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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Eye On Olympia

FRIDAY, APRIL 17, 2009


Hearing on sales-tax proposal...

I'm sitting in the House hearing on a proposed .3 percent sales tax hike, HB 2377.The proposal, from Rep. Eric Pettigrew, would raise just over $1 billion in three years. Much of that money would be steered into health care: mental health services, hospitals, nursing…

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THURSDAY, APRIL 16, 2009



The critical questions of state...

"Does it cover toilet paper?" -Sen. Jerome Delvin, expressing misgivings about Senate Bill 2287, which would mandate that state government use recycled paper whenever possible.(Answer, from bill Sen. Jim Hargrove, whose district includes a major recycling mill: "No, this is actually print paper.")The bill passed,…

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Basic education bill: the details...

In a bill closely watched by schools advocates, the state Senate plans to vote on -- and presumably pass -- an amended version of HB 2261 this afternoon."We're working with the governor and members of the House to agree on a bill to responsibly reform…

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WEDNESDAY, APRIL 15, 2009


Here's the sales tax bill...

House Democrats have put together a bill to boost the state sales tax by 3/10 of 1 percent.It begins:An unprecedented shortfall in state general fund revenues has threatened the state's ability to fund vital health services and has harmed working families. For this reason, the…

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 (The Spokesman-Review)

4,000 to 5,000 protest taxes at state capitol

There were no torches, but there were some pitchforks. Thousands of people descended on the state capitol today for a demonstration blasting taxes and government spending. "We're here to remind lawmakers that they work for us," said Lynn Harsh, with the Evergreen Freedom Foundation, which…

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TUESDAY, APRIL 14, 2009



Parker telephone "town hall" tonight...

State Rep. Kevin Parker, R-Spokane, will hold a telephone town-hall-style meeting tonight from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m.Lawmakers, particularly those in large Eastern Washington districts (paging Sen. Schoesler) are increasingly using these group phone calls to interact with constituents. Want to listen in or ask…

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MONDAY, APRIL 13, 2009


Spokane blowing up squirrels...

This has nothing whatsoever to do with politics, and yet I'm quite confident it will be my best-read post of several today:Plagued by ground squirrels at Spokane's Finch Arboretum, the city's parks and recreation folks have strapped on their Rodenator Pro, a device that pumps…

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Poll on parks fees, and how much they'd raise...

A new poll re: possible tax increases to support state parks comes back with these results:-$5 fee to park at parks and trails? 55 percent support, 43 percent don't.-an (unspecificed) tax on motor homes and campers? 52 percent support, 43 percent don't.-A 1-cent-per-$1,000-value property tax…

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Short takes and breaking news from the Washington Legislature and the state capital.