A second special session began June 12 - House and Senate leaders are meeting to find agreement on the 2013-15 operating budget.![clip_image001[1]](http://houserepublicans.wa.gov/files/media/image/WindowsLiveWriter/CapitolBuzzMarch262012_A239/clip_image001%5B1%5D.jpg "clip_image001[1]")
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TOP STORY
- Sysco in Seattle recalling 8 tons of tainted beef (Puget Sound Business Journal)
- Beef patties recalled due to possible E. coli threat (Seattle P-I)
- Health alert issued for beef patties imported to Blaine: Canadian products may be contaminated with E. coli (Bellingham Herald)
AGRICULTURE
- Slice of Yakima: WSU research center gives cherry trees new life (Yakima Herald-Republic)
- Fuel, fertilizer prices perplex farmers (Tri-City Herald)
BUDGET & TAXES
- Economists see higher taxes as way to cut deficit (AP/Seattle P-I)
- BLOG: Gregoire: budget talks slow but two gimmicks are ‘gone’ (Brad Shannon/The Olympian)
- BLOG: Ex-treasurer Murphy sees ‘bunk’ in budget-move claims (Brad Shannon/The Olympian)
- BLOG: School, pension payments no longer stumbling blocks; ‘They’re gone’ (Jordan Schrader/The News Tribune)
- EDITORIAL: GOP right on pension reform, but don’t skip pension-fund payment (Seattle Times)
BUSINESS, INDUSTRY & ECONOMY
COURTS, CRIME & LAW ENFORCEMENT
- Lawmakers weigh major changes for parole, probation (The News Tribune)
- Police warn not to give personal info to 911 scammers (Yakima Herald-Republic)
- Pressure building at jam-packed state prisons (Seattle Times)
- OPINION: Budget issues shouldn’t delay bills fighting human trafficking (Sens. Jerome Delvin, Jim Honeyford, Curtis King/Yakima Herald-Republic)
- OPINION: Justices must put constitutional principle before political expediency (Michael Bindas, senior attorney with the Washington chapter of the Institute for Justice/The News Tribune)
DAMS
EDUCATION (K-12) & SCHOOL SAFETY
- Exercising the voice of students (The News Tribune)
- Some Snohomish parents opt out of standard tests (Everett Herald)
- COLUMN: It’s no miracle — ‘miracle schools’ cost money (Danny Westneat/Seattle Times)
- COLUNN: Charter schools are not the answer (David Sirota/Seattle Times)
- COLUMN: Working together to reverse the Law of Diminishing Capacity (Andrew E. Kelly/Seattle Times)
- COLUMN: The relationship school: An experiment in education reform (David Brooks/Seattle Times)
ENERGY & UTILITIES
- Ruling expected on Port Townsend biomass appeal (Peninsula Daily News)
- State bonds will build facilities for aviation biofuels (Spokesman-Review)
- Groups push again for ban on lead ammo (The Olympian)
- BLOG: No Coal political committee has raised $8,620 so far (Jared Paben/Bellingham Herald)
ENVIRONMENT & NATURAL RESOURCES
- State Parks may delay Worden takeover vote (Peninsula Daily News)
- Groups want feds to ban lead in hunting ammo (McClatchy Newspapers/Seattle Times)
- Avian advocates seek to ban all lead ammunition in Washington (Tri-City Herald)
FAMILY ISSUES
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT
- Herrera Beutler takes questions at community coffee (The Columbian)
- OPINION: A ‘massive fiscal cliff’ coming next December (Ted Van Dyk/Crosscut)
GAMBLING
GAY RIGHTS
- Local religious leaders on both sides of same-sex marriage debate (The Daily News)
- Gay marriage opponents not afraid to gather signatures (Everett Herald)
- OPINION: Why Obama isn’t backing gay marriage (Josh Kraushaar, National Journal/Crosscut)
HANFORD
- DOE says URS muddied Hanford investigation (Tri-City Herald)
- Hanford’s tank wastes disaster waiting to happen (Tri-City Herald)
HEALTH CARE
- Governor Signs Health Exchange Bill – Just in Time for Health Reform’s Final Test Before Supreme Court (Washington State Wire)
- Gregoire signs health insurance exchange (AP/The News Tribune)
- Justices questioning briskly in health care case (AP/Seattle Times)
- Health law battle begins today in U.S. Supreme Court (Tri-City Herald)
- Supreme Court and health care: ruling could shake up fall elections (AP/Oregonian)
- Whooping cough cases on the rise across state (Tri-City Herald)
- BLOG: Gov. Gregoire signs Healthcare Exchange bill at Olympia clinic (Christina Salerno/TVW)
- COLUMN: Obamacare’s contract problem (George Will/Seattle Times)
- EDITORIAL: Washington is right to appeal ruling allowing pharmacies not to fill Plan B prescriptions (Seattle Times)
- EDITORIAL: Health care on trial: Legal uncertainties shouldn’t detract from progress (Oregonian)
- EDITORIAL: Health plan a tough pill to swallow (The Daily News)
HIGHER EDUCATION
- Seattle community colleges may set rules for protests (Seattle Times)
- COLUMN: For states, the higher education tuition well seems about to run dry (David Sarasohn/Oregonian)
- EDITORIAL: Student loan crisis calls for mortgage-style flexibility (The News Tribune)
LEGISLATURE
- Bailey will challenge Haugen for Senate seat (Everett Herald)
- Next Big Challenge for Governor: Writer’s Cramp (Washington State Wire)
- BLOG: Session’s day 15: ‘Bowling Stinko Trophy,’ and more (Brad Shannon/The Olympian)
- BLOG: Rep. Morris wins business award; here’s how business, labor interests score our legislators (Jared Paben/Bellingham Herald)
LOCAL GOVERNMENT
MILITARY
OPEN GOVERNMENT
POLITICS
ELECTIONS
LOCAL
- GOP, Democratic party leaders duel politically (Peninsula Daily News
- EDITORIAL: GOP Wounds Self-Inflicted (The Columbian)
- People are passionate’: Pierce GOP convention pulls big crowd (The News Tribune)
STATE
- BLOG: Inslee: No to marijuana legalization initiative (Joel Connelly/Seattle P-I)
- BLOG: Roger Goodman underscores legislative experience in bid for 1st District House seat (John Stark/Bellingham Herald)
NATIONAL
STATE GOVERNMENT
- State: All-night liquor is possible (The Columbian)
- EDITORIAL: Reform State Pensions (The Columbian)
TRANSPORTATION