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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Eye On Olympia

THURSDAY, MAY 7, 2009

More of what we're reading...

Yet more, um, aggregation this morning: Senate Democrats' senior staff director Rich Nafziger, writing on his personal blog, offers a session overview:The real shock was the extent to which the session hit the friends and allies of the legislative democrats...The Governor and the legislature abandoned…

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What we're reading...

More catching up (and thank God for tabbed browsing):-Lt. Gov. Brad Owen, after a drubbing during election season from The Stranger, continues to get no love from Seattle. Writes Horsesass.org founder David Goldstein:To those fondly speculating about Gov. Chris Gregoire being on the list of…

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MONDAY, MAY 4, 2009

 (The Spokesman-Review)

Anti-"everything but marriage" measure filed...

As expected, Washington Values Alliance president Larry Stickney this afternoon filed a ballot measure to overturn Senate Bill 5688, which grants state-registered domestic partners most of the rights of married spouses. More than 5,000 couples have registered in the past two years, including many same-sex…

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THURSDAY, APRIL 30, 2009

Winners and losers this session...

From my weekly print column:It always astounds me how quickly the state capital becomes a ghost town when a legislative session ends.On Sunday, lobbyists were still swarming the Senate and House doors. Lawmakers rushed toward midnight in a mad scramble of last-minute deals, deadlocks and…

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WEDNESDAY, APRIL 29, 2009



TUESDAY, APRIL 28, 2009

Special session: details being ironed out...

From this morning's paper:OLYMPIA – Gov. Chris Gregoire said Monday she intends to call Washington lawmakers back into a special session to finish budget-related bills left undone when midnight struck Sunday night, ending the 105-day legislative session.But the governor said she first wants wrung-out lawmakers…

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MONDAY, APRIL 27, 2009

Special session: yes, says governor...

Gov. Chris Gregoire said she intends to call a special session, but wants to talk to lawmakers first.She said she hopes the session is soon -- not waiting for the June revenue forecast, for example -- short, and limited in scope. She wants to hash…

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Special session: Make that "Maybe"....

Gov. Gregoire’s statement on legislative session OLYMPIA – Gov. Chris Gregoire released the following statement tonight on calling a special session of the 2009 Washington Legislature: “The 2009 legislative session completed the most difficult regular session in a generation with a balanced budget, very significant…

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SUNDAY, APRIL 26, 2009


SATURDAY, APRIL 25, 2009

FRIDAY, APRIL 24, 2009



House passes budget, 54-42... 

Just 10 hours after unveiling the details, House lawmakers on Friday night approved a $35 billion state budget that includes about $4 billion in cuts.The budget, which now goes to the Senate for approval, passed on a largely party-line vote, 54 to 42. It includes…

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THURSDAY, APRIL 23, 2009


Sales tax proposal collapses...

Rep. Eric Pettigrew, D-Seattle, confirms that his plan for a third-of-a-cent sales tax hike to offset deep budget cuts has collapsed. Proponents, including House Speaker Frank Chopp, have been unable to round up enough votes. "We looked at the vote count, and it didn't look…

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How much would you get?

This is an idea that legislative advocates should have had weeks ago: The folks at the private Washington State Budget and Policy Center have put together a handy online calculator to estimate how much a person would receive if the state working families tax rebate…

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