OLYMPIA – By the time the Legislature wrapped up 90 days of heated and sometimes confusing debate over taxes and spending Tuesday, it had raised taxes on a wide array of consumers and businesses, cut some programs, boosted others, moved hundreds of millions of dollars…
OLYMPIA -- State Treasurer Jim McIntire added his kudos to the just concluded legislative session with a note that should make all Washingtonians feel a little better.The state now probably has enough money to pay its bills through June 2011.Not that the state would be…
OLYMPIA -- Repeating a mantra that "tough times require tough choices", Gov. Chris Gregoire patted the Legislature on its collective back as members headed out of town Tuesday.She sought to minimize the impacts of new taxes, which Republicans have predicted will be job killers. The…
Read about the exchange here.
There's been a lot of talk about regional cooperation from local leaders this year, but recent incidents spotlight continued tensions between the city of Spokane and Spokane County.Last week, county officials expressed frustration that the city had decided to explore the possibility of opening its…
OLYMPIA -- It's over.The Legislature's special session sloshed into the 30th and final day before being gaveled to a close.The two chambers packed significant activity into the final evening Monday, passing a supplemental operating budget, a supplemental capital budget, higher cigarette taxes, increased business and…
OLYMPIA -- The House passed the supplemental capital budget, the "bricks and mortar" budget that spends money on things like school buildings and sewer plants, as well as fire reduction, water projects and corrections.It passed 61-36. Republicans, including Rep. Gary Alexander of Olympia, warned of…
OLYMPIA -- Rep. Lynn Kessler is bowing out after 18 years in the House. "I'm retiring, I'm almost 70 for God's sake."As the Legislature moved beyond midnight, Kessler, D-Hoquiam, made an emotional farewell speech, celebrating the fact the state has worked to provide health care…
OLYMPIA -- The session was winding down about 11:12 p.m., when Gov. Chris Gregoire chargedup the stairs between her office and the Senate with aides in tow.Reporters moving to ask her for comments on the closing were cut off with the governor holding up her…
OLYMPIA -- Moving rapidly toward adjournment, the Senate passed the supplemental capital budget with almost no debate, 33-13, and went at ease for a few minutes.Capital budget now goes to the House, which, if the pattern holds should pass it and allow both to move…
OLYMPIA -- The Senate passed the supplemental budget Monday evening, joining the House in a spending plan that tries to fill an estimated $2.8 billion hole in the state's two-year operating budget.On a 25-21 vote, it added its approval to the budget approved a few…
OLYMPIA -- The Legislature chugged toward adjournment tonight as budgets and tax plans passed by narrow margins.The Senate just passed the $668 million tax package 25-21, the bare minimum it needed.About an hour earlier, the House passed the supplemental operating budget with spending, cuts and…
OLYMPIA -- Democratic legislators released their spending plan with a combination of cuts and assumed tax hikes, designed to fill a $2.8 billion hole in the state's operating budget.If passed as expected later today or Tuesday, the budget pulls in $757 million in new taxes,…
OLYMPIA -- Smokers should expect to pay another $1 for a pack of cigarettes soon.The Senate just passed a tax hike for cigarettes as the Legislature moves towards adjournment. It would raise an estimated $100 million in new tax revenue, an amount that's being factored…
OLYMPIA -- This may be -- emphasis on may -- the final day of the special session.The Senate is moving toward passing the same tax hike approved Saturday by the House. They both expect to vote on the changes to the operating budget and the…
OLYMPIA – When talking about the Legislature, it’s easy to get wrapped up in parliamentary details and arcane political jargon. To avoid that, here’s a simple way to look at the budget and tax plans as the “seven-day” special session enters Day 28. Think of…
OLYMPIA – Democratic leaders began pushing a package of some $668 million in higher taxes through the Legislature Saturday, suspending rules as they tried to beat the Tuesday deadline to adjourn.The House of Representatives voted 52-44 to approve the tax plan that was just made…
OLYMPIA -- The House of Representatives passed a plan to raise taxes by nearly $700 million dollars over the next 15 months.In a 52-44 vote, Democratic leaders pushed through a package that raises taxes on soda, bottled water, candy, gum, mass-produced beer, most service businessesAmong…
OLYMPIA -- Democratic leaders released their tax plan this afternoon, and as expected, it would raise taxes on the service industry, candy and gum, bottled water, mass-production beer, out-of-state companies with business in Washington, property management firms, some bank costs for servicing mortgages.Some items discussed…
OLYMPIA – The Legislature returns Saturday with time running out in its special session and only two options on its unbalanced budget, Gov. Chris Gregoire said. Pass an array of taxes that covers everything from soda and bottled water to candy and cigarettes, or go…
OLYMPIA -- The Legislature did just this side of bupkiss in public Friday, to the chagrin of folks who bottle, distribute and sell soda, and some state employees hoping to make a point about layoffs.A coalition of folks opposed to a proposed soda tax gathered…
OLYMPIA -- Democratic leaders in the House and Senate may still be searching for enough votes to pass their "go home" tax package, but some of the would-be taxed aren't waiting for them to get a head count and reassemble at the capital.Bottlers, convenience store…
OLYMPIA -- Democratic leaders trying to figure out a way to raise taxes that will pass both houses of the Legislature are still looking for votes.That's the word after a session in Gov. Chris Gregoire's office broke up, and Senate Majority Leader Lisa Brown and…
OLYMPIA -- A coalition of health care, education, environment and poverty groups is coming out in favor of the still-to-be-made-public tax proposal.Based on news accounts of the package, the Rebuilding our Economic Future Coalition says the reported combination of taxes on soda, beer, bottled water,…
Spokane Mayor Mary Verner says she's not considering new taxes to bail the city out of its $10 million hole for 2011.City leaders are getting an early start to the budget for the second year in a row and will present a preliminary budget plan…
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