Latest from The Spokesman-Review

• Washington Legislature’s special session begins

  March 16, 2010 in City on Page A5 OLYMPIA – The Washington Legislature picked up Monday where it left off Thursday, trying to close an estimated $2.8 billion hole in the state’s operating budget. Legislative leaders said they … 2

• Wash. lawmakers start special session to pass budget

  March 15, 2010 in City The Washington Legislature picked up Monday where it left off Thursday, trying close an estimated $2.8 billion hole in the state’s operating budget. 4

• Washington Legislature prepares for special session

  March 11, 2010 in City on Page A1 OLYMPIA – The Legislature prepared to go into extra innings Wednesday as consensus on addressing the state’s $2.8 billion budget gap remained elusive and the ability to turn any agreement … 1

• Otter hopes to woo businesses

  March 9, 2010 in City on Page A7 OLYMPIA – Idaho Gov. Butch Otter is suggesting Washington businesses come over to his side of the border if taxes go up like they have in Oregon. In a “love …

• Washington Senate narrowly approves tax plan

  March 8, 2010 in City on Page A1 OLYMPIA – With not a vote to spare, Washington Senate Democrats on Sunday approved an $805 million tax package that includes hikes in sales and business taxes, sending it to … 4

• Senators spar over tax hike package

  March 7, 2010 in City on Page B1 OLYMPIA – After more than four hours of sometimes contentious debate over a proposal to raise taxes on consumers and a wide range of businesses, Senate Democrats and Republicans put … 1

• Senate delays vote on tax plan

  March 6, 2010 in City OLYMPIA – After more than four hours of sometimes contentious debate over a proposal to raise taxes on consumers and a wide range of businesses, Senate Democrats and Republicans put … 4

• Senate panel OKs tax hike

  March 6, 2010 in City on Page B1 OLYMPIA – Despite warnings of wrath from voters in November, Senate Democrats moved a step closer to a vote on some $890 million in tax increases to fix the state’s … 1

• Income tax put forward

  March 5, 2010 in City on Page A1 OLYMPIA – Senate Democrats may offer voters a choice: a higher sales tax or an income tax on people making more than $200,000 a year. With very short notice, the … 23

• Senate Dems: Swap some sales tax for income tax on rich?

  March 4, 2010 in City Senate Democrats may offer voters a choice of which tax they like better: a higher sales tax or an income tax on people making more than $200,000 a year. 29

• Hospital feud prompts legislation

  March 3, 2010 in City on Page A6 OLYMPIA – The Legislature came closer to stepping between two feuding hospital organizations in Spokane by changing laws that govern what happens when the board of a nonprofit corporation deadlocks. …

• Lean budget squeaks by Senate

  February 28, 2010 in City on Page B7 OLYMPIA – With the bare minimum votes needed and debate over taxes yet to come, Senate Democrats passed a general fund budget Saturday designed to close the state’s $2.8 billion …

• Governor signs I-960 suspension

  February 25, 2010 in City on Page A7 OLYMPIA – There was no drama, but plenty of theatrics, as Gov. Chris Gregoire signed a bill Wednesday making it easier for the Legislature to raise taxes. Gregoire signed a … 2

• Legislature begins reconciling budgets

  February 24, 2010 in City on Page A1 OLYMPIA – With just over two weeks remaining in the session, Democrats in both houses of the Washington Legislature released plans Tuesday to cut programs and raise taxes to fill … 2

• Senate OKs curb on I-960 for third time

  February 23, 2010 in City on Page A6 OLYMPIA – For the third time in three weeks, the state Senate voted to suspend a state law that requires a two-thirds majority for any tax increase. The arguments from … 1

• Senate suspends part of I-960

  February 10, 2010 in City on Page A5 OLYMPIA – The Legislature would be able to raise taxes this session and next with a simple majority vote under a bill approved Tuesday in the state Senate. In the … 3

• Wash. Senate OKs lowering hurdle for tax raises

  February 9, 2010 in City The Legislature would be able to raise taxes this session and next with a simple majority vote under a bill approved Tuesday in the state Senate. 7

• Costly study didn’t list Pine Lodge for closure

  February 7, 2010 in City on Page B1 OLYMPIA – Last year, the Legislature spent $500,000 for a consultant to tell Washington state which prisons should close and which should stay open. The consultant released his study in … 1

• Spokane County, city eye joint use of Pine Lodge facilities for jail

  January 29, 2010 in City on Page A5 Washington state will delay plans to close the Pine Lodge Corrections Center for Women to see whether it can be shared with Spokane County and the city of Spokane. State … 3

• State rethinks plan to close Pine Lodge

  January 28, 2010 in News Washington state will delay plans to close the Pine Lodge Corrections Center for Women to see whether it can be shared with Spokane County and the city of Spokane. 2

• State budget plans in ‘fuzzy zone’

  January 21, 2010 in City on Page A4 OLYMPIA – Washington Republicans wasted little time trying to draw connections between a Democratic Senate loss in Massachusetts and political prospects in the Evergreen State. Washington Democrats conceded that the …

• Area delegation gets message: Don’t ask

  January 15, 2010 in City on Page A10 OLYMPIA – A Spokane-area delegation on its annual pilgrimage to the state capital got a consistently downbeat message this week: Don’t expect money for new programs or projects. “The message … 1

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  Senate majority leader looks ahead to tough session

  January 11, 2010 in City on Page A5 Lisa Brown’s office, just off the floor of the Washington state Senate chambers, was abuzz last week with legislators, staff and people who needed a few minutes to talk about … 6

• Let the annual finger-pointing begin

  January 10, 2010 in City on Page B3 OLYMPIA – There are two relatively famous quotes that come to mind as the Legislature rumbles toward opening day Monday. One is the standard axiom that no man’s life, liberty …

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  Key Democrats say they oppose some proposed cuts

  December 10, 2009 in City on Page A10 Gov. Chris Gregoire’s proposed all-cuts, no-new-taxes budget – far from a done deal – was described as everything from a good starting point to an unrealistic plan Wednesday in a …

• Economy forced many tough votes

  April 30, 2009 in Washington Voices on Page V1 OLYMPIA – It always astounds me how quickly the state capital becomes a ghost town when a legislative session ends. On Sunday, lobbyists were still swarming the Senate and House …

• Sales tax increase could go before state voters

  April 10, 2009 in City on Page A7 OLYMPIA – Washington House Speaker Frank Chopp said Thursday that there’s a “better than 50-50” chance that voters will be asked to approve a sales tax increase this fall. As … 3

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  Brown, Chopp weighing state income tax

  April 3, 2009 in City on Page A1 OLYMPIA – For years in Washington’s capital, state income tax proposals have been viewed much like those periodic bills to declare Eastern Washington a 51st state. They’re attention-getters aimed at … 21

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  New state budget includes job cuts, tuition increases

  March 31, 2009 in City on Page A1 OLYMPIA – After months of behind-the-scenes negotiations and speculation, the state Senate on Monday proposed a two-year plan to bridge Washington’s $9 billion budget shortfall. As predicted, it includes some …

• Bill protects people living in their RVs

  March 12, 2009 in Washington Voices on Page N1 OLYMPIA – In a sign of the times, Washington’s House of Representatives recently passed a bill that would ban cities and counties from barring recreational vehicles from mobile home parks. …

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