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Legislature

Bleak times: WA revenue projections plummet $1.4b

Bleak times: WA revenue projections plummet $1.4b

Washington’s expected revenues have plummeted more than $1.4 billion. Governor Gregoire will order across-the-board emergency cuts in state government spending, reportedly in the 6 percent range.  The state now has a projected deficit of about $520 million. Lawmakers and the governor already were girding for a $3 billion shortfall as they write the new two-year state budget this winter. The stunning economic news was presented by the state’s chief economist, Arun Raha, to the bipartisan legislative-administration panel called the Economic…

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Tightening the belt: Gregoire orders spending cuts

Tightening the belt: Gregoire orders spending cuts

Governor Gregoire has just inked an executive order requiring most agencies and programs of Washington state government to trim their sails some more.  The actual percentage — in the 4-to-7-percent range — will be filled in by the state budget office after the new revenue forecast is released on Thursday morning. The cuts, which take effect Oct. 1, will apply to all programs without a constitutional protection, such as basic aid-to-education, bond debt service and pensions, or federal entitlements.  A…

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Countdown to the November 8th Day of Jubilation – Part 7

Countdown to the November 8th Day of Jubilation – Part 7

My post is full of all kinds of drama and excitement today!  I have some good news, and then I have some bad news, but I’m going to end my post with some really great news.    The good news: on November 11, 1881, the Washington Territorial House of Representatives passed House Bill 103, a women’s suffrage bill by a vote of 13 to 11.  The bad news is that the measure was voted down by the Territorial Council, five to…

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Nominate a hero for Medal of Valor!

Nominate a hero for Medal of Valor!

Know somebody who recently saved a life or did something else heroic? Nominate him or her for the Washington State Medal of Valor. Secretary of State Sam Reed is accepting nominations for this medal, one of the most prestigious honors presented by the people of Washington. Nominations will be accepted until October 15. Medals will be awarded at a Joint Session of the State Legislature during the 2011 session. The Medal of Valor recognizes individuals who have risked their lives…

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Gregoire: Prepare for budget cuts and more cuts

Gregoire: Prepare for budget cuts and more cuts

Governor Gregoire is directing state agencies to make plans for possible spending cuts in the 4-to-7 percent range, beginning Oct. 1. Gregoire, sounding very sober despite a recent infusion of over a half-billion dollars in federal aid, told a Capitol news conference Thursday the cupboard is nearly bare, with this fiscal year’s projected ending fund balance now down to just $72 million (out of a $31 billion two-year budget).  As noted a day earlier, state tax receipts are lagging below…

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Revenue update: Economy limps, tax collections lag

Revenue update: Economy limps, tax collections lag

A new state economic and revenue update says the national economic recovery “appears to be stalling” and that state tax collections are lagging below expected levels. The report from chief economist Arun Raha says collections were down more than $40 million below the June forecast, bringing the total backslide for the past two months to $124.5 million. The news comes shortly after President Obama signed a $26 billion bailout for the states, including $338 million in expected federal aid for…

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Budget crisis update: Senate greenlights aid

Budget crisis update: Senate greenlights aid

Just as Washington was girding for a nasty special legislative session or across-the-board spending cuts by Governor Gregoire, Congress may at long last be riding to the rescue.  The U.S. Senate voted 61-38 in a key test vote Wednesday to jump-start a $26 billion aid package for the financially-strapped states. That  would translate into over a half-billion for Washington state. This would include $320 million in Medicaid matching funds that the Legislature had booked when it wrote the budget last…

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Countdown to the November 8th Day of Jubilation – Part 3

Countdown to the November 8th Day of Jubilation – Part 3

In 1871, Daniel Bigelow brought before the Territorial Legislature a bill granting women’s suffrage.  However,  the Legislature rejected the bill by enacting a law which declared that women could not vote until the U.S. Congress made it the law of the land.  (Dave Hastings alluded to this in his comment on my previous post.)  Here is what they said: “Hereafter no female shall have the right of ballot at any poll or election precinct in this Territory until the Congress of the United…

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Countdown to the November 8th Day of Jubilation -Part 2

Countdown to the November 8th Day of Jubilation -Part 2

In October of 1871, prominent national suffrage advocate Susan B. Anthony traveled to Washington Territory and became the first woman to address the Washington Territorial Legislature.  Anthony and Oregon suffragist Abigail Scott Duniway toured Washington Territory to promote women’s suffrage, spurring the creation of Suffrage Associations throughout the area.  Fast-forward to 2010, and plans are in the works to celebrate the 139th anniversary of Susan B. Anthony’s history-making visit this October in Olympia.  Stay tuned for more details!