So this is how much clout the Washington congressional delegation has: A day after five House members join in a letter to Defense Secretary Robert Gates to keep the schedule on track for building a new tanker to replace the KC-135, the Pentagon announces...It will…
OLYMPIA -- Here's the good news as the Special Session creeps through Day 17: things are waaaay cheaper when most of the honorables are out of town and back home.The initial cost estimates for the Special Session were $18,300 a day, when all the expected…
Spokane park leaders figured in November that the debate about the vacant downtown YMCA was about to end.After all, the financial analysis demanded by City Council had just been released. It recommended accepting Spokane County's offer to use Conservation Futures property taxes to pay off…
OLYMPIA -- The Senate will hold more than a pro forma session Thursday, with members being called back so Democrats can get an update on tax negotiations.Sources said this doesn't necessarily mean they have a deal, or are within a frog's hair of one. But…
Five members of Washington’s congressional delegation joined an effort to keep the Pentagon from delaying its selection the builder of the next air refueling tanker by asking Defense Secretary Robert Gates not to extend the timeline for making that choice.Without mentioning either company by name,…
OLYMPIA -- The familiar pattern of no apparent movement on the Legislature's budget log jam is expected to continue today. The two houses have pro forma sessions, but most members aren't here, so nothing of substance will be done.Negotiations among House and Senate Democratic leaders…
OLYMPIA – Washington state may be first in line for one aspect of the new federal Health Care Reform law, submitting a request for some $180 million in federal money to help with pay for the state’s Basic Health Plan.U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell joined several…
OLYMPIA -- Senate Majority Leader Lisa Brown and House Speaker Frank Chopp tried to make things look and sound as cordial as possible today, but they still lead two opposing views on figuring out a budget fix and getting the heck out of Dodge.Of course,…
OLYMPIA -- The Legislature has nothing scheduled today except a pro forma session in the Senate at noon.That's also the time that U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell, Gov. Chris Gregoire, state Senate Majority Leader Lisa Brown, D-Spokane, and state House Speaker Frank Chopp have a press…
OLYMPIA – With little fanfare last week, Gov. Chris Gregoire signed a bill that could force a big change in Spokane politics.Senate Bill 6344 could cut the tendons of groups that have flexed the most muscle in recent city council and mayoral campaigns, the city…
Turn out the lights.Or at least, that's what will happen at the Capitol Building in Olympia and City Hall in Spokane from 8:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. on Saturday. It's part of a worldwide observance of Earth Hour. Not to be confused with Earth Day,…
Our good friends at the political blog at The News Tribune in Tacoma appear to be challenging us to a friendly Swivel chart war.Responding to our bar chart showing that Spokane is the second largest city in the state -- with a 2,000-person lead over…
OLYMPIA -- Most of the country may keep in touch with e-mail and texting, but Attorney General Rob McKenna needs to keep his letter opener handy for a while. He's getting messages the old fashioned way, in letters..His latest pen pals are the 16 Senate…
OLYMPIA -- Although some Democratic legislators have talked of cutting Attorney General Rob McKenna's budget to keep him from joining the lawsuit against federal health care reform, right now it appears just that. Talk.First, the Legislature has bigger budget issues to settle, such as how…
OLYMPIA -- In an effort to break the logjam over which taxes to raise, the Legislature will appoint a conference committee with three members from each chamber to try to work things out.The Senate rejected the House of Representatives' rewrite of the tax package late…
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…
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