June 18, 2009TO: Statewide Elected OfficialsAgency Directors Presidents of Higher Education Institutions State Boards and CommissionsFROM: Christine O. Gregoire, GovernorSUBJECT: Additional Budget SavingsOn June 18th, the Washington State Economic and Revenue Forecast Council announced an additional reduction to the General Fund State revenue forecast. Although…
I had this story in the morning paper:OLYMPIA – State tax officials recently gave several Spokane-area churches an ultimatum: Stop running farmers markets in your parking lots or start paying tax on that land. “We have no choice here. The law is really clear,” said…
There was also some good news, however, in state revenue forecaster Arun Raha's predictions Thursday."It increasingly appears that we are finally approaching the end of this `Great Recession,'" he said. The bottom of the recession seems near, he said, and the "freefall" declines in economic…
Gov. Chris Gregoire is ordering state agencies to cut their payrolls by 2 percent more, after the state's revenue forecaster this morning whacked revenue projections by nearly $500 million. "We have been aware of the likelihood of a negative forecast and are prepared to take…
Gov. Chris Gregoire is ordering cabinet-level state agencies to cut their employee costs by 2 percent more than budgeted."Agencies can hire employees where needed to accomplish their core business and enact the reforms I am asking for, but they cannot exceed the cap I am…
"Initial claims for unemployment insurance appear to have peaked and monthly job losses are diminishing."That's the word from economist Arun Raha, the state's revenue forecaster.The trough of the recession, however, will be lower than he and the state's economic and revenue forecast council expected in…
My story in the print paper this a.m. had more details about the suspension of Spokane attorney (and former Spokane city councilman, and current candidate for same) Steve Eugster:OLYMPIA _ After a long-running battle over his handling of an elderly widow’s case, Spokane attorney Steve…
Washington's highest court has ordered that Spokane attorney Steve Eugster be suspended from practicing law for 18 months.But a divided state Supreme Court ruled 5-4 that Eugster, a former city councilman who's again running for a seat, should not be disbarred."We conclude that Eugster's misconduct…
My colleague John Craig has the story: State Sen. Bob McCaslin, 83, has filed for a seat on the Spokane Valley City Council.McCaslin, who last November was re-elected to his senate seat, could hold both posts. The challenge would be trying to balance simultaneous duties…
This story, from this morning's New York Times, about the causes of the nation's fast-mushrooming deficit:There are two basic truths about the enormous deficits that the federal government will run in the coming years. The first is that President Obama’s agenda, ambitious as it may…
As a reporter, I get upwards of 100 emails a day. But some just jump out at you."More than 6,500 scientists and doctors will convene at SLEEP 2009," one recent one began.It turns out that a group called the "Associated Professional Sleep Societies" hosts an…
The trend won't be a surprise, but the numbers are pretty startling: state Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler said this week that the number of Washingtonians with no health insurance has shot up to a record 876,000.That's 1 in 5 people between the ages of 19…
From my weekly print column:Getting a breather from the tax man: Struggling to pay your property taxes? Some low- and middle-income homeowners can delay paying those taxes.Here's who qualifies:-You must have had a household income of $57,000 or less last year,-You must have owned the…
If you're approached by a Referendum 71 signature-gatherer and want to read the petition before you sign it, you'd better bring a magnifying glass, a chair and a cool drink. As required by law, R-71 authors managed to squeeze the entire 114-page bill onto a…
One of the budget items that gave lawmakers heartburn this year was the decision to trim the state's Basic Health Plan -- state-subsidized health insurance for the working poor -- by 43 percent.With the program covering nearly 100,000 Washingtonians, that would likely mean cutting about…
Referendum 71 proponents have been saying for days that they're on the verge of printing petitions, but the process has faced repeated delays, apparently from the technical challenge of compressing a 113-page bill onto a petition form that people can actually read."It will go to…
Here's a follow-up: my story from the print paper:OLYMPIA – Former Nirvana bassist Krist Novoselic is running for clerk of tiny Wahkiakum County, one of the most sparsely populated counties in the state.He made it clear Thursday that he doesn’t want the job. He’s voting…
Former Nirvana bassist Krist Novoselic has filed election papers to run for clerk of tiny Wahkiakum County, one of the most sparsely populated counties in the state.The county auditor's office confirmed to me this morning that Novoselic has filed not as a Democrat or Republican,…
I had this story in the print paper today:OLYMPIA _ Citing a smaller population of female prisoners, state corrections officials plan to shutter one of two units at Pine Lodge Corrections Center for Women, the only women’s prison east of the Cascades. The 359-woman prison…
No, not for a special session. Just for "assembly days," the legislature's periodic gatherings to hold hearings and figure out what to put on the plate for the next session -- now just six months away.This year, the meetings will be later than normal:-Oct. 1-2…
Petitions are being printed today for Referendum 71, which asks voters to overturn a new law granting same-sex domestic partners many of the rights of spouses. But those who sign the petitions may be in for a surprise. Some R-71 opponents have put up a…
Mike Fagan, who for years has helped run Tim Eyman's anti-tax ballot measures, has filed for a Spokane City Council seat. "While the city of Spokane braces itself for some lean budget years...the taxpayers of this city deserve to be protected from wanton taxation in…
A group opposing Referendum 71 says it will publicize the names of everyone who signs petitions to put Referendum 71 on the fall ballot.The group, which has named the site whosigned.org, says that the referendum process "must meet a high standard of transparency to ensure…
Washington Values Alliance President Larry Stickney has dropped his challenge to the ballot language for Stickney's Referendum 71, and organizers say that petitions could hit the streets as early as tomorrow. The measure asks voters to veto legislation that gives domestic partners many of the…
The Thurston County Superior Court has set a time to hear Referendum 71 proponents' challenge to the proposed wording of their measure: 10 a.m. Tuesday.Here's more on R-71 and what this challenge is all about.
Short takes and breaking news from the Washington Legislature and the state capital.
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