Gov. Christine Gregoire faced a sea of blank stares at Arthur B. Ness Elementary Monday, while touting the many benefits of Washington's trade with China.The governor's question: What does China buy from us? "Starbucks coffee" was one of the answers she was fishing for.No dice.…
The state's election guide will start arriving in mailboxes across the state on Saturday, Oct. 8, according to the Secretary of State's office. Can't wait? See it here .And if you think it's going to be too boring, here are a few choice samples:-- "Our…
State prisons have donated more than six tons of vegetables to food banks across the state this year, according to figures compiled by the state Department of Corrections.The prison farm programs are designed to produce food for inmates, as well as work for them. The…
The Seattle Times' Northwest Weekend editor Brian Cantwell has embarked on a driving tour of some of the furthest reaches of the state (that's us), and is blogging what he finds. It's a fun read.
The King County primary election has been certified and -- flashback alert -- there's a recount.Nope, the governor's office wasn't on the ballot. This time, the tallies of two candidates for King County Sheriff were so close that it would normally trigger an automatic manual…
"If the (2001) Nisqually earthquake had lasted a mere 15 seconds longer, the Alaskan Way Viaduct in Seattle and S-R 520 (floating bridge) would have crumbled, and bridges all up and down the I-5 corridor would have been highly vulnerable. The loss of life could…
First the machinists' strike is settled and now this: on Oct 1, the state business tax for airplane makers and their parts suppliers will drop 12.5 percent.The change is part of a slate of tax breaks and other assistance approved by lawmakers in 2003, as…
In what state transportation officials hope is not a preview of November in Washington, Oklahoma voters have rejected a ballot measure to raise gas tax there from 17 cents a gallon to 22 cents.In Oklahoma, as here, the money was slated to fix state roads…
It's a bit startling to see a long list of newspapers, TV stations and radio stations listed on campaign finance reports as contributing thousands of dollars to www.nonewgastax.com, the group that's trying to reverse the 9.5-cent gas tax increase lawmakers approved earlier this year.According to…
One phrase we're hearing an awful lot of in the wake of Hurricane Katrina is "I'm not going to play the blame game." Bush administration officials are turning to it to deflect criticism now, and Washington Gov. Christine Gregoire uses it periodically in press conferences…
"I don't think I can comment on that case. Technically I think it's still a pending case in the sense (that) the voters are the tribunal at this point...It's always nice to be affirmed, I can tell you that."Benton County Superior Court Judge Craig Matheson,…
To listen to an online recording of the oral arguments in "the Matter of the Recall of James e. West, Mayor of the City of Spokane, go to these links on the website of TVW, Washington's public-affairs TV network. (These are audio files only, not…
The nation's largest seller of tobacco products -- 7-eleven, Inc. -- has agreed to new procedures aimed at cutting tobacco sales to minors."The fewer kids who start smoking, the fewer who will eventually die from smoking-related illnesses," said Washington Attorney General Rob McKenna. The 7-Eleven…
At first we thought we were reading an old George-Nethercutt-for-Senate press release. On Wednesday, supporters of GOP maybe-candidate-for-Senate Mike McGavick sent out a press release touting a poll saying that Democratic Sen. Maria Cantwell's yes votes are "well below the 50 percent mark, at 46…
Secretary of State Sam Reed has been named president of the National Association of Secretaries of State, or, yes, NASS.The 101-year-old organization includes secretaries of state from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and the territories of Guam, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin…
We'll be writing a lot about ballot measures in the coming weeks and months on this site. So here's a short review of the major items on the fall ballot:I-330: Would limit pain-and-suffering awards in medical malpractice lawsuits to $350,000, with some exceptions, as well…
Okay, we're calling an early end to the political dog days of summer. There's too much afoot to ignore:-A libertarian non-profit law firm, the Institute for Justice, is appealing a court order that radio talk-show touting of (what became) Initiative 912 be reported as political…
"P.S.: Dino is NOT running for King County Executive." -- the closing line on the final email as the Dino Rossi campaign folded its tent this week. Rossi decided not to continue the legal fight to oust Gov. Christine Gregoire, saying that the "political makeup"…
"Superior court judges throughout the state of Washington laugh when I walk down the street." -- Chelan County Superior Court Judge John Bridges, who for months has had the dubious honor of presiding over the massive lawsuit involving the nation's closest-ever governor's race.
After two weeks, thousand of documents and several dueling professors, the battle in Wenatchee will draw to a close this afternoon.Republicans will end with arguments that considering the slim 129-vote victory (out of 2.8 million votes) by Democratic Gov. Gregoire, errors so muddied the water…
Dean Logan, the man at the center of much of the election's political storm is on the stand Wednesday morning.Logan appears at the request of Democratic attorneys, who are trying to convince Judge John Bridges of two things: a) that the errors in November's governor's…
Eye on Olympia's going to be Eye on Wenatchee this week, where we're camped out in a Chelan County courtroom, watching Week 2 of Republican's legal effort to force a new election in the governor's race, which Democrat Christine Gregoire won after three counts by…
"Jay, you have a long way to go in proving that you can be more to the middle, more balanced." -- Sen. Bob Morton, R-Orient"If the people who would breach my dams and take away my water rights are happy about this, I can't be.…
Gov. Christine Gregoire on Tuesday signed into law a bill renaming King County -- that's where Seattle is -- after Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.King did, in fact, visit Seattle in 1961. The King County Council renamed the county for Dr. King back in 1986,…