This story, from the New York Times, notes Great Britain's diversity of unintentionally naughty place names, starting with a matter-of-fact resident of Crapstone and moving on to, well, Butt Hole Road. The latter being a reference to a barrel, thank you very much.It's a great…
Fair warning: The Washington State Patrol is boosting patrols this weekend in order to crack down on drunken Superbowl fans who get behind the wheel. In Spokane, they're teaming up with Idaho and Montana troopers for a three-state sweep."We don't want to spoil anyone's fun,"…
Go to any budget committee in Olympia and it will quickly become apparent that the near-universal argument for anyone seeking state money is this: "Spend on this worthy program now. You'll save money down the road."At the moment, some of the bigger voices in this…
As lawmakers plan to tap the state's $4 billion unemployment insurance trust fund, the state's biggest business group is trying to stop the train.In a letter to Gov. Chris Gregoire recently, Association of Washington Business President Don Brunell said nobody knows how bad unemployment is…
"We need to pack the gallery! East siders, don't make the trek yet -- we'll let you know when to pull out the stops. West siders, please stand in for us."-part of a memo from school-library advocates backing HB 1410, a 111-page bill spelling out…
Saying it would probably save money for schools, teachers and state government, Sen. Dale Brandland, R-Bellingham, wants to put school employees onto the state health plans.Schools would pay the same rate that state agencies do to cover their employees.As things stand now, Brandland says, schools…
Interesting exchange this morning between rural Republican lawmakers and state Department of Ecology head Jay Manning, who was describing Washington's participation in the Western Climate Initiative, which targets global warming.Rep. Joel Kretz, R-Wauconda, is one of several rural lawmakers who are extremely leery of the…
Republicans blame Gov. Chris Gregoire and Democratic lawmakers for the state's budget mess. Gregoire and Senate Majority Leader Lisa Brown blame the Bush Administration.Add another to the mix: state Sen. Adam Kline blames initiative pitchman Tim Eyman. From Kline's Senate blog:My last post spoke of…
Officials at the state Department of Corrections are backing away, at least for now, from a plan to close the only women's prison east of the Cascades: Pine Lodge.S-R writer Lisa Leinberger has the story. From it: The Pine Lodge Corrections Center for Women may…
Justice Debra Stephens writes the majority opinion this morning in a public records case out of the state Supreme Court. Rules for the requestor in a complex case. Justice Barbara Madsen dissented, saying the ruling would upset a delicate balance between penalties for violators and…
The Seattle Post-Intelligencer has filed paperwork with the state Employment Security Department officially notifying state officials that it intends to permanently lay off 181 employees March 18th.
From my weekly column:OLYMPIA _ The last person to make the jump from Eastern Washington to the governor's mansion was a Democrat who, in tough times, argued for public spending to help stabilize the economy.That was Clarence Martin, seven decades ago. But Senate Majority Leader…
From former colleague Jim Hagengruber, now at the Christian Science Monitor:REYKJAVIK, Iceland – Protesters hurled dairy products and rage at their elected leaders here during increasingly violent demonstrations this week over the handling of the country’s collapsing economy.Parliament was suspended Wednesday and the prime minister’s…
A push to give judges a 2 percent pay raise next year died, 6 votes to 8, so the salary commission is recommending no raises for any state elected officials for the next two years. Next up: hearings around the state. But with most state…
That, unanimously, is the recommendation of the Washingon Citizens' Commission on Salaries for Elected Officials. The group, voting minutes ago, agreed to freeze salaries for executive branch and legislative branch elected officials. A final decision's due in May, after public hearings.They're still voting on judges'…
Yesterday and today, the state commission that sets salaries for elected officials has been meeting at a hotel in downtown Olympia.So far, most of the politicians who've testified have said there should be no raises over the next two years, seeing as how Gov. Chris…
Today is Potato Day, a popular day, when growers descend on Olympia to hand out hundreds of baked potatoes to lawmakers, staffers, lobbyists and whoever else is around. Also popular: Dairy Day, which tends to involve free ice cream.
Forgot to post this before going home last night:More than 4,000 people crowded the Washington state Capitol steps Tuesday to decry abortion.“Let’s make sure the Supreme Court can hear all of us today,” newly elected state Rep. Matt Shea, R-Mead, said. He dismissed the dozen…
This from Blatherwatch: Apparently a KIRO radio interviewer, in the middle of an inauguration-day chat with the governor, asked her if she'd prepped for the event with a shot of Botox.Click on the link for the full account.
In honor of the inauguration of President Obama, Washington state's Secretary of State is selling U.S. flags that are being flown at the state capitol today. (Yup, there's some person who's going to be busy hauling flags up and down all day. Really.)You can buy…
The capitol rotunda and hallways were like a ghost town this morning, as staffers and lawmakers crowded around TVs to watch the inauguration of President Barack Obama.In the darkened state Senate, about a dozen lawmakers sat at their desks, peering up at a big-screen projection…
Speaking of new state school superintendent Randy Dorn, he sent out an interesting invitation recently, saying that tomorrow he'll unveil his plans for the controversial Washington Assessment of Student Learning. Dorn was a state lawmaker when the original law passed, launching the WASL. But throughout…
Newly elected state superintendent of public instruction Randy Dorn threw down the gauntlet on school funding Monday in his inaugural appearance before the state Senate education committee.Money for schools must come first, Dorn told them:"We've really never matched up the standards and how you fund…
From tomorrow's paper:On Monday, while many people had a day off, state Sen. Ken Jacobsen was facing a state Senate committee, trying to convince his fellow lawmakers to let people be buried with their pets.He's absolutely serious. The idea to him a couple of years…
Short takes and breaking news from the Washington Legislature and the state capital.
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