Latest from The Spokesman-Review

• Deep budget cuts loom on the horizon

  March 4, 2010 in Outdoors on Page B1 This is a relatively uncomplicated session at the Washington Legislature for hunters, anglers and other wildlife enthusiasts. As distracting bills become roadkill en route to the March 11 deadline, everyone’s … 1

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  Spokane councilman making House bid

  January 28, 2010 in City on Page A5 The field of candidates to replace retiring Democratic state Rep. Alex Wood is growing. Spokane City Councilman Bob Apple confirmed this week that he will compete for Wood’s seat representing … 1

• Bills invoke states’ rights

  January 24, 2010 in City on Page A1 OLYMPIA – Conservative activists in Idaho and Washington are trying to force the federal government to keep out of issues such as guns, health care and the environment. Through legislation … 11

• Rhetoric springs a leak as Washington legislative session gets under way

  January 17, 2010 in City on Page B2 OLYMPIA – With only a week down in the legislative session, it’s too soon to make solid predictions about anything meaningful. It’s not too soon, however, to predict that the … 2

• No Washington agency safe from budget knife

  January 10, 2010 in City on Page A1 OLYMPIA – For the casual observer, it may help to regard the Legislature as theater. Some days it’s a comedy, some days it’s a tragedy, but there’s always a big … 12

• Police killings spark call to action

  January 7, 2010 in City on Page A5 OLYMPIA – Judges should be able to deny bail to criminal suspects who are thought to be “inherently dangerous” to the public, Gov. Chris Gregoire and representatives of the state’s … 1

• Environmentalists scale back

  January 4, 2010 in City on Page A6 SEATTLE – With the Legislature facing a $2.6 billion budget deficit, Washington environmentalists have a modest agenda for the upcoming session and hope to avoid further cutbacks they say have …

• Bill targets zone change notifications

  January 4, 2010 in City on Page A6 PORT ORCHARD, Wash. – State Rep. Jan Angel, R-Port Orchard, is proposing a bill that would require cities and counties to notify property owners when their properties will be considered … 1

• Gregoire: Tax hikes needed to save programs

  December 9, 2009 Making her case for tax increases, Gov. Chris Gregoire on Wednesday presented a bleak plan to balance the state budget by wiping out spending for health care, welfare and education … 14

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  Wood says he’ll retire at end of seventh term

  December 8, 2009 in City on Page A6 State Rep. Alex Wood will retire after next year, the seven-term legislator told a group of Democrats on Monday. Wood, who will turn 64 next month, hinted during last year’s … 1

• Wash. budget gap zooms to $2.6B through mid-2011

  November 19, 2009 in City Tax increases probably can’t be avoided as the state tries to patch a budget deficit that’s ballooned to about $2.6 billion, top Democratic lawmakers said Thursday. 2

• Wash. budget short about $2B through mid-2011

  November 13, 2009 in City Higher costs for government services have driven the state’s projected budget shortfall to about $2 billion, Gov. Chris Gregoire’s budget office said Friday. 3

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  State lawmakers keep it local

  July 6, 2009 in City on Page A1 OLYMPIA – Last year, in his bid to win a seat in the Statehouse, Spokane-area coffee entrepreneur Kevin Parker knocked on nearly 22,000 doors. It worked. In a difficult year … 1

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  Washington counting on boost in liquor sales

  June 20, 2009 in City on Page B3 OLYMPIA – It’s as predictable as a hangover: In hard economic times, governments reach for the hard stuff, jacking up liquor taxes and loosening “blue laws” to siphon money from … 1

• State raising rates on health coverage

  June 9, 2009 in City on Page A1 OLYMPIA – State health officials said Monday they’ve found a way to skirt one of the Legislature’s most heart-rending budget dilemmas: how to yank health coverage from tens of thousands … 1

• Gregoire signs budget that slashes spending

  May 20, 2009 in City on Page A1 OLYMPIA – Calling it a “necessary evil,” Gov. Chris Gregoire on Tuesday signed the nearly 3-inch-thick state budget, cutting billions of dollars in planned state spending over the next two … 1

• No Wash. special legislative session

  May 7, 2009 in City Gov. Chris Gregoire will not call a special legislative session for lawmakers to finish their last few bits of work on the state budget, officials said Thursday.

• Gregoire ‘convinced’ special session needed

  April 30, 2009 in City on Page A6 OLYMPIA – With tens of millions of dollars for school districts hanging in the balance, Gov. Chris Gregoire said Wednesday she plans to call lawmakers back to Olympia in May …

• Session about more than budget woes

  April 29, 2009 in City on Page A8 OLYMPIA – All eyes were on state spending in Olympia this year, as lawmakers wrestled with their greatest budget problem in decades. But it’s not all that Washington lawmakers did. … 1

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  Gregoire to call lawmakers back

  April 28, 2009 in City on Page A5 OLYMPIA – Gov. Chris Gregoire said Monday she intends to call Washington lawmakers back into a special session to finish budget-related bills left undone when midnight struck Sunday night, ending …

• Our View: City workers’ pay ought not be immune to recession

  April 28, 2009 in Opinion on Page A11 ‘No one was spared the pain.” Those words were spoken by Rep. Kelli Linville, D-Bellingham, as the Washington Legislature skidded to the adjournment of its regular session. 1

• Gregoire intends to call special session

  April 27, 2009 OLYMPIA – Gov. Chris Gregoire said Monday that she intends to call Washington lawmakers back into a special session to finish up budget-related bills left undone when midnight struck Sunday …

• ‘Brutal’ session comes to close

  April 27, 2009 in City on Page A1 OLYMPIA – Lawmakers were on track late Sunday to end a grueling legislative session that saw two lawmakers hospitalized and left the state facing $4 billion in cuts to schools, … 1

• House adds fee to barrels of oil

  April 26, 2009 in City on Page B1 OLYMPIA – In a controversial move that could increase prices at the gas pump, House lawmakers on Saturday voted to add a $1.50 fee to every barrel of oil brought …

• State construction projects nearly set

  April 26, 2009 in City on Page B10 OLYMPIA – Washington legislators are very close to approving tens of millions of dollars in new buildings and other work in the Spokane region. The capital budget, which was expected …

• State budget sent to governor

  April 26, 2009 in City on Page B1 OLYMPIA – The Legislature approved a two-year budget late Saturday, with Democrats and Republicans arguing into the night over a blueprint that would whack $4 billion from education, health care … 1

• Wash. lawmaker has heart attack at capitol

  April 23, 2009 in News After a slew of late-night debates, a state lawmaker from Wenatchee had a heart attack at the capitol Wednesday night.

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  Dems’ budget slashes education, social services, health care

  April 23, 2009 in City on Page A1 OLYMPIA – After days of last-minute, late-night negotiations, Democratic budget writers in Olympia agreed Wednesday on a state budget with about $4 billion in cuts to schools, higher education, social … 1

• Eye on Olympia: Education reform pits PTA, WEA

  April 23, 2009 in Washington Voices on Page V1 OLYMPIA – In a legislative session with more than its share of surprises, one of the biggest has been the heated battle between school advocates over proposed reforms. On one …

• Washington tuition bill closer

  April 23, 2009 in City on Page A6 OLYMPIA – Washington students could pay more for a college diploma under a bill approved by the state House on Wednesday. The measure, approved on a 50-47 vote, removes the …

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