With a month to go before lawmakers pack their cars and flock to Olympia, 2008 is already shaping up to be a busy legislative session.More than two dozen lawmakers already have proposed about 50 changes in state law, including a 10-cents-a-gallon carbon tax on gasoline,…
Gov. Chris Gregoire has signed a multi-million-dollar agreement with the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation that offers parched sections of Eastern Washington something that cities and farmers have sought for years.New water."This is a tremendous milestone," Gregoire said, flanked by tribal leaders at a…
An amusing new YouTube parody campaign ad for -- sort of -- Mike Huckabee. (And it's safe for work, despite the screenshot below.)
"Ice storm glazes nation's midsection"on CNN's story about, yes, a storm in the Midwest.
After 27 interviews, at least four meetings and three investigative trips to the Tri-Cities, the state Legislative Ethics Board has imposed its largest-ever fine against state Rep. Shirley Hankins, R-Richland.Hankins repeatedly broke state law by using her legislative clout to promoting her daughter's tire-recycling business,…
In a closely-watched case, the state Supreme Court this morning ruled 7-2 that indigent people do not have a right to a court-appointed lawyer for a divorce.Perhaps they should, Justice Charles Johnson wrote for the court's majority, given the complexity of divorces and what's at…
The Olympian's Adam Wilson reports that Tacoma truck driver Nick Bradford intends to burn the Mexican flag on the statehouse steps when the legislative session begins next month."Obviously the protest is intended to get the attention of the public, but also the politicians here, in…
The newest state Supreme Court justice is a judge from Spokane.This morning at the state's Temple of Justice in Olympia, Gov. Chris Gregoire said she's appointing appeals court judge Debra L. Stephens to replace retiring justice Bobbe Bridge. Stephens is the first native Eastern Washington…
With a city surrounded by floodwaters, waters rising on Interstate 5 and dozens of landslides reported along Western Washington highways, Gov. Chris Gregoire declared a state of emergency today, making National Guard troops available to storm-damaged counties."At this hour, Aberdeen has been effectively cut off"…
As lawmakers rush to reinstate his Initiative 747, ballot measure promoter Tim Eyman isn't exactly lavishing them with praise. In hearings today, he called lawmakers "amateurs", told Democrats "You've kind of sold out every principle you believe in," and exhorted them to broaden the bill…
Colfax businessman and farmer Joe Schmick, 49, will replace Rep. David Buri, R-Colfax in the state House of Representatives.County commissioners from Spokane, Whitman, Adams, Asotin, Franklin and Garfield counties voted Monday for Schmick out of a pool of candidates recommended by district Republican precinct committee…
"In 1707, the British navy lost four warships and 2,000 lives in the Isles of Scilly. The first ship to hit the rocks was Admiral Shovell's. Three more ships full of sailors and soldiers followed the leader to their deaths."So begins what has to be…
A new poll between the two presidential frontrunners suggests that Washington is a tossup in next year's election.The University of Washington's Washington Poll reports that an Oct. 22-28 poll of 601 registered voters (margin of error: =/- 4 points) found that 46 percent of the…
Catching up...Among the questions I'm frequently asked by visiting Eastern Washingtonians during the legislative session: "Where can we get something to eat?" (It's comes in third, after "Is parking always this hard to find?" and the inevitable "Do you have a bathroom?")Until now, the nearby…
Embattled Rep. Jim Dunn, stripped of his committee assignments and state travel money and publicly rebuked by his own caucus leader after an alleged "inappropriate" remark to a woman after a recent Tri-cities meeting, is vowing to run for re-election next year.Here's what Dunn had…
Flanked by sheriffs from several counties, Gov. Chris Gregoire this morning announced a sweep -- eventually statewide -- to corral sex offenders who refuse to register or violate other terms of their release.Three sex offenders were arrested in the hours following the 6 a.m. Monday…
S-R reporter Tom Clouse reports today that Washington State University was offered the chance to host the 2008 vice presidential debate in Spokane....And said no.WSU had been hitting up corporate donors to cover the $1.35 million cost of a presidential debate, in anticipation of "the…
Saying that the state has no assurance that all local governments will comply with her request to keep their 2008 property-tax increases below the now-unconstitutional 1 percent limit, Gov. Chris Gregoire has called a one day special session "to deal solely with property taxes.""I believe…
As Rep. Jim McIntire, D-Seattle, noted at the start of yesterday's revenue forecast, the economy looked like the Olympia weather outside: a little rainy.Chang Mook Sohn, the state's chief revenue forecaster, says that tax and other revenues are now likely to be $130 million lower…
At Politico.com, writer Ryan Grim has a roundup of the types of leaks that political reporters tend to get, and why. A couple of examples:The Pre-emptive Leak: A corollary of the above, this is a strategy to disseminate damaging news extremely early in a campaign…
In Seattle in about an hour and a half, People for Our Public Schools will make "an announcement" that will presumably be a declaration of victory in the tight race to make it easier for school districts to pass property tax levies.Early reaction from lawmakers:“The…
S-R staff writer Erica Curless has a wonderful story this morning about wonderfully-named Idaho Gov. Butch Otter and his "Capitol for a Day" visits around the state.These are a variation on Washington Gov. Chris Gregoire's town-hall meetings, but apparently with less advance publicity.Shoshone County wasn’t…
In a stunning turnaround from election night a week ago, late-arriving ballots, particularly from King County, now have HJR 4204 winning, at least for now. The numbers:YES: 722,031 NO: 716,998Numbers still coming in...Stay tuned...
Boy, this is starting to feel like 2004.New vote tallies are starting to roll in on HJR 4204, the constitutional amendment to allow passage of school tax levies by a simple majority, rather than the decades-old requirement of a 60 percent "supermajority."The amendment is still…
Sure, it'll have Hillary Clinton and Rudy Giuliani. But Washington's 2008 presidential primary ballot will also include folks like Democrat Mike Gravel (bring U.S. troops all home in 120 days, free health-care vouchers for all, end the federal income tax in favor of a national…
Short takes and breaking news from the Washington Legislature and the state capital.
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