OLYMPIA – Three weeks of debate over suspending Initiative 960, can be boiled down to this: If you change an initiative, you are crushing the will of the people. Not if it’s something that really needs doing, in which case you are exercising the leadership…
OLYMPIA – With the bare minimum votes needed and debate over taxes yet to come, Senate Democrats passed a general fund budget Saturday designed to close the state’s $2.8 billion budget gap.Even without a firm decision on which taxes to add or alter to raise…
OLYMPIA -- Washington teachers should be able to tap into a union trust fund to reduce their health insurance costs, Senate Republicans argued in the debate over the state's budget.Republican Sen. Dale Brandland proposed an amendment that allows teachers to tap into the Washington Education…
OLYMPIA -- The Senate is beginning its debate on its budget proposal to fill the $2.8 billion gap in the state's operating budget.First up is an amendment on home health care workers, sponsored by Republican. It goes down 26-16.Next is an amendment by Sen. Mark…
OLYMPIA -- The Senate passed a multi-million dollar transportation budget this afternoon on a vote of 41-3.The proposal was described as a jobs bill, a way to improve government and a guide for the more contentious operating budget, which comes up next.Sen. Chris Marr, D-Spokane,…
OLYMPIA -- The Senate came back from caucus and has taken up the Transportation Budget.Amendments done. Debate and vote on bill starts now.
OLYMPIA -- Senators ran through a list of non-controversial bills -- and argued over one contentious one -- then broke for party caucuses before taking up budgets.Republicans tried unsuccessfully to push through a series of amendments to HB 1080, which allows impact fees to be…
OLYMPIA -- Washington coastal beaches are under a tsunami advisory as a result of the earthquake in Chile, which means folks should stay away from them, Gov. Chris Gregoire said Saturday.Here's her full statement:“Our hearts are with the people of Chile following last night's earthquake.…
OLYMPIA -- Rahm Emmanuel take note: You'll have to watch your language in this Washington.The state Senate gave unanimous approval Saturday to a law that takes the term "mentally retarded" from state law, substituting it instead with the phrase "individuals with intellectual disabilities.""We all know…
OLYMPIA -- Senators have returned from caucus and are voting on some fairly noncontroversial bills, such as expanding the safety zone around emergency vehicles.
OLYMPIA -- Senate Democrats called for a two-minute caucus, and after they left Lt. Gov. Brad Owen,who presides over the chamber to express some doubts about their ability to tell time."Three words that don't go together: two minute and caucus," he said.They've been out for…
OLYMPIA -- Proposed budgets are almost always "fluid documents." This year's budget proposals are so fluid that House Democrats don't even have a tax package yet and Senate Democrats are making changes so fast that they aren't even numbered.Last night in a Senate Ways and…
OLYMPIA -- The Legislature has a Saturday workday. Both Ways and Means Committees had morning hearings and the Senate has an 11 a.m. session, which started and went into caucus.Details to come.
OLYMPIA -- The House committee that oversees spending passed a Democratic plan to fix the $2.8 billion gap in the state budget Friday. But that bill had a gap of its own.It calls for some $857 million in new tax revenue, but doesn't specify where…
The Daily Show had its take on the Health Care Summit last night. It's worth watching, particularly for those who OD'd on C-Span Thursday.The Daily Show With Jon StewartMon - Thurs 11p / 10cBipartisan Health Care Reform Summit 2010www.thedailyshow.comDaily Show Full EpisodesPolitical HumorVancouverage 2010
If you think Obama is the greatest thing since sliced bread or sign that the Apocalyps is near, theres's a video for you.Think it's a disaster? You'll like this clip:Think he's great? This one's for you.
OLYMPIA -- The Ways and Means committees for both chambers have hearings this afternoon on their respective operating budget proposals.The challenge may be greater for the House W&M panel, however, because at this point, House Democrats have not yet spelled out the "means" to pay…
OLYMPIA – One of this session's David vs. Goliath matches involves Pend Oreille County in the role of the shepherd with the slingshot, and Seattle City Light, starring as the over-sized Philistine. The utility may take issue with the characterization, but few other people would…
With the president and leaders of both house of Congress from both parties at the Summit on Health Care, you had to know there would be filibustering with claims being made.So how to determine who's telling the truth? PolitiFact has an ongoing tally of claims…
OLYMPIA -- The session is three-fourths of the way over, and legislators are in the long uphill slog toward completion.Maybe. Senate Majority Leader Lisa Brown on Wednesday at least left the door open for overtime. Asked about wrapping up by the March 11 deadline, Brown…
OLYMPIA – There was no drama, but plenty of theatrics, as Gov. Chris Gregoire signed a bill Wednesday making it easier for the Legislature to raise taxes.Gregoire signed a 16-month suspension of some provisions of Initiative 960 as its prime sponsor Tim Eyman looked on,…
OLYMPIA -- Democrats in the House of Representatives are not yet ready to describe the "means" to support their "ways."When announcing a general fund budget Tuesday that had lists of cuts and a fairly specific number for the amount raised in taxes -- $857 million…
OLYMPIA -- House and Senate Republican leaders denounced budgets proposals from the other party for raising taxes that will touch everyone and hurt small businesses.Sen. Joe Zarelli, of Ridgefield, the GOP's top numbers guy in the Legislature, said the wide array of potential tax increases…
Some people were shocked when a speaker at the Asotin Tea Party gathering suggested Sen. Patty Murray be "hung."Most were shocked at the suggestion of violence; a few language purists were appalled by the grammar.Murray's re-election campaign was so shocked that it included a video…
OLYMPIA -- House Democrats are expected to explain what or who they would tax to raise an extra $857 million through the middle of 2011.Their budget that was released Tuesday had a list of cuts they would make, and explained how much money they expected…
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