OLYMPIA -- Day 11 of the supposed Seven-Day Session breaks down like this:The Senate returns this morning for some light work -- start up, do some routine stuff, go to caucus, pass some "jobs bills -- but the House of Representatives isn't coming back until…
McClatchy offered this early analysis of the multistate lawsuit over health care reform:By James RosenMcClatchy Newspapers(MCT)WASHINGTON — The top prosecutors in 13 states — 12 of them Republicans — filed a lawsuit Tuesday challenging the health care bill minutes after President Barack Obama signed the…
...but all in all, a much more accurate look at "How a bill becomes law.
OLYMPIA -- So the day after Attorney General Rob McKenna announced he was joining the lawsuit to challenge federal health care reform, things got ramped up a few notches.President Obama signed the bill, and Vice President Joe Biden weighed in that this was a BFD.McKenna…
OLYMPIA--Things were happening so fast and furious Tuesday with Attorney General Rob McKenna's opting in to a lawsuit against federal health care reform that not everything could fit into this morning's print edition story.Based on the number of comments these stories are generating, there may…
OLYMPIA -- Nothing expected today in the Lege. Most of the honorables are home or anywhere but here while a few of their leaders try to find a compromise on what taxes to raise for the budget package.They do have some work scheduled for tomorrow,…
OLYMPIA -- Secretary of State Sam Reed is on his way home from the hospital after having surgery for a cancerous kidney on Monday. His staff said he reported feeling pretty good, and is optimistic about the pathology tests which haven't come back yet because…
What is it with vice presidents and the F-bomb?Vice President Joe Biden dropped the expletive in front of a microphone right after introducing President Obama at today's signing ceremony for the health care legislation. Obama's press secretary later made light of the incident in this…
Spokane hasn't gone to the extremes of some other places competing in the Google Fiber for Communities contest. Mayor Mary Verner hasn't jumped in an icy lake, for instance. Nor has she followed Topeka's lead in changing the city's name. (Apparently Spogoogle isn't catchy enough.)…
OLYMPIA – The Legislature approved new limits to a major welfare program for those unable to work because of physical or mental health problems, and changed its name from General Assistance-Unemployable to the Disability Lifeline.Under the new rules that passed both houses Monday, those unable…
OLYMPIA – A special legislative session to address the state’s budget problems will continue until one side or the other blinks on the sales tax.On one side: A majority of Democrats who control the Senate want to increase the sales tax as part of their…
OLYMPIA -- Washington's Republican attorney general will join other states in a lawsuit against the federal health care reform plan, a move its Democratic governor denounced as "not representing the people of this state."Attorney General Rob McKenna said Monday afternoon he would join a lawsuit…
OLYMPIA -- Secretary of State Sam Reed is out of surgery for kidney cancer, and his wife Maggie reports "everything went really well."Reed had a minimally invasive surgery and is expected to make a full recovery. He's not expected to need chemotherapy unless the cancer…
OLYMPIA -- The two competing factions in the Legislature (House Democrats and Senate Democrats) have staked out their territory on taxes.While they try to negotiate a compromise, or until one side gives in to the other, the houses will be debating and voting on a…
The New York Times has a nice map that shows how members of Congress voted yesterday on the Health Care legislation.As a sometime maker of political maps, Spin Control recommends it to those who enjoy visuals. Find it here:
OLYMPIA – While Democrats with huge majorities in both houses fight among themselves over the budget, Republicans have plenty of free time to express confidence the November election will change the math.Democrats seem intent on helping them out. They’re going to raise taxes, which ranks…
OLYMPIA – Using a compromise plan suggested by the governor, House Democrats stripped an increased sales tax out of plans to balance the state budget and countered with higher business taxes.Saturday afternoon they voted 53-42 to stake out different territory in their efforts to combine…
OLYMPIA -- The House passed a compromise tax bill suggested by Gov. Chris Gregoire that does not raise the state sales tax but does have a broader increase in business taxes.In a 53-42 vote, with no Republicans voting for the package, the House stripped away…
OLYMPIA -- The House of Representatives is debating Saturday morning a new tax plan that does away with the sales tax hike approved by the Senate on Friday.The debate is likely to be much the same. Republicans will say this will hurt the economy and…
OLYMPIA -- TheSenate approved temporary jumps in state sales and business taxes, narrowly passing a tax plan that may not survive the weekend in the House.Senate Democrats made some changes in the plan they passed during the regular session which also was gutted in the…
The Daily Show With Jon StewartMon - Thurs 11p / 10cGary Locke Pt. 1www.thedailyshow.comDaily Show Full EpisodesPolitical HumorHealth Care ReformOh right, the census.That's why former Washington Gov. and current Commerce Secretary Gary Locke was on the Daily Show Thursday night. The Commerce Department, see, is…
OLYMPIA -- Both houses of the Legislature start at 10 a.m., plan to break fairly quickly for caucuses, then come back for votes on "bills necessary to implement the budget."Does that mean they, you know, have a budget?Not necessarily. But the Senate may have a…
Early numbers aren't looking good for Spokane and other local governments hoping to avoid more budget gloom.Sales tax distributions for the first two months of 2010 were the lowest since 2005 for Spokane, Spokane County, Spokane Valley and the Spokane Transit Authority.Because of the increased…
OLYMPIA – As the Legislature crawled through its fourth day of a special session without a solution to its budget problems, Gov. Chris Gregoire was among those expressing frustration with the progress, or apparent lack of it.The session could be done by Sunday, which would…
OLYMPIA – Washington counted twice as many people working in “green” jobs last year as in 2008.Although changes in the way jobs were counted are responsible for much of that growth, the state still saw an increase in people building wind turbines, constructing new energy-efficient…
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