The big six

Education

Gov. Chris Gregoire is backing a broad slate of changes: phase-in all-day kindergarten, expand pre-kindergarten learning programs, add thousands more college students, increase teacher pay and shrink class sizes.

Where things stand: Most of the policy changes – more all-day kindergarten, a three-year reprieve from having to pass a statewide math test in order to get a high school diploma, expanding early learning programs – are moving ahead briskly.

As the debate shifts to dollars, the House proposed spending $12.3 billion on K-12 education over the next two years, including $92 million to help math and science learning, $763 million for voter-approved class-size reduction and teacher-pay hikes, and $2 million for a reading initiative.

Health Care

With more than a month to go in the session, Gov. Chris Gregoire has already signed into law one of her top priorities: adding 38,000 more children to state-paid health coverage. She also has proposed spending $26 million over the next two years to increase childhood vaccinations, and a broad array of other reforms designed to make health care more affordable for more people.

Where things stand: On Monday, Gov. Chris Gregoire touted a new Oregon-Washington partnership that allows state residents to sign up for a free prescription discount program offering 60 percent savings on generic drugs and 20 percent savings on brand-name drugs. Unlike last year’s pilot project, this program is free and open to anyone in the state. To find out more, call 1-800-913-4146 or go to www.rx.wa.gov.

Same-sex marriage

Proponents want it, or at least domestic partnerships that would include many of the legal rights of married people. Critics are countering with a call to write the state law banning gay marriage into the state constitution – an unlikely move that would require approval from a legislative supermajority as well as voters statewide.

Where things stand: The Senate has passed a bill to set up a state domestic partnership registry that would provide rights like visiting each other in the hospital, inheritance rights if there is no will, and the right to make medical decisions if a partner is incapacitated. Gay and lesbian couples, as well as heterosexual couples with at least one partner over 62-years-old would be eligible to sign up. The bill has not yet passed the House but is expected to.

Environment

Gov. Gregoire has proposed spending $200 million toward the $9 billion problem of cleaning up Puget Sound, among other proposals.

Where things stand: A legislative committee heard a proposal to phase out some common toxic flame retardants, which critics are countering with a mailer that likens synthetic upholstery materials to gasoline.

Also, some detergent makers are backing a bill to reduce the number of counties where phosphate-containing dishwasher detergents will soon be banned. Under the current version of the bill, the only county where the ban remains would be Spokane County – where phosphates are believed to be a major contributor to algae in the Spokane River. Instead of reformulating their detergents to lower phosphates, local environmentalists fear, the companies will respond by simply not selling detergent in Spokane County.