Tue., April 5, 2011
Protesters gather on the north steps of the Capitol Tuesday at noon. OLYMPIA -- Tuesday is the start of several days of protests over proposed cuts in the state budget. Organizers had promised to bring a couple hundred to the Capital from around Olympia, but…
Tue., April 5, 2011
OLYMPIA -- The House Capital Budget, a $3.3 billion spending plan for major state construction projects, has a hearing first thing this morning where folks left out get a chance to ask for reconsideration and those who are in are scrupulous about saying "thanks." When…
Sat., April 2, 2011
OLYMPIA – When the party that’s in becomes the party that’s out, one can expect an increase of unhappy people coalescing and demonstrating against the new order. But if one is aligned with the party that’s in, and those leaders aren’t doing what one thinks…
Fri., April 1, 2011
OLYMPIA -- The Legislature has approved a ban in lawn fertilizer that contains phosphorus. On a 56-37 vote, it sent to the governor a bill that bans the sale of that type of fertilizer -- in most instances -- starting in 2013. The bill, HB…
Fri., April 1, 2011
OLYMPIA -- For those wondering why the state Legislature has yet to produce a 2011-13 budget (arguably the most important thing they will do this spring) State Rep. Marko Liias attempts to explain. If there was an Oscar for the most tortured analogy, this one…
Fri., April 1, 2011
OLYMPIA -- First day of April rolls around and reporters tend to hold their breath, wondering what sort of silliness might they be sent by fax, e-mail, voicemail, Twitter, Facebook...So many delivery systems, so little time. First such missive came early this morning from Sen.…
Fri., April 1, 2011
OLYMPIA -- A plan to rearrange state cultural agencies and find money for the Museum of Arts and Culture is on hold today after a House committee couldn't be sure it had the votes to pass amendments for it. Rep. Sam Hunt, chairman of the…
Fri., April 1, 2011
OLYMPIA -- A House committee is expected to slice many parts out of a bill that would have consolidated several arts and culture offices into one mega-agency, but still offer new funding for Spokane's Northwest Museulm of Arts and Culture. The House State Government and…
Thu., March 31, 2011
OLYMPIA -- A coalition of labor unions, church groups, social service workers and progressive organizations plan to bring thousands of protesters to the state capital next week for a series of escalating demonstrations against budget cuts. They'll try to put pressure on state legislators, who…
Thu., March 31, 2011
OLYMPIA -- Hearings started early today, with the House State Government and Tribal Affairs Committee holding a packed-room session on the plan to save museums in Spokane and Tacoma by creating a mega-agency for arts and culture. Elswewhere in the Legislature, the Senate has a…
Wed., March 30, 2011
OLYMPIA -- The Senate agreed Washington should recognize domestic partnerships from other states, giving 28-19 approval to a bill that now goes to Gov. Chris Gregoire. On a largely party line vote, the Senate approved HB 1649, which allows domestic partnerships and other contracctual unions…
Wed., March 30, 2011
OLYMPIA -- Hearings continue today on a wide range of ideas, and the Senate has a floor session this morning to move some bills. The most controversial bill scheduled for a floor vote is probably HB 1649, which extends reciprocity on domestic partnerships to same-sex…
Tue., March 29, 2011
OLYMPIA --A proposed $100 fee on electric vehicles, to help pay for road construction and maintenance from which those cars benefit without paying gasoline taxes, passed the Senate today after a ruling that it needed only a simple majority. SB 5251 would require electric car…
Tue., March 29, 2011
Several marches and demonstrations are on the calendar in the coming days, and the summer's not even here*. Here's a quick list: March to Demand Peace and Promote Justice 3 p.m. Sunday Starts at Veterans Memorial Arena, ends at Riverfront Park. Organizers say it will…
Tue., March 29, 2011
The draft version of the West Plains Spokane International Airport transportation study, that looks at continued development of the business park and the effects that will have on the roads out there, was released this morning. There's a month left to comment on it. Want…
Tue., March 29, 2011
OLYMPIA -- It's another cut off day in the Legislature, in which appropriations bills have to get out of their committees today or risk oblivion. That doesn't count for bills in the Ways and Means or Capital committees, but the various other spending committees are…
Mon., March 28, 2011
OLYMPIA -- If you can remember when March of the year before a presidential election was way too early to be talking about the field of candidates with designs on the White House, you're probably old enough to remember when television was mostly black and…
Sat., March 26, 2011
It was just days after the 1984 Democratic National Convention, when she'd been named the first woman vice presidential candidate on a major party's ticket, that Geraldine Ferraro did Spokane. For those who can't remember back that far, think back to 2008, when another relatively…
Fri., March 25, 2011
OLYMPIA -- The Senate approved a ban on phosphorus in lawn fertilizers, but with changes that will send the bill back to the House for another vote. Among the changes: HB 1489 no longer exempts commercial organic fertilizers that contain phosphorus, and no longer has…
Fri., March 25, 2011
OLYMPIA -- There's an air of TGIF around the Capitol, with light schedules in committees and some morning floor activity. The Senate has a resolution commemorating the 100th anniversary of the state's Workers Compensation System. Democrats may be eager to wish it many happy returns…
Thu., March 24, 2011
OLYMPIA -- A proposal that would keep the Museum of Arts and Culture in Spokane and the State History Museum in Tacoma open, by taking money from a fund to build a Heritage Center in Olympia, was introduced today in the House. Supported by Spokane…
Wed., March 23, 2011
OLYMPIA – Three dozen legislators are taking the Washington State Patrol to task for sending a letter to gun dealers that they fear is an unconstitutional “fishing expedition.” The patrol, which is searching for one of its semiautomatic rifles that might be stolen, concedes the…
Wed., March 23, 2011
The federal Affordable Care Act, aka health care reform, aka Obamacare, turns one year old today. Those who would like to celebrate with a cake and a candle include Gov. Chris Gregoire, who said in a prepared statement that it's doing good things including providing…
Wed., March 23, 2011
OLYMPIA -- The House Health Care Committee voted 6-5 this morning to send a new version of the medical marijuana bill to the floor. The now heavily amended bill, SB 5073, would allow the state Health Department to decide how many medical marijuana dispensaries to…
Mon., March 21, 2011
That's what the Tax Foundation says, anyway. Washington's 37.5 cents per gallon tax on gasoline ranks behind: California (46.6 cents), New York (44.6 cents), Hawaii (44.4 cents), Connecticut (41.9 cents) and Illinois (39 cents), the foundation reported last year. Idaho and Oregon are tied for…
