*Washington House Republicans will be launching a new, online publication called The Current. It will be sent out weekly during the legislative session and include news, views and solutions from the Legislature. If you are interested in subscribing, please click here and add your e-mail address. You will continue to receive The Capitol Buzz as normal. 

AGRICULTURE & WATER

• Kittitas County water banks added (Daily Record)
• USDA offering seed money for grow-local farm startups (AP/The Spokesman Review)
• EDITORIAL: Responsible water policy a must for area’s future (The Spokesman Review)

BORDER STATES

• Oregon Legislature reconvenes (AP/Walla Walla Union-Bulletin)
• Feds begin challenge of N. Idaho mining claims (AP/The Olympian)

BUDGET & TAXES

• Higher payroll taxes an unwelcome surprise in 2013 (The News Tribune)
• Sen. Tom says he’d go for gas tax hike (AP/Yakima Herald-Republic)

BUSINESS, LABOR & ECONOMY

• Commissioners approve regulations governing sexy coffee stands (Kitsap Sun)
• Yakima County OKs two more labor settlements (Yakima Herald-Republic)
• Stillaguamish Tribe invests $5M in Microgreen (Puget Sound Business Journal)
• New lawsuit seeks to block Seattle arena (AP/The Olympian)
• Boeing reclaims No. 1 role with 2012 successes (The Seattle Times)
• OPINION: Paid sick days make economic, health sense (John Burbank/The Everett Herald)

COURTS, CRIME & LAW ENFORCEMENT

• Washington police officer quits over charge of sex with woman in custody (AP/The Oregonian)
• Police: Fresh from prison, Seattle gangster recruiting girls for prostitution outside school (Seattle P-I)
• OPINION: Knezovich needs help in Olympia (Shawn Vestal/The Spokesman Review)
• EDITORIAL: Efficiencies behind bars (The Columbian)

EDUCATION (K-12) & SCHOOL SAFETY

• Breidablik is committee’s top choice to close in North Kitsap (Kitsap Sun)
• Board votes no on school uniforms (Daily Sun News)
• Mt. Solo Middle School roof design flaw costs taxpayers $1.1 million (The Daily News)
• Education initiative will transform our region (The Wenatchee World)
• COLUMN: Boycotted test finds smart kids (The Seattle Times)
• EDITORIAL: Seattle teacher protests over MAP tests counterproductive (The Seattle Times)
• EDITORIAL: Tests, observers, kids = fair teacher evaluations (The News Tribune)

ENVIRONMENT & NATURAL RESOURCES

• Meetings to address state’s wolf management (TVW)
• Blanket of stagnant air over Washington (AP/Kitsap Sun)
• Ecology issues ban on burning (The Wenatchee World)

FEDERAL GOVERNMENT

• Herrera Beutler named to powerful transportation subcommittee (The Columbian)
• Rep. Dave Reichert to chair Ways and Means subcommittee on welfare programs (The Seattle Times)
• BLOG: Murray ‘very worried’ GOP will shut down government (Seattle P-I)
• EDITORIAL: Obama must work with Congress on gun control (The Seattle Times)

GAY RIGHTS

• $3 million in taxpayer $$$ to defend anti-gay law (Seattle P-I)

GUN RIGHTS

• NRA releases video attacking Obama (McClatchy Newspapers/Tri-City Herald)
• Obama unveils $500 million gun violence package (AP/The Seattle Times)

HEALTH CARE

• Legislature could fight over health care for more people (Crosscut)
• Eastern State hospital loses accreditation over unsecured karaoke machine (AP/Walla Walla Union-Bulletin)
• Valley View aims to clear confusion surrounding ‘Obamacare’ (The Chronicle)

HIGHER EDUCATION

• House higher education committee considers recommendations (TVW)
• Report: 85% of businesses find it hard to find qualified workers (Puget Sound Business Journal)
• Close GET to new participants, legislators’ advisory panel urges (The Seattle Times)

LAND USE & PROPERTY RIGHTS

• Commissioners resume land-use review (Daily Record)
• EDITORIAL: Wondering if McWhorter Ranch can still provide access to Hanford’s Rattlesnake Mountain (Tri-City Herald)

LEGISLATURE

• A few stumbling points in Gregoire’s farewell speech (Crosscut)
• Harrell for mayor. Gregoire’s goodbye. Hockey time — maybe even for Seattle (Crosscut)
• Gregoire bids farewell in final State of the State address (TVW)
• Senate power shift, opening day highlights on Monday’s edition of ‘Legislative Review’ (TVW)
• Gregoire wants focus on education, transportation (AP/The News Tribune)
• ‘We made the best decisions’ – Gov. Christine Gregoire delivers her farewell (Washington State Wire)
• Economy, education at the top of legislative agenda (Columbia Basin Herald)
• Inslee moves into the spotlight’s glare (The Seattle Times)
• State’s future is bright, says Gregoire in farewell address (The Everett Herald)
• Jay Inslee taking office as governor of Washington (AP/The Oregonian)
• Hatfield named Ag committee chair; denounces coalition leadership (The Daily News)
• Gregoire offers parting words (The Spokesman Review)
• Gregoire reflects on ‘good times and bad’ in final speech (The Seattle Times)
• McKenna Obamacare gesture draws attention (The Seattle Times)
• Roach sanctions lifted (The Spokesman Review)
• Gov.-elect Inslee hires new information-tech leader (The Olympian)
• Today is Wednesday, Jan. 16, the third day of the 105-day legislative session (The Olympian)
• EDITORIAL: Senate’s coalition gives Roach ultimate bully pulpit (The Olympian)

LOCAL GOVERNMENT

• Yakima council votes down supermajority proposal to raise taxes (Yakima Herald-Republic)
• City shuffles staff to tackle clean water plan (The Spokesman Review)
• Council supports plan to ban plastic grocery bags (The Olympian)
• Bellingham mayor says major projects should move forward in 2013 (The Bellingham Herald)
• $2.1 million in bonds issued for projects (Daily Record)

MARIJUANA

• Implementation of legalized marijuana system to be discussed in Vancouver (The Columbian)

POLITICS

BALLOT MEASURES

• Initiative-517 campaign takes aim at Wenatchee officials’ ‘arrogance’ (The Wenatchee World)

LOCAL

• Robert Thoms appointed to Tacoma City Council (The News Tribune)
• Pierce County Council has new faces (The News Tribune)
• Union Gap council picks Wentz as mayor (Yakima Herald-Republic)
• County Democrats elect officers (Daily Sun News)
• Granite Falls mayor may resign (The Everett Herald)
• Lynnwood Council re-elects Simmonds as Council president (The Everett Herald)
• PUD Commission: Campaign ‘improprieties’ behind GM’s firing (The Daily News)
• Rep. Ryu, Snohomish council analyst vie for King County seat (The Everett Herald)
• Harrell joins mayor’s race, calls McGinn’s style ineffective (The Seattle Times)
• 3 Democrats vie for vacant County Council seat (The Seattle Times)
• BLOG: Mayoral candidate Burgess: Fire Chief Diaz (Seattle P-I)
• BLOG: Harrell in mayor’s race — “I am that executive” (Seattle P-I)

STATE

• Tom, Sheldon dropped from Democrats’ website (The Everett Herald)
• Benton County GOP moves fast to replace Sen. Jerome Delvin (Tri-City Herald)
• Post-election fundraising serves 2 purposes (The Olympian)

TRANSPORTATION

• Less wait time to get your first license, but will cost more (Yakima Herald-Republic)
• DOT calls in big guns for avalanche control on U.S. 2 (The Everett Herald)

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