BORDER STATES

• Senator backs paying foster parents more (The Spokesman Review)
• BLOG: Eye on Boise (The Spokesman Review)

BUDGET & TAXES

• Sales-tax increase to benefit treatment of mentally ill to be proposed (Kitsap Sun)
• Lawmakers face $900 million budget deficit as the 2013 session starts today (Daily Record)

BUSINESS, LABOR & ECONOMY

• The sharing economy? Corporations want a piece (Crosscut)
• REC Silicon to reduce production (Columbia Basin Herald)
• Washington bank shut down by government regulators (The Bellingham Herald)
• Whatcom bankruptcies drop, but not necessarily a good sign (The Bellingham Herald)
• Seattle lost 37.8K private-sector jobs since 2007 (Puget Sound Business Journal)
• EBay signs big Bellevue lease (Puget Sound Business Journal)
• Wal-Mart commits to hiring more veterans and buying domestic products (AP/The Oregonian)

COURTS, CRIME & LAW ENFORCEMENT

• Washington deputy, 5 others injured in 3-vehicle crash (AP/The Oregonian)
• Man pleads guilty in Vancouver sex-trafficking case involving teen (AP/The Oregonian)
• SWAT team arrests man after report of gun (The Columbian)
• EDITORIAL: Rethinking punishment in prison has dual benefit (The Spokesman Review)

EDUCATION (K-12) & SCHOOL SAFETY

• More teachers nationally certified (Daily Sun News)
• Substitutes reach settlement, head back to classroom at Kiona-Benton City School District (Tri-City Herald)
• Some ORCA K-8 teachers join boycott of MAP exams (The Seattle Times)
• EDITORIAL: For real education reform (The Everett Herald)

ENVIRONMENT & NATURAL RESOURCES

• East Kitsap designated as steelhead habitat (Kitsap Sun)
• Fishermen angry over state’s new gillnet rules (Longview Daily News/Yakima Herald Republic)
• Nuclear energy and climate change: Environmentalists debate how to stop global warming (Slate/Washington State Wire)
• Climate change inaction the fault of environmental groups, report says (Guardian/Washington State Wire)
• Rising sea levels will put Seattle neighborhoods under water (Seattle PI)
• EDITORIAL: Progress on gillnets ban (The Columbian)

FEDERAL GOVERNMENT

• Fitch warns it may downgrade US over debt standoff (AP/The Spokesman Review)
• Government shutdown may be needed, McMorris Rodgers says (The Spokesman Review)
• EDITORIAL: Mortgage rules — back to basics (The Seattle Times)
• EDITORIAL: Congress, communism, cockroaches and head lice (Yakima Herald Republic)

GUN RIGHTS

• Whatcom’s state lawmakers offer no clear path to new gun laws (The Bellingham Herald)
• EDITORIAL: All gun owners would be wise to take a safety class (Tri-City Herald)

HEALTH CARE

• Legislature could fight over health care for more people (Crosscut)
• States will be given extra time to set up health insurance exchanges (The New York Times/Washington State Wire)
• Report shows lack of access to care, obesity top local health issues (Tri-City Herald)
• Big jump in Seattle bed bugs (Puget Sound Business Journal)

HIGHER EDUCATION

• UW grad students want fewer fee-based programs, tuition rollback (The Seattle Times)
• Study: Parental support sends down college GPA (AP/The Seattle Times)
• OPINION: Help businesses fill jobs by investing in community and technical colleges (Richard Cummins/The Seattle Times)

LEGISLATURE

• Coup leaders take state Senate for test drive (Crosscut)
• Mention of marriage in opening prayer angers Senate Democrats (The Seattle Times)
• Honeyford out of gate quickly for start of new session (Daily Sun News)
• Legislature underway. Gun control solutions. Praying away gay marriage? (Crosscut)
• Legislature opens today with bang – Senate drama begins a session that will focus on education (Washington State Wire)
• GOP-led coalition takes control in state Senate (The Everett Herald)
• GOP-led coalition rules state Senate (The Spokesman Review)
• Democratic senators take GOP offer of committee chairmanships (The Seattle Times)
• Senate ‘coup’ puts Republicans in charge with Democrats’ help (The Olympian)
• State Senate GOP’s coalition takes power (AP/Yakima Herald Republic)
• BLOG: Roberts appointed vice chair of public safety committee (Evan Smith/The Everett Herald)
• BLOG: GOP coalition takes control of Senate as legislative session opens (Chris West/The Capitol Record)
• BLOG: Expect tumult, taxes and a caucus or two when lawmakers begin (Jerry Cornfield/The Everett Herald)
• COLUMN: No violence in state Senate, and voters likely unperturbed (Peter Callaghan/The News Tribune)

LOCAL GOVERNMENT

• Council to discuss plastic bags, homelessness (The Olympian)

MARIJUANA

• Cannabis lobbying corps expands by three lobbyists, for two groups (Washington State Wire)
• Othello delays rules on marijuana gardens (Columbia Basin Herald)
• Local forums to help state write marijuana regulations (Yakima Herald Republic)

POLITICS

ELECTIONS

• Democratic dysfunction: Accusations rampant in the 15th District (Yakima Herald Republic)

LOCAL

• PUD commissioners vote to fire general manager (The Daily News)
• Biviano one of nine seeking council seat (The Spokesman Review)
• Tenino City Council accepts ethics task force findings, looks to charge Mayor Strawn (The Chronicle)
• BLOG: New Police Commission heavy with SPD critics (Seattle PI)
• BLOG: Councilman Nick Licata: Four more years! (Seattle PI)
• BLOG: Lynnwood City Council to pick president (Evan Smith/The Everett Herald)

STATE

• Inslee paying some staffers more (The Everett Herald)
• State GOP urges support for Democratic Sen. Rodney Tom (The Seattle Times)
• Salaries set for Inslee’s team (AP/The Seattle Times)
• BLOG: Kitsap, Pierce county electeds to pick Kilmer successor (Steven Gardner/Kitsap Sun)

SUPREME COURT

• Wash. Supreme Court features female majority (Seattle PI)
• EDITORIAL: Lawmakers sorely need ruling (The Olympian)

NATIONAL

• Not-So-Super PACs: 2012’s Winners and Losers (The Daily Beast/Washington State Wire)

TRANSPORTATION

• DOT calls in big guns for avalanche control on U.S. 2 (The Everett Herald)
• New pay-per-mile scheme would boost taxes 250 percent (The Washington Examiner/Washington State Wire)

Read our policy on which stories we include in this daily service here.

Washington State House Republican Communications
www.houserepublicans.wa.gov
455 John L. O’Brien Building
P.O. Box 40600
Olympia, WA 98504-0600