people for the state of Washington are football coaches,’ ” said Sen. Mary Margaret Haugen, D-Camano Island. They’re often skeptical when she tells them that’s not state money; her bill would give current practice of using outside revenue to pay for intercollegiate expenses “the force of law.”…

To read the rest of this item or to comment, click here to go inside the blog.
  

Drum circle in the Capitol Rotunda.

OLYMPIA — The best thing about the Capitol is one never knows what one will find going on in there.

Sometimes it's a dairy princess serving up ice cream bars. Sometimes its the cattlemen offering 'burgers. (S-R reporters have strict rules about taking freebies, so I only know first-hand such things are available, but  second-hand that they're a big hit.)

Today was Native American Lobby Day, in which members of the state's various tribes come to the Olympia to push for legislation affecting them.

No fry bread or smoked salmon. But at lunchtime, they formed a drum circle in the Rotunda, honored Democratic Rep. John McCoy, a member of the Tulalip tribe, and basically filled the building with the sounds of drumming and singing.

The Capitol has excellent accoustics. The building rocked for much of the lunch hour.

OLYMPIA — A debate of the same-sex marriage bill on the Senate floor is all but locked in for Wednesday, but the time is still up in the air.

The Senate has its regular session scheduled for 10 a.m. Wednesday, but that's in the middle of a busy committee hearing schedule, and SB 6239 is expected to generate a fair amount of debate. So it may be scheduled for an afternoon or evening session.

Once the debate starts, it could go for a while.

The Spokane City Council unanimously agreed Monday that marijuana should be able to be possessed legally by people who have a legitimate medical need for the drug.

The council approved a nonbinding resolution endorsing a letter that Gov. Chris Gregoire and Rhode Island Gov. Lincoln Chafee sent to the federal Drug Enforcement Administration in November requesting that marijuana be reclassified from being a “Schedule 1” drug to become a “Schedule 2” drug.

Schedule 1 drugs, such as heroin, are illegal. Schedule 2 drugs can be legal with a prescription.

Last year, dozens of medical marijuana dispensaries shut down, voluntarily or by force, in Spokane County after federal authorities warned that they were violating federal law.

OLYMPIA – In the wake of a campaign season that saw a single donor spend nearly $21 million on an initiative to change state liquor laws, a House panel approved a proposal that requires political ads for or against a ballot measure would have to name the largest donors to that campaign.

The House State Government Committee approved a bill Monday by Rep. Andy Billig, D-Spokane, requiring campaign ads for or against initiatives and referenda to name the top five donors to the committee sponsoring the ad. It’s similar to a rule applied to independent campaign ads for or against candidates.

Supporters said the public has a right to know who’s pumping money into the campaigns. That means the names of the actual donors, not “some fluffy sounding name for a committee,” Steve Zemke, chairman of the King County Democratic Party said.

But opponents argued donor information is available on the Public Disclosure Commission’s web site and generally covered in news reports. “I can look that information up in about two seconds,” Rep. Cary Condotta, R-East Wenatchee, said.

Billig's proposal is a response in part to record spending on ballot initiatives last year, including nearly $21 million in contributions, plus other “in-kind” support, by Costco for an initiative that ended the state monopoly on wholesale and retail liquor sales.

The committee sent it to the full House on a 7-4 vote, but rejected a separate proposal by Billig to place limits on contributions to initiative campaigns similar to those faced by candidates for statewide office.

OLYMPIA — By a single vote, the House Judiciary Committee approved a bill to allow same-sex marriage in Washington, turning down a pair of amendments by a Spokane Valley legislator.

Rep. Matt Shea, R-Spokane Valley, argued that all business owners with a religious objection to same-sex marriage should be given protection from any civil suit for refusing to participate. That would be in keeping with the state constitution's guarantee of “absolute freedom of conscience in all matters of religious sentiment,” he said.

Without it, “private businesses will be subjected to massive new lawsuits,” Shea said.

But Judiciary Committee Chairman Jamie Pedersen, D-Seattle, said such concerns were raised years ago when the state first began considering anti-discrimination protections for sexual orientation and didn't materialize: “We don't have any evidence of any abuse.”

Shea also proposed changing the bill to require couples getting married be residents of the state for at least six months. He said he was open to a lower time limit, but one should be placed in the law because “we don't want people abusing our marriage laws here in the state.” The provision would cover all marriages, not just those involving same-sex couples.

But Rep. Mary Helen Roberts, D-Lynnwood, said residency requirements “don't work in ther real world.” It would put restrictions on all couples in which one is from out of state, and members of the military “would have a very difficult time meeting that requirement,” she said.

The committee also rejected an effort to place the law on the November ballot through a referendum.

After all three amendments were rejected on voice votes, the bill itself passed 7-6 on a party-line vote.

U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell's campaign released its campaign contribution reports from the last quarter of 2011 which shows it had just over $4 million “on hand” as of Dec. 31.

(On hand makes it sound like the money is sitting around on someone's desk, or in a wall safe at campaign headquarters, but it's really the Federal Election Commission's term for in the bank.)

She raised about $1.3 million in contributions in the last three months of the year and spent about $521,000. Most of the money at this point is coming from individuals — she picked up $3,000 from Democratic party groups and $6,500 from other political committees in the fourth quarter.

Cantwell, a Democrat seeking her third term, has two announced Republican challengers, state Sen. Mike Baumgartner of Spokane and Art Coday, a Shoreline physician. Neither have filed reports yet for the final quarter of 2011.

OLYMPIA — The House Judiciary Committee is scheduled to vote on the same-sex marriage bill this afternoon. Expect a repeat of last week's hearing in Senate Government Operations: some efforts by Republicans to modify it, but enough votes to send it to the full House.

That's  not the only thing happening today, however. House and Senate policy committees — that is, the ones that deal with bills other than the budget — are playing beat the clock on the piles of legislation introduced since before the session started.

Friday is the first cut off or “drop dead” day. Any policy bill that hasn't been passed out of its first committee in the chamber where the bill originated is technically dead.

Well, OK, it's not “really most sincerely dead” as the Munchkins would say, because there are parliamentary ways to revive a bill. But it's definitely need of someone with a pair of electro-shock paddles.

So at the same time the same-sex marriage bill is being run through executive session, a Senate committe has a hearing on several bills involving health care reform and a House committee  has a hearing on bills involving political advertising and the initiative process.

OLYMPIA – Gestures are important in politics. They can be grand, even when seemingly made on a small scale. Or they can just be small.
Among the small gestures considered most legislative sessions are requests to add some emblem or design to state license plates, to raise a bit of money and honor an institution, organization or activity. Thus we have license plates for Cougs and Huskies, and other institutions of higher learning; for the various branches of the armed services; for bicyclists and parks, pets and lighthouses, endangered wildlife and square dancing.
This year, there are proposals to add special plates for the state flower (coast rhododendron, in case you forgot), 4-H and the National Rifle Association. Extra money raised from the plates would go, respectively, to the Meerkerk Rhododendron Garden and other efforts to preserve plants; to the 4-H foundation to help replace money disappearing as governments tighten their belts; and to support state hunting and firearms training courses.
All good causes, to be sure. But do they require their own license plate? After all, given the cost of designing and producing a specialized license plate, couldn’t these causes net out more cash if, say, all the folks with NRA stickers on their pickups, who also were inclined to support a firearms course, just sent the cash directly to a special account. How many more NRA emblems does a vehicle need?
But there’s one other request for a specialized plate that’s not such a small gesture…

To read the rest of this item, or to comment, go inside the blog.
  

Addressing the crowd at his inaugural ball, Spokane Mayor David Condon said he will strive to be like Jim Chase, the popular mayor who led the city when Condon was a boy.

More than 400 people attended Condon's $75-a-plate Our Town Gala on Saturday night at the Lincoln Center in North Spokane. Proceeds will go to the Chase Youth Foundation, the financial arm of the youth commission that Chase fought to create when he was mayor in the 1980s.

Condon praised Chase for the stability he brought to the city as well as his gentle nature. He said the event, which was attended by many political, business and other leaders, raised more than $20,000 for the foundation.

Last year, former Mayor Mary Verner opted to eliminate the city's Youth Department, which oversaw the Chase Youth Commission. Condon supported the decision because of the city's financial problems. But Saturday, he vowed that the city would maintain a strong relationship with the commission even if taxpayer funding is much smaller.

“I am unwilling to let budget pressures push aside” the commission, he said.

Three Chase Youth commissioners addressed the crowd after a buffet-style dinner.