The 2013 regular session adjourned April 28. A special session began May 13 - budget writers and caucus leadership are negotiating an agreement before other members are called back to Olympia to vote on a final budget.
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
BUDGET & TAXES
- It took a long time, but state’s budget is finally balanced again (AP/The News Tribune)
- State budget not perfect, but area lawmakers satisfied (Yakima Herald-Republic)
- Southwest Washington lawmakers discuss new state budget (The Columbian)
- Budget to pay for 2 Pasco rail projects (Tri-City Herald)
- Both sides win issues in hard fought state budget (Spokesman-Review)
- State lawmakers pass budget, adjourn OT session (AP/The Daily News)
- In the Capitol: Reform bills play key role in long-awaited Washington state budget deal (Oregonian)
- State budget includes grant for downtown Longview streetscape project (The Daily News)
- Capital projects budget clears path for new LCC building (The Daily News)
- Kitsap Public Utility District gets a little less from capital budget (Kitsap Sun)
- BLOG: Legislature passes supplemental budget (Christina Salerno/TVW)
- BLOG: State gains $25M in April revenue report (Brad Shannon/The Olympian)
- BLOG: Budget spares Western State wards from closure (Jordan Schrader/The Olympian)
- BLOG: March tax collections for Washington state are essentially flat (but since “flat” is the new “up” the report is good news) (Peter Callaghan/The News Tribune)
- BLOG: The “Buffett Rule” — Democratic money tool (Joel Connelly/Seattle P-I)
- COLUMN: Taxes are for the common good (Jerry Large/Seattle Times)
- EDITORIAL: State budget deal a triumph of the middle (Seattle Times)
- EDITORIAL: Voters should support school-construction projects (Seattle Times)
- EDITORIAL: Legislators Finally Agree (The Columbian)
- EDITORIAL: Congress needs to clarify rules for online sales taxes (Oregonian)
BUSINESS, INDUSTRY & ECONOMY
- Consumer agency backs off plan to limit credit card fees (AP/Bellingham Herald)
- WA Liquor Board reconsidering 2 a.m. closing time (AP/The News Tribune)
- Boeing to highlight 787 with flyover at PGA S.C. event (Puget Sound Business Journal)
- Port plans tear-down, redevelopment of PenPly site (Peninsula Daily News)
- Rep. Herrera Beutler hears small-business concerns in Woodland (The Daily News)
- BLOG: Top business group praises session ‘reform’ bills (Brad Shannon/The Olympian)
COURTS, CRIME & LAW ENFORCEMENT
ENERGY & UTILITIES
- Utilities battle over renewable energy credits (Tri-City Herald)
- Wash. nuclear plant a step closer to new license (AP/The Daily News)
ENVIRONMENT & NATURAL RESOURCES
- Experts sleuth out what killed Puget Sound orca (AP/The Daily News)
- Study blames ocean CO2 for oyster declines (AP/The Daily News)
FAMILY ISSUES
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT
HEALTH CARE
- K-12 health insurance deal may not rein in costs (AP/The Daily News)
- Did the Supreme Court misunderstand a major provision of the health care law? (AP/Oregonian)
- OPINION: Modern medicine has made the private insurance model problematic (Caroline Poplin, physician and lawyer, is a consultant to Social Security Administration/The News Tribune)
LEGISLATURE
- Lawmakers wrap up session after marathon give and take (Seattle Times)
- Why lawmakers took so long for a last-minute finish (Everett Herald)
- Legislators wrap things up after lively year (Everett Herald)
- BLOG: Session 2012: 5 bills that lived and 5 that died (Brad Shannon and Jordan Schrader/The Olympian)
- BLOG: Lawmakers say their goodbyes (Jordan Schrader/The News Tribune)
- BLOG: In the fog (smoke?) of war, cigar bars again fail to become law (Peter Callaghan/The News Tribune)
- BLOG: Legislature staggers out into light of day (Zachariah Bryan/Crosscut)
- COLUMN: Everybody loves a winner (but losers are kind of fun too) (Peter Callaghan/The News Tribune)
LOCAL GOVERNMENT
- Pair of Olympia planning board members angry over losing seats (The Olympian)
- Bainbridge Island, Wash., bans plastic bags (AP/Seattle P-I)
- Bainbridge bans plastic bags (Kitsap Sun)
MARIJUANA
MEDIA
MILITARY
POLITICS
BALLOT MEASURES
ELECTIONS
LEGISLATURE
STATE
- Inslee raises $550k, but now McKenna can fundraise (AP/The Olympian)
- Sen. Patty Murray pushes "Buffett Rule" tax on millionaires (Seattle Times)
- Tab for special election up in air (Everett Herald)
- BLOG: AG race: Ferguson catches Dunn with March fundraising (Brad Shannon/The Olympian)
- BLOG: Insurance chief Kreidler makes 4th term run official (Brad Shannon/The Olympian)
- BLOG: Washington Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler will seek reelection (Peter Callaghan/The News Tribune)
- BLOG: Insurance Commissioner seeks fourth term (Joel Connelly/Seattle P-I)
NATIONAL
- OPINION: Whispering campaigns (Kathleen Parker/ Everett Herald)
- EDITORIAL: Tighter Focus for the GOP (The Columbian)
STATE GOVERNMENT
TRIBES