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Legislature

WA lawmakers heading into special session Tuesday

WA lawmakers heading into special session Tuesday

Gov. Chris Gregoire has called Washington lawmakers back into special session, starting next Tuesday morning, urging them to show bipartisan cooperation as they write a state budget that bridges a $5 billion spending gap. The regular 15-week session wound to a close Friday and lawmakers still have at least two more weeks of work to do on the operating and construction budgets and related bills, House and Senate leaders said at a joint news conference with the governor.  The Senate will…

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WA suspends 2012 prez primary, saving $10 million

WA suspends 2012 prez primary, saving $10 million

Washington lawmakers have approved a plan sponsored by Secretary of State Sam Reed and Gov. Chris Gregoire to suspend the 2012 presidential primary, to save over $10 million. The state will use the Iowa-style precinct caucus-convention process as the fallback system, and will return to conducting the more broadly based presidential primary in 2016. The House voted 69-28 on Tuesday in support of the Senate-passed plan, which was forwarded to the Governor for her signature.  The Senate vote earlier in April…

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Will Senate ax money-saving program??

Will Senate ax money-saving program??

As everyone anticipated, the two-year operating budget plan offered by the Senate this week has plenty of cuts. That’s expected since the Legislature has to fix a $5 billion-plus budget deficit. But one cut in the Senate spending plan that raised eyebrows was the elimination of a small program that pays big dividends in saving tax dollars. It’s called the state Productivity Board, which is part of the Office of Secretary of State’s Special Programs Division. Since its creation in…

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WA Senate releases bipartisan budget plan

WA Senate releases bipartisan budget plan

The Washington Senate has released a bipartisan budget plan for the next two years, a $32.1 billion proposal that closes a multibillion-dollar spending gap with a broad array of spending cuts and freezes, but no new general taxes. For the first time in memory, the proposal was rolled out by both the majority budget chairman, Democrat Ed Murray of Seattle, and the ranking minority budget leader, Republican Joe Zarelli of Ridgefield.  They said it reflects views of a majority of…

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Wee bit o’ good news: WA tax collections up $5 million

Wee bit o’ good news: WA tax collections up $5 million

Washington’s wobbly economy has generated an unexpected $5.1 million in tax collections over the past month, exceeding the projections of last month’s revenue forecast. That’s not much in the context of a $32 billion two-year state budget and there are still plenty of warning signs on the horizon as the state weathers both national and international concerns, says a new report out today from the Washington Economic and Revenue Forecast Council. Total revenue is up 10.2 percent, year-over-year.  The increase is…

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Estimated 7,000 demonstrators visit State Capitol

Estimated 7,000 demonstrators visit State Capitol

Photo courtesy of Washington State Archives As expected, a large crowd of union workers and other demonstrators descended on the State Capitol Friday to protest possible state operating budget cuts. (The House this afternoon is starting floor debate on its version of the 2011-13 operating budget.)  According to the Seattle P-I, 7,000 people converged on the Capitol Campus.

Red ink: House offers $32 billion cut-laden budget

Red ink: House offers $32 billion cut-laden budget

Majority House Democrats have unveiled a $32.4 billion state budget that incorporates $3.2 billion in assorted cuts, a 3 percent salary reduction and higher medical contributions for public employees, pension reforms, and more. The no-new-taxes budget for the next two years was the first draft to surface in the Legislature since a new revenue forecast knocked another $800 million hole in the budget last month, bringing the total gap to over $5 billion.  Tax collections have lagged as the state and…

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More red ink: WA revenue forecast drops $778m

More red ink: WA revenue forecast drops $778m

Washington’s glacial economic recovery is still bleeding red ink.  The state Revenue Forecast Council has just cut more than $778 million from the estimate of expected tax revenue, driving the state’s projected deficit to about $5.1 billion. That compares with the current $30 billion two-year state budget.  Lawmakers have been cutting spending for the past several years and recently adopted cuts for the current fiscal year.  Budget Director Marty Brown said there is still a gap of about $200 million…

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The day John L. O’Brien was honored

The day John L. O’Brien was honored

For many newcomers to the Legislature and the Capitol Campus, the John L. O’Brien Building (or JLOB, as it’s known in “acronymese”) is simply the name of the building where most of the state representatives’ offices are located, as well as public hearing rooms, and House committee and caucus staffs’ offices. But old-timers well remember the man for whom the building is named. O’Brien, a Seattle Democrat, served 26 two-year terms in the House, including four terms as House speaker….

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Senate passes key elections bill

Senate passes key elections bill

Legislation that would help ensure that our state’s military and overseas voters can vote in our elections has cleared a key hurdle. The Senate voted 47-1 Friday morning to pass this important elections bill requested by Secretary Reed. Senate Bill 5171 would move Washington’s Primary Election two weeks earlier, to early August, to ensure that Washington complies with a new federal law requiring military ballots to be mailed 45 days before Election Day. ESSB 5171 also would count military and…

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