Although much legislative attention is being paid to solving the state’s budget problems, there is still time in Olympia for other weighty tasks. Such as what should be the state’s official rock? If you said Heavy Metal or grunge or indie, put your iPod earphones…
OLYMPIA -- The next debate over the state's supplemental budget won't be between Republicans and Democrats as much as between the Senate and the House. House leaders said Friday afternoon they will make changes to the spending plan the Senate sent them a few hours…
OLYMPIA -- House Democrats will not vote on the plan to block the unemployment insurance tax rate hike that passed the Senate Friday morning with a large bipartisan margin. Instead, they will likely vote Monday on a different plan, House Speaker Frank Chopp said Friday…
OLYMPIA -- A budget plan referred to as a $254 million installment in the state's fiscal crisis passed the state Senate this morning on a bipartisan vote. The plan achieves some of its savings by retroactively cutting support of smaller classes for kindergarten through 4th…
OLYMPIA -- The Senate approve a plan to block increases in the state's Unemployment Insurance rates for businesses, attempting to "beat the clock" on those rate hikes. With a 46-1 vote, the Senate approved the latest version of the unemployment insurance bill which would keep…
OLYMPIA -- Another full day of hearings today, with discusions of eligibility for public assistance, limits to using state benefit "voucher cards" at places like casinos, and a resolution to make English the language of "all official proceedings." (Editor's note: English is the official language…
OLYMPIA — State Senate budget writers have what's being described as a $254 million bipartisan budget agreement that could get a vote yet this week. Just hours before a Senate Ways and Means Committee hearing, Chairman Ed Murray released a plan to cut more than…
OLYMPIA -- Senate Democrats had to delay a vote on a plan to save businesses from paying millions more in higher unemployment insurance taxes after Republicans said the plan didn't to help the workers who have been off the job so long they are running…
When Gov. Chris Gregoire made the trip to Spokane last Friday, the main purpose was a briefing on the MLK Day parade bomb. But the secondary goal was for Gregoire and the small contingent from Olympia to visit former State Sen. Bob McCaslin, who is…
OLYMPIA -- The State Senate is scheduled to vote -- probably late this morning -- on proposed changes in the unemployment insurance system that will keep rates from going up as scheduled. There is a bit of urgency in all this, considering it must be…
OLYMPIA -- Gov. Chris Gregoire made the pitch to unify the state's school systems from preschool to gradulate degrees under her office, even if it means getting rid of the state's elected school chief. "This is not about one governor...This is about having one system,"…
OLYMPIA – Cities that want to install cameras to catch motorists who run red lights or speed through school zones would have to get voter approval under bills before the Legislature. They might also have to make the yellow light last a bit longer at…
KFC's ad for a chicken sandwich in China seems to have an endorsement of the highest order...
OLYMPIA -- Another full day of hearings with subjects ranging from turning wood waste into airplane fuel to turning high schoolers into graduates. House Public Safety will take up the issue motorcycle "profiling", which is not deciding how your Harley looks from the side. Some…
OLYMPIA -- Requiring stalkers to wear electronic monitoring bracelets could have saved the life of a Tacoma teacher, a House panel was told Monday. The parents of Jennifer Paulson pleaded with the House Judiciary Committee to approve HB 1180, a bill that would allow judges…
Sen. Maria Cantwell was named Monday the chairwoman of the senate panel that oversees aviaition.\ Technically, it's known as the aviation operations, safety and security subcommittee of the Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, which is admittedly two long names with lots of commas. It's main…
OLYMPIA -- All the action is in committee hearings today, where everything from domestic violence to ferries to elections are subjects of bills under review. Senate Government Operations has 10 a.m. hearing on a string of bills, including one to make it easier for troops…
OLYMPIA – The east-west split in Washington is probably never as interesting as in the early weeks of a legislative session, when hope springs eternal in the breasts of legislators with novel if not always practical ideas. This period sometimes births proposals from Eastern Washington…
Editor's note: Longtime Assistant City Attorney Bob Beaumier takes issue with last Sunday's Spin Control column regarding proposed changes to the law on certain public records requests. While I don't agree with some of his conclusions (just as he disagrees with mine) Spin Control is…
OLYMPIA -- Happy Data Privacy Day. Feel free to send an e-mail greeting. But be careful of opening some of those greetings that might be "phishing" for information from you. In honor of the day set aside to make remind computer users to be careful…
OLYMPIA -- The House of Representatives will have to wait at least 24 hours between the time a budget bill is written and a final vote is taken under rules adopted today on a party-line vote. Republicans objected, saying there should be a 72-hour delay,…
OLYMPIA -- Lura Powell of Richland was named chaiwoman of the state Redistricting Commission this morning. Powell, former director of the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, was the unanimous choice of the four members who were each appointed by a legislative leader of one party from…
OLYMPIA -- College students will be telling the Senate's Higher Education Committee what they think of Gov. Chris Gregoire's 2011-13 budget proposal that allows the colleges to raise tuition. Chances are, it will be not favorable. That's based on a gathering of students on the…
OLYMPIA -- Former state Sen. Chris Marr was appointed to the Washington State Liquor Control Board Thursday by Gov. Chris Gregoire. Marr, who served one term in the Senate from Spokane's 6th District but lost his re-election on Nov. 2 to Republican Mike Baumgartner, replaces…
Sen. Patty Murray has been one of the leading voices on the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee for years. Now she's the actual leader. The Washington Democrat, who has been on the panel since 1995 and has built a huge constituency among veterans who regularly support…
