Here's a fact that's rarely mentioned in the debate over reinstating Washington's estate tax: very few people would actually have to pay it.The state Supreme Court in January tossed out the tax, saying it was based on a federal version that's now suspended. Gov. Gregoire…
The "Education Governor's" legacy took a hit last week, as Senate budget writers axed not one but two of former Gov. Gary Locke's pet programs. They also pared down a third.The Reading Corps, a program that matches struggling students with volunteer tutors, was eliminated completely…
One of the most interesting things Gov. Christine Gregoire mentioned in a meeting last week with the Spokesman-Review's editorial board was that until a week and a half ago, her budget proposal included a tax on soda pop.It's not a new idea. Former Gov. Gary…
"This is an ending that a Hollywood screenwriter could only dream about." -- Sen. Mark Schoesler, R-Ritzville, in a floor speech honoring longtime coach Mike Lynch and the Lind-Ritzville Broncos winning the state Class B football championship. He was referring to a last-minute pass that…
"Gregoire budget reverses some cuts to state's most vulnerable""New taxes, gimmicks in Gregoire budget disappoint Republican fiscal leaders""Governor's budget a `half step' in the right direction""Gregoire breaks campaign pledge, moves to raise taxes""Gregoire plays budget shell games to avoid vote of the people""Gregoire budget contains…
"Sure we monkeyed with it. Both sides of the aisle monkeyed with it. But we did it with fear and trepidation." -- Sen. Dan Swecker, R-Rochester, acknowledging the fact that both Republicans and Democrats have stretched the state's spending limit in recent years.
"All you have to do is say `I wasn't driving that car' and the ticket goes away...Do you really want to have cars driving themselves around the state of Washington?" -Sen. Mike Carrell, R-Lakewood, in a speech on the Senate floor. He was opposing a…
Late last November, the state Department of Revenue prepared a document called "Estimated Impact of Major Revenue Alternatives" for lawmakers.The five-page document is essentially a menu of 156 possible tax increases: if you do X, it generates $Y.Here are a few of the examples that…
"Some of it has been favoritism, some of it has been empire-building, and some of it has been `Well, we think they should have higher status.'" -Tim Welch, spokesman for the Washington Federation of State Employees, on the union's theory of why the state's Washington…
"It turns out that in our zeal to look out for taxpayers, we've sometimes given them two tax exemptions for one activity."Rep. Jim McIntire, D-Seattle, urging colleagues to vote to repeal a dozen outdated and redundant tax breaks.Among them: an exemption from penalties for late…
After four years of watching every bill he proposed founder and die, Rep. John Ahern this week managed a victory.The House of Representatives has passed his House bill 1453, which would erase any statute of limitations for first- and second-degree rape of a child. State…
Over barbecue lunches, a group of Spokane social-service advocates gathered in a round room beneath the capitol rotunda recently to make their case that state budget decisions are putting vulnerable kids in real danger.To illustrate that, they'd rigged up a couple of toy trains which,…
As legislative deadlines hit, more and more bills are getting killed. Here, for example, is a sampler of (largely-Republican) bills that have died in the Senate:-SB 5905: To allow immediate eviction of tenants committing crimes or "unlawful civil disruptions."-SB 5078: Canceling all voter registrations and…
Want to give your favorite state elected official or state worker a nice gift, but just can't seem to find anything under $50?You're in luck. The state House of Representatives is considering HB 2089, which would raise the bar for such gifts to $75. As…
Twenty state senators are asking the president and Congress to authorize a war dog memorial in the nation's capital.Tens of thousands of such dogs were trained for scouting, guarding, tracking, detecting mines, flushing out tunnels, carrying messages and sniffing out bombs from World War I…
It was a very different kind of Sept. 11th back in 1852, when the Washington Territory's first newspaper, "The Columbian," published its first issue.The Secretary of State's office has scanned 18 issues of the weekly paper and posted them on-line.The papers can be a little…
www.washingtonvotes.org, a website that aims to render the sausage-making of legislation more accessible to everyday citizens, is a worthwhile visit for anyone who reads this blog (or the printed version in each Sunday's paper).Its list of most-viewed bills, for example, includes SB 5079 (calling a…
Speaking of the proposed 51st state, a key part of the debate was the fact that rural counties like Ferry get lots more transportation dollars than they put in. From 1984 to 2003, for every dollar in gas tax from Ferry County, $5.08 is spent…
We were salivating when we saw House Bill 2183, "clarifying the application of the state Constitution with respect to traffic violations committed by legislators."Were politicians trying to write themselves a motorists' get-out-of-jail-free card, a sort of diplomatic immunity when speeding or parking illegally?Alas, no. The…
Rep. Rodney Tom, R-Bellevue, wants to raise the tax on a pack of cigarettes from $1.42 to $2.50.The more-expensive smokes would likely prompt 98,000 Washingtonians to give up smoking, Tom estimates. The additional tax from those that keep smoking would raise $150 million dollars a…
Thanks to the Internet, you can easily do at least a cursory check into the credentials of your doctor, lawyer, or that contractor who's replacing the water heater.And if you run afoul of the law, you can now check to see if the judge has…
We pause from statehouse brow-knitting over the worsening health care mess, big budget woes, controversial election reforms and what to do about taxes to bring you House Bill 1964 , a modest proposal that states simply that "The Walla Walla sweet onion is designated as…
Spotted hanging on the wall in a Republican Senate staff office: a ring-style life preserver with name "Dino Rossi" on it. Really.
As the fight over who really won the governor's race turns into a sort of Lawyer Olympics, we pause to award a bronze medal for snide tactics and political theater to the Building Industry Association of Washington.The BIAW supports Republican Dino Rossi, who lost the…
Our vote for Most Ambitious Bill of 2005: Rep. Mark Miloscia's "House Bill 1810: Ending Homelessness in the State of Washington."The bill tells a state agency, county governments and some cities to end homelessness within 10 years. It also requires an annual count of the…
Short takes and breaking news from the Washington Legislature and the state capital.
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