Tue., Jan. 27, 2009
What we're reading:-This analysis, by a private think tank called the Washington State Budget and Policy Center, of the differences between House Democrats' recent cost-cutting plan and a similar proposal from Gov. Chris Gregoire. Researcher Jeff Chapman concludes that the House would reduce the budget…
Tue., Jan. 27, 2009
Local Reps. Matt Shea and John Driscoll made their opening floor speeches Monday, making the case -- although it didn't have to be made, judging by the unanimous voice vote -- for passage of a resolution honoring the state's National Guard troops.Shea, a former company…
Mon., Jan. 26, 2009
In Tuesday morning's paper:OLYMPIA _ Trying to launch a big boat in rough waters, a bipartisan group of state lawmakers on Monday began making the case for a sweeping overhaul of Washington's education system.“All in all, we think this is the first comprehensive reform of…
Mon., Jan. 26, 2009
House Democrats have just released a 48 page list of budget cuts that they say will save $640 million by June 30,2009. Among them: less spending on nursing homes, local mental health treatment and hospitals."We know there is going to be significant pain as a…
Mon., Jan. 26, 2009
CNN has an interesting map up this morning, showing unemployment rates by state.The upshot: We're no Wyoming or North Dakota (when did you last hear that?), but Washington's still doing the best on the West Coast.
Sun., Jan. 25, 2009
Here's the quiz:a) Where does the cattle-calling nickname "Bossy" come from?b) Why is bacon not so tasty anymore?c) And what is the world's only seaweed-eating sheep?Find out all this -- and much, much more -- in three minutes of testimony by Sen. Ken Jacobsen, D-Seattle.…
Sun., Jan. 25, 2009
"At this very moment, we're not losing anybody, because where would you go?" -Attorney General Rob McKenna, telling a state salary commission that he'd like to pay his lawyers more, but that the recession has curtailed turnover for now."I've never been flipped off more times…
Sun., Jan. 25, 2009
...comes this one, one of several dozen from Sen. Ken Jacobsen, D-Seattle:Senate Bill 5520: "An act relating to requiring agencies to provide truthful information to legislators."
Sun., Jan. 25, 2009
Sen. Bob McCaslin's Senate Bill 5380 would keep the clock ticking longer for prosecution of thieves preying on the elderly.As things stand now, the statute of limitations expires six years after the crime is committed. In caes where the thief tries to conceal the crime…
Sat., Jan. 24, 2009
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…
Sat., Jan. 24, 2009
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,"…
Sat., Jan. 24, 2009
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…
Sat., Jan. 24, 2009
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…
Sat., Jan. 24, 2009
"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…
Fri., Jan. 23, 2009
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…
Fri., Jan. 23, 2009
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…
Thu., Jan. 22, 2009
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…
Thu., Jan. 22, 2009
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…
Thu., Jan. 22, 2009
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…
Thu., Jan. 22, 2009
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.
Thu., Jan. 22, 2009
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…
Wed., Jan. 21, 2009
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…
Wed., Jan. 21, 2009
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…
Wed., Jan. 21, 2009
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'…
Short takes and breaking news from the Washington Legislature and the state capital.
