A second special session began June 12 - House and Senate leaders are meeting to find agreement on the 2013-15 operating budget.
For more information, contact: Lisa Fenton, Communications Director: (360) 786-7728
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BUDGET & TAXES
- States fight back against Amazon.com’s tax deals (Seattle Times)
- McKenna blames state budget stalemate on House speaker (Seattle Times)
- Rob McKenna leaps into fray over state budget (Everett Herald)
- McKenna criticizes House Speaker over bill votes (AP/The Daily News)
- BLOG: McKenna calls for budget reforms, slams Chopp (Jim Camden/Spokesman-Review)
- BLOG: McKenna touts ‘new direction’ on budget (Brad Shannon/The Olympian)
- BLOG: McKenna pushes for reforms, says House Speaker is blocking bill votes (Christina Salerno/TVW)
- BLOG: Eyman pushing new two-thirds vote lid on taxes (Brad Shannon/The Olympian)
- BLOG: Day 22: Rep. Reykdal says revenue still needed (Brad Shannon/The Olympian)
- OPINION: Education and basic services work together to create brighter futures (Jon Gould, deputy director, Children’s Alliance and Novella Fraser, president of the Tacoma-based Washington State Parent Teachers Association/The News Tribune)
BUSINESS, INDUSTRY & ECONOMY
- 41 Thurston businesses apply to sell hard liquor (The Olympian)
- OPINION: Regulations are strangling Greece (Don Brunell/The Columbian)
COURTS, CRIME & LAW ENFORCEMENT
- Gov. Gregoire signs anti-trafficking bill (Daily Sun News)
- New Snohomish police chief has high hopes (Everett Herald)
- Richland police use stun gun in bank robbery (AP/Everett Herald)
- Loophole in law let teen drive big rig in crash (AP/Everett Herald)
- Former WACO employees plan to sue (The Olympian)
- EDITORIAL: How to win Yakima’s fight against graffiti (Yakima Herald-Republic)
DAMS
EDUCATION (K-12) & SCHOOL SAFETY
- BLOG: Sumner shows up in national school ‘cheating’ report, defends record (Matt Misterek/The News Tribune)
- COLUMN: School reformers should take a look at Tacoma (Peter Callaghan/The News Tribune)
- EDITORIAL: Federal school lunch act an opportunity to improve (Tri-City Herald)
ENERGY & UTILITIES
- BP To Import Fuel From Asia To Cover Wash. Refinery Outage (Oregon Public Broadcasting/Crosscut)
- Avista seeking increase in rates (Spokesman-Review)
ENVIRONMENT & NATURAL RESOURCES
GUN RIGHTS
HANFORD
- Workers dig deep to clean up contaminated soil at Hanford (Tri-City Herald)
- Rainwater exposes waste chemicals at Hanford (AP/Kitsap Sun)
- Occupy Portland takes aim at Hanford nuclear plant with April 15 rally in Richland, Wash. (Oregonian)
HEALTH CARE
- State Health Exchange Moves Ahead (Washington State Wire)
- Report: Washington’s least healthy counties still fair well nationally (The Daily News)
- WA health secretary updates pertussis outbreak (AP/The Daily News)
- OPINION: State lawmakers
should set aside risky pension-reform proposal (Ed Gonion/Seattle Times) - EDITORIAL: A lesson in public-school health coverage from Oregon (Seattle Times)
HIGHER EDUCATION
- State seeks fresh approach from new higher-ed council (Seattle Times)
- Governor recognizes Big Bend students in Olympia (Columbia Basin Herald)
- Junior colleges safe from new budget cuts (Peninsula Daily News)
LEGISLATURE
- Walla Walla lawmaker has stomach tumor removed (Tri-City Herald)
- BLOG: Lawmakers told to return to Olympia on Wednesday for possible floor action (Christina Salerno/TVW)
- BLOG: Public hearing, possible vote scheduled for nine bills in House budget committee (Christina Salerno/TVW)
LOCAL GOVERNMENT
- New plan protects city’s iconic views (The Olympian)
- Gig Harbor, Milton denied appeal for countywide flood district tax (The News Tribune)
- BLOG: Tacoma: City spokesman clarifies council members weren’t told details of questionable budget transfers (Lewis Kamb/The News Tribune)
MARIJUANA
POLITICS
BALLOT MEASURES
ELECTIONS
LEGISLATURE
LOCAL
STATE
- Gregoire calls a special election to replace Inslee for a month (AP/Seattle Times)
- With Jay Inslee moving on, newly redrawn First Congressional District boasts fierce competition (Seattle Times)
- BLOG: Gregoire orders election in the ‘Flying 1st’ (Joel Connelly/Seattle P-I)
- BLOG: Finkbeiner: Would sitting in alphabetical order make the Washington state Senate more cooperative? (Peter Callaghan/The News Tribune)
NATIONAL
SECURITY
TRANSPORTATION