Tomorrow we'll get the revenue forecast council's best "preliminary" guess of how the state's budget shortfall is likely to over roughly the next two and a half years.In December, the shortfall was a forehead-smacking $5.7 billion -- which, in retrospect, some lawmakers now view as…
The state's public colleges are putting on a full-court press in Olympia today, with mascots prowling the capitol, Cougar ice cream being handed out, and bands in the rotunda. The most feared mascot seemed to be the Evergreen State College's geoduck, which male lawmakers and…
The $787 billion economic stimulus bill to be signed tomorrow by President Obama “is not the end of what we need to do,” U.S. Sen. Patty Murray said Monday.She said the package, which includes billions for transportation, education, unemployment benefits and other help, was the…
A woman in Blaine is proposing Initiative 1040, which would "prohibit state use of public money or lands for anything that denies or attempts to refute the existence of a supreme ruler of the universe, including textbooks, instruction or research."
The state Senate and House this morning each approved spending cuts this morning, in the first of what will be several whacks at state spending."For those that say you want to cut more, just sit in your seats," said House budget writer Rep. Kelli Linville,…
There was some blunt talk yesterday from members of a House committee, as officials from the Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture tried to argue against deep budget cuts that they say will backfire by hurting local fundraising.In this clip, Reps. Jeannie Darneille, D-Tacoma, and…
Gov. Chris Gregoire this morning appointed state Rep. Dan Newhouse, R-Sunnyside, as director of the state Department of Agriculture."As a farmer and state legislator, Dan brings a wealth of experience to the Department of Agriculture and understands the important role agriculture plays in our state's…
This one's of interest mainly to readers in Spokane. From tomorrow's paper:OLYMPIA _ A controversial proposal to merge the Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture with its Western Washington counterpart appears to be dead.One of the state's most powerful lawmakers said Thursday that the Senate…
Lunchtime reading for you:The New York Times had an interesting story recently about Japan's experience with massive government spending, much of it on public works projects of dubious value. (Having lived in Japan for a few years, I can attest to the absurd scale of…
In tomorrow's paper:OLYMPIA _ Emotions ran high Wednesday, as state lawmakers discussed allowing illegal immigrant students – many of them brought to this country as young children – to qualify for millions of dollars in state college grants.“As I look into their eyes and their…
From tomorrow's print paper:OLYMPIA _ When he took over as acting president of Eastern Washington University, John Mason was given a sign for his office.“Thou shalt not whine,” it reads.On Wednesday, Mason mostly stuck to that commandment, even as he described how proposed state budget…
Senate Majority Leader Lisa Brown, writing on her blog, says that the federal stimulus bill "is not a state bailout bill."The money it includes for state "is just not big enough to make up for the deep dive our state revenues have taken" she writes.…
A surprisingly bipartisan group of 15 senators is proposing a tax break for newspapers.Senate Bill 5942, introduced this morning by Sen. Margarita Prentice, would lower newspapers' business and occupation tax rate from .484 percent of gross to .2904 percent from 2010 to 2015. No fiscal…
From an interview last night with Rep. Mark Miloscia, who's proposed tacking on an extra 18.5 percent sales tax onto adult videos, cable shows, etc."Somebody brought this to me and I said `Wow. Well, why not?'" said Miloscia, D-Federal Way.His bill is actually a nearly-verbatim…
A day after Washington State University started to reveal its plans for handling proposed deep budget cuts, it's time for another local school to do the same.Late this afternoon in the Senate's higher education committee, Eastern Washington University will detail how it would be affected.In…
The state Senate is scheduled this morning to pass a bill, HB 1113, sponsored by local Rep. John Driscoll.The bill is a $133 million sale of state bonds to pay for school construction projects that are already underway.The work was already planned, but inflation and…
From tomorrow's paper:Washington's two largest public universities painted a bleak picture Tuesday of looming budget cuts as the state grapples with a budget shortfall that lawmakers say could reach $8 billion. State lawmakers won't finalize the budget for another two months, but state colleges and…
With Washington's sin taxes pretty much maxxed out -- we have among the highest tobacco and liquor taxes in America -- one state lawmaker has a novel idea for a new source of state revenue: a tax on pornography.In essence, the proposal would tax porn…
The news continues to get worse for Washington's treasury.The state Economic and Revenue Forecast Council today said that state revenue is down about $63 million lower than expected over the past four weeks. Revenue from Jan. 11 to Feb. 10 -- which due to delays…
HEADS UP: THE VIDEO BELOW, from the fake-news site The Onion, IS CHOCK-FULL OF EXPLETIVES.But it's also a pitch-perfect mockery of the sorts of gotta-have-it electronics marketing that we're all immersed in, all the time. If you're at home and the kids are out of…
It happens every year. Poor people and advocates descend on the capitol, decrying usurious rates ($100 loan rolled over for a year: 391 percent APR) and saying that the payday lending industry traps people in a nearly unbreakable cycle of high-interest debt.Lawmakers propose bills --…
Kettle Falls' Brandon Hatch silenced the room this morning, telling what he saw recently when he visited a lifelong friend who happened to be running a puppy mill breeding operation in Gold Bar. (Tech note: To replay this clip, first hit refresh on your browser.)Sen.…
Ouch: Senate Democratic chief of staff Rich Nafziger, on his personal blog, blasts Gov. Chris Gregoire for continuing to favor budget cuts over a tax increase. Nafziger, tongue firmly in cheek, names Gregoire the recipient of his new weekly Herbert Hoover award. (Vast 1930s' tent…
Asked if she's satisfied with lawmakers' pace approving early budget cuts, Gregoire said no."It's no secret I'm frustrated," she said. "And I've had my conversations with leadership in the House and the Senate. I think we need to move. And we needed to move consistent…
Here's the list of boards and commissions slated for elimination or reconsideration.In a press conference, Gregoire talked about needing to "de-layer state government" and make it more nimble and relevant to Washingtonians' needs.The 154 boards and commissions she's ending (or recommending that lawmakers do) are…
Short takes and breaking news from the Washington Legislature and the state capital.
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