There was also some good news, however, in state revenue forecaster Arun Raha's predictions Thursday."It increasingly appears that we are finally approaching the end of this `Great Recession,'" he said. The bottom of the recession seems near, he said, and the "freefall" declines in economic…
Gov. Chris Gregoire is ordering state agencies to cut their payrolls by 2 percent more, after the state's revenue forecaster this morning whacked revenue projections by nearly $500 million. "We have been aware of the likelihood of a negative forecast and are prepared to take…
Gov. Chris Gregoire is ordering cabinet-level state agencies to cut their employee costs by 2 percent more than budgeted."Agencies can hire employees where needed to accomplish their core business and enact the reforms I am asking for, but they cannot exceed the cap I am…
"Initial claims for unemployment insurance appear to have peaked and monthly job losses are diminishing."That's the word from economist Arun Raha, the state's revenue forecaster.The trough of the recession, however, will be lower than he and the state's economic and revenue forecast council expected in…
My story in the print paper this a.m. had more details about the suspension of Spokane attorney (and former Spokane city councilman, and current candidate for same) Steve Eugster:OLYMPIA _ After a long-running battle over his handling of an elderly widow’s case, Spokane attorney Steve…
Washington's highest court has ordered that Spokane attorney Steve Eugster be suspended from practicing law for 18 months.But a divided state Supreme Court ruled 5-4 that Eugster, a former city councilman who's again running for a seat, should not be disbarred."We conclude that Eugster's misconduct…
My colleague John Craig has the story: State Sen. Bob McCaslin, 83, has filed for a seat on the Spokane Valley City Council.McCaslin, who last November was re-elected to his senate seat, could hold both posts. The challenge would be trying to balance simultaneous duties…
As a reporter, I get upwards of 100 emails a day. But some just jump out at you."More than 6,500 scientists and doctors will convene at SLEEP 2009," one recent one began.It turns out that a group called the "Associated Professional Sleep Societies" hosts an…
The trend won't be a surprise, but the numbers are pretty startling: state Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler said this week that the number of Washingtonians with no health insurance has shot up to a record 876,000.That's 1 in 5 people between the ages of 19…
From my weekly print column:Getting a breather from the tax man: Struggling to pay your property taxes? Some low- and middle-income homeowners can delay paying those taxes.Here's who qualifies:-You must have had a household income of $57,000 or less last year,-You must have owned the…
If you're approached by a Referendum 71 signature-gatherer and want to read the petition before you sign it, you'd better bring a magnifying glass, a chair and a cool drink. As required by law, R-71 authors managed to squeeze the entire 114-page bill onto a…
One of the budget items that gave lawmakers heartburn this year was the decision to trim the state's Basic Health Plan -- state-subsidized health insurance for the working poor -- by 43 percent.With the program covering nearly 100,000 Washingtonians, that would likely mean cutting about…
Referendum 71 proponents have been saying for days that they're on the verge of printing petitions, but the process has faced repeated delays, apparently from the technical challenge of compressing a 113-page bill onto a petition form that people can actually read."It will go to…
Here's a follow-up: my story from the print paper:OLYMPIA – Former Nirvana bassist Krist Novoselic is running for clerk of tiny Wahkiakum County, one of the most sparsely populated counties in the state.He made it clear Thursday that he doesn’t want the job. He’s voting…
Former Nirvana bassist Krist Novoselic has filed election papers to run for clerk of tiny Wahkiakum County, one of the most sparsely populated counties in the state.The county auditor's office confirmed to me this morning that Novoselic has filed not as a Democrat or Republican,…
No, not for a special session. Just for "assembly days," the legislature's periodic gatherings to hold hearings and figure out what to put on the plate for the next session -- now just six months away.This year, the meetings will be later than normal:-Oct. 1-2…
Petitions are being printed today for Referendum 71, which asks voters to overturn a new law granting same-sex domestic partners many of the rights of spouses. But those who sign the petitions may be in for a surprise. Some R-71 opponents have put up a…
Mike Fagan, who for years has helped run Tim Eyman's anti-tax ballot measures, has filed for a Spokane City Council seat. "While the city of Spokane braces itself for some lean budget years...the taxpayers of this city deserve to be protected from wanton taxation in…
A group opposing Referendum 71 says it will publicize the names of everyone who signs petitions to put Referendum 71 on the fall ballot.The group, which has named the site whosigned.org, says that the referendum process "must meet a high standard of transparency to ensure…
Washington Values Alliance President Larry Stickney has dropped his challenge to the ballot language for Stickney's Referendum 71, and organizers say that petitions could hit the streets as early as tomorrow. The measure asks voters to veto legislation that gives domestic partners many of the…
The Thurston County Superior Court has set a time to hear Referendum 71 proponents' challenge to the proposed wording of their measure: 10 a.m. Tuesday.Here's more on R-71 and what this challenge is all about.
People trying to overturn a new law giving expanded rights to same-sex domestic partners have filed an 11th-hour appeal of the proposed ballot language.The move sets their own signature-gathering effort back at least a week, but seems aimed at boosting their odds by trying to…
In a study of more than 360 metropolitan areas by Kiplinger's Personal Finance magazine, Olympia was rated 6th-highest in the nation for salary growth. Pay there rose an average of 22 percent from 2004-2008, according to the magazine. Median household income in Olympia is now…
California's supreme court has upheld Proposition 8, the state's voter-approved ban on same-sex marriage. The ruling, however, allows thousands of same-sex marriages performed prior to the ban.California's experience has been closely watched in Washington, where gay marriage opponents have filed a referendum to undo a…
A 66-year-old Sequim woman reportedly became the first person to use Washington's new assisted-suicide law, approved by voters in November. The group Compassion & Choices says that Linda Fleming, diagnosed a month ago with late-stage pancreatic cancer, took lethal medication Thursday night with her family,…