For more information, contact: Lisa Fenton, Communications Director: (360) 786-7728 To make changes in your Capitol Buzz subscription (subscribe or unsubscribe), please click here to access the subscriptions page.
________________________________________________________________

AGRICULTURE

• OPINION: Gates Foundation should step away from funding genetically modified crops in Africa  (Ashley Fent and
  Phil Bereano/Seattle Times)

BUSINESS, INDUSTRY & ECONOMY

• Stocks open lower ahead of election (AP/Kitsap Sun)
• Operator of ex-state liquor stores blames state, competition for closures (Peninsula Daily News)
• Small ports in peril: Federal cuts mean less dredging (Longview Daily News)

COURTS, CRIME & LAW ENFORCEMENT

• Attorneys to add WSDOT to lawsuit (Ellensburg Daily Record)
• Yakima County asks city to combine jail efforts (Yakima Herald Republic)
• Woman abused by former Yakima County deputy files $10 million claim (Yakima Herald Republic)

EDUCATION (K-12) & SCHOOL SAFETY

• EDITORIAL: Seattle must do more to improve special education (Seattle Times)

EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS & SERVICES

• Emergency missions up in Washington as storm season looms (Oregonian)

ENERGY & UTILITIES

• Bellingham becomes ground zero in debate on coal exports (AP/Seattle Times)
• Update of power grid in Inland Northwest has begun (The Spokesman Review)

ENVIRONMENT & NATURAL RESOURCES

• Washington parks seek funding certainty (The Columbian)
• OPINION: Climate change: Do we hear the alarm ringing? (Daniel Jack Chasen/Crosscut)

FAMILY ISSUES

• Request alarms local adoptive families (The Columbian)

HANFORD

• Study to look at Hanford risk factors for beryllium disease (The Tri-City Herald)
• DOE takes a step back from changes to Hanford Advisory Board (The Tri-City Herald)

HEALTH CARE

• What you need to know about health care and the 2012 election (Seattle Times)
• Ballot puts plenty at stake for health care, taxes, Medicare (AP/Spokesman Review)
• In-vitro fertilization is only available to active-duty military (The Spokesman Review)
• Why you might pay twice for one visit to doctor (Seattle Times)

LOCAL GOVERNMENT

• Eastside cities’ proposed budgets reflect more stable revenue (Seattle Times)
• EDITORIAL: Thumbs up to Pasco City Council for vote to annex (The Tri-City Herald)
• EDITORIAL: Smoke-free public housing good for health, safety and costs (The News Tribune)

MILITARY

• Navy, contractors have much to lose if automatic cuts kick (Kitsap Sun)

POLITICS

BALLOT MEASURES

• OPINION: Rick Steves on why he is co-sponsoring Initiative 502 to legalize marijuana (Rick Steves/ Seattle Times)
• COLUMN: Independent-minded Washington poised to lead again (Joel Connelly/Seattle P-I)
• EDITORIAL: Referendum 74’s canned opposition (Seattle Times)

 

ELECTIONS

• Election results? Get ready to wait (Seattle Times)
• This year’s election could be epic for state (Everett Herald)
• Complaints follow Republicans’ offer to deliver voters’ ballots (Seattle Times)
• Big names, big money define Washington state elections (AP/The News Tribune)
• Democrats complain about new King County GOP’s ballot drop-off tactic (Seattle Times)
• BLOG: Mail voting woes, heavy-duty voter contact, Romney and Sandy (Joni Balter/Seattle Times)
• OPINION: Tuesday: The big races look close (Chris Vance/Crosscut)
• COLUMN: And now, 27 bold predictions for this election season (Peter Callaghan/The News Tribune)
• EDITORIAL: Need a reason to fill out that ballot? We’ll give you 10 (The News Tribune)
• EDITORIAL: Change deadline on vote-by-mail (Longview Daily News)

 

LEGISLATURE

• $1 million each spent in two bitter legislative races (Everett Herald)

 

LOCAL

• Ferndale considers property, gas tax hikes in 2013 budget (The Bellingham Herald)
• Bond issue would fund new schools for Tacoma (The News Tribune)
• Local campaign efforts down to the wire (Yakima Herald Republic) Auditor: Last-minute Whatcom County voters may want to use drop boxes (The Bellingham Herald)
• Clackamas County ballot tampering investigation (The Columbian)

 

STATE

• Political Smell Test: McKenna’s ‘love’ of Disneyland not the issue (The Olympian/The News Tribune)
• Inslee, McKenna chart divergent paths to ensure ballots are sent (Seattle Times)
• Tab for governor’s race: $46 million (Seattle Times
• Scandal Erupts as Inslee Accuses GOP of Fraud Plan – Yet Dems Did Same Thing in 2010 (Washington State Wire)
• BLOG: Whiff of Rossi-Gregoire ’04 in the air? Democrats lodge early protest over King County GOP’s collecting of ballots door to door (Brad Shannon, The Olympian/The News Tribune)
• OPINION:  Rob McKenna should have done more to reduce state lawsuit payouts (Rebecca Roe/ Seattle Times)

 

NATIONAL

• Who gave the most money to Obama and Romney in your neighborhood? (Puget Sound Business Journal)
• Presidential campaign packed with promises (AP/Seattle Times)
• Obama leads; Romney with chance in electoral race (AP/Seattle Times)
• Fact-checking Obama and his allies (Yakima Herald Republic)
• Fact-checking Romney and his allies (Yakima Herald Republic)

 

TRANSPORTATION

• Edmonds parking deal may help Sounder ridership (Everett Herald)
• Ferry dock construction means disruptions in Port Townsend (Peninsula Daily News)
• Parking plans for CRC are a city issue (The Columbian)