| HeraldNet - Snohomish County's online news source |
 TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2010 12:55 pm |
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• From a torn-up kitchen comes a recipe for health care reform February 9 • Morning mystery: What happened to House Bill 3181? February 9 • Today's forecast calls for morning tax duel February 9 • Call them the Roadkill Caucus February 9 • Traveling in a world of Blacks and Whites February 8 |
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Local • Island County • Snohomish County State • Governor • Legislature • Secretary of State U.S. • House of Representatives • Senate • White House Useful Resources • Federal Election Commission • Public Disclosure Commission • Thomas (federal legislation tracking) • TVW |
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• Three politicians who want Gregoire's job in 2012 February 7 • School levies, bonds vote may be surprise January 31 • Maybe a centerfold pose wins elections January 24 • Dull report from Washington Council on Aerospace no way to keep aerospace j... January 17 |
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From a torn-up kitchen comes a recipe for health care reform Washington Democratic Congressman Jay Inslee is known as a man of many metaphors, analogies, anecdotes and plain old good stories. One in particular, about a home improvement project, that he shared at a retreat of House Democrats may find its way into regular usage in the national debate on health care reform. Credit Washington Post columnist E.J. Dionne Jr. for sharing the tale of one congressman's kitchen remodel and his party's push for health care reform. Here's Dionne's column. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment Morning mystery: What happened to House Bill 3181? One of the larger tax increases to be sought by Democrats this session was on today's agenda of the House Capital Budget Committee for a public hearing and vote. Then it disappeared. At 3:48 p.m. Monday, the committee chaired by Rep. Hans Dunshee, D-Snohomish, issued an updated line-up for today's 2 p.m. meeting. It called for a public hearing and action on House Bill 3181 if the bill was referred to the committee. According to the bill history, it was. I'm sure there's no problem with the bill. But it will incite a hot political fight and maybe Democrats realize there's no reason to hurry into this battle today. As proposed, the bill could raise as much as $250 million a year with much of that going into the cash-starved general fund this biennium. It calls for increasing the Hazardous Substance Tax rate paid by oil refiners from 0.7 percent to 2.0 percent and pours the revenue into a whole bunch of different accounts. Here's the allocation breakdown from the staff report on the bill. (Note: This bill appears to tie the hands of future Legislatures on the allocation of dollars which I'm not sure is really kosher with some members.) Between July 1, 2010 and June 30, 2011: 20 percent is deposited in the new Storm Water Account; 1.9 percent is deposited in the Oil Spill Prevention Account; 2.05 percent is deposited in the Puget Sound Recovery Account; 2.05 percent is deposited in the new State Clean Water Account; 5 percent is deposited into the Motor Vehicle Account; and 69 percent is deposited in the State General Fund. Between July 1, 2011, and July 1, 2013: 45 percent is deposited in the new Storm Water Account; 1.2 percent is deposited in the Oil Spill Prevention Account; 2.4 percent is deposited in the Puget Sound Recovery Account; 2.4 percent is deposited in the new State Clean Water Account; 5 percent is deposited into the Motor Vehicle Account; and 44 percent is deposited in the State General Fund. Between July 1, 2013, and July 1, 2015: 45 percent is deposited in the new Storm Water Account; 1.1 percent is deposited in the Oil Spill Prevention Account; 4.5 percent is deposited in the Puget Sound Recovery Account; 4.4 percent is deposited in the new State Clean Water Account; 10 percent is deposited into the Motor Vehicle Account; and 35 percent is deposited in the State General Fund. After June 30, 2015: 70 percent is deposited in the new Storm Water Account; 1 percent is deposited in the Oil Spill Prevention Account; 9.5 percent is deposited in the Puget Sound Recovery Account; 9.5 percent is deposited in the new State Clean Water Account; and 10 percent is deposited into the Motor Vehicle Account. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment Today's forecast calls for morning tax duel Today is a big day for Democrats as they push ahead on a measure that will make raising taxes easier. This morning, the state Senate will vote sometime after 9 a.m. on Senate Bill 6843 which will make it possible to raise taxes by a simple majority vote. The bill suspends the required two-thirds majority in each chamber of the Legislature that voters imposed when they passed Initiative 960. The Senate Ways and Means Committee passed the bill Monday afternoon. I understand it was not a strict party line vote as at least one Democrat, Sen. Steve Hobbs of Lake Stevens, did not vote to send it out. (BTW Hobbs is a member of the new Roadkill Caucus of moderates.) ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment Call them the Roadkill Caucus A new faction of moderate Democrats is taking root in the Legislature in hopes of influencing the outcome of key budget and policy matters this session. They call themselves the Roadkill Caucus. My story in today's print edition. I hear there are about eight senators and 16 representatives in the group and they get together for dinner and discussions Wednesday nights. Those are large enough numbers in each chamber to prevent the majority party from achieving a majority vote on matters. Roadkill members told me they don't plan to lock up their votes in such a manner. Among the leaders of the "roadies" are House Majority Leader Lynn Kessler, D-Hoquiam, Rep. Deb Eddy, D-Kirkland, Sen. Brian Hatfield, D-Raymond, and Sen. Steve Hobbs, D-Lake Stevens. There are some, like Rep. Brian Blake, D-Aberdeen, who are open about their involvement in 'RKC' while many others prefer to keep it on the down low. This caucus is the second major faction within the Democratic majority joining the older and better known Blue-Green Caucus comprised of left-leaning members who push labor and environmental issues. There's apparently another caucus called "A Bunch of Us" made up of Senate Democrats. I've got no good intel on them but if you're one of them, let me know. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment
Traveling in a world of Blacks and Whites For many, planning a road trip these days involves stopping by a local AAA office to pick up some maps and guide books listing hotels and motels along your intended route. In 1949, in gas stations around the country, one could buy The Negro Motorist Green Book, which, as you might imagine, was a product for blacks traveling in a segregated nation. Sunday, Herald columnist Julie Muhlstein wrote about the book and found: Among Washington's listings in the 1949 edition were many hotels, restaurants, taverns and barber shops in Seattle. A closer look shows they're all in one area, mostly on Jackson and Madison streets. The 1949 Green Book had three entries for Everett, all of them “Tourist Homes.” Outside of Seattle, not a single restaurant was listed in the state. There were no entries in Eastern Washington. Her full column is here. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment
Minimum security unit prepared for mentally ill inmates Life is changing inside the state prison complex in Monroe as Herald writer Andy Rathbun reports in Sunday's print edition. "In a first for the state, the Monroe Correctional Complex will begin housing a group of mentally ill offenders next month in its lowest security setting. "By April, 90 prisoners may move into a renovated minimum security building. The group will further cement the prison's role as the state's top destination for mentally ill convicts." Here's the full story. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment Getting started on the 2012 governor's race While many folks are focused on elections in 2010, I spent a few words in today's print edition pondering the next great battle for governor in this state. In my book, Congressman Jay Inslee, Attorney General Rob McKenna and Snohomish County Executive Aaron Reardon are all behaving in ways which one could view as getting ready for the 2012 contest. Here's what I wrote. Reardon delivered an interesting State of the County address last week. At different points, he is pretty critical of how the legislative and executive branches are handling things in Olympia, especially when it comes to the issue of aerospace. You can read it here. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment
Boeing gets the love of lawmakers Today, the state Senate plans to give a huge atta-boy to The Boeing Co. and its tens of thousands of workers then pass a resolution containing many of the compliments. Copies will be sent to the company and the leading unions like the machinists and engineers. It's Senate Resolution 8676 and the prime sponsor is Senate Minority Leader Mike Hewitt of Walla Walla. The tone is quite a bit different than a now-deceased House bill vowing to take away the company's tax breaks if it builds more Dreamliners outside the state than in Everett. If you don't want to go to the link, here's the text: WHEREAS, William E. Boeing was born in 1881 in Detroit, Michigan; and WHEREAS, William Boeing left Yale Engineering College for the West Coast in 1903, the same year the Wright Brothers made their first flight at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina; and WHEREAS, William Boeing began construction of a twin-float seaplane in his boathouse in 1915; and WHEREAS, On July 15, 1916, Boeing incorporated his business and one year later changed the name to the Boeing Airplane Company; and WHEREAS, That company has grown over the past century to become the world's leading aerospace manufacturer and the largest manufacturer of commercial jetliners and military aircraft combined; and WHEREAS, Boeing also designs and manufactures rotorcraft, missiles, satellites, electronic and defense systems, launch vehicles, and advanced information and communications systems; and WHEREAS, Boeing has customers in more than 90 countries around the world and is one of the largest importers in the United States; and WHEREAS, Late last year the Boeing Company reached a major milestone with the first flight of its 787 "Dreamliner"; and WHEREAS, That tremendous achievement would not have been possible without the skill and dedication of Boeing's talented and hard-working employees; and WHEREAS, Each Boeing job supports two and a half additional jobs across our state; and WHEREAS, The aerospace industry accounts for 15 percent of Washington state's economy and one-sixth of our gross state product; and WHEREAS, There are more than 250 aerospace-related companies in Washington; and WHEREAS, there are more than 200,000 aerospace-related jobs in Washington, with direct wages totaling 5.4 billion dollars and an economic impact of 36 billion dollars; and WHEREAS, A new study shows the aerospace industry accounted for 28 percent of our state's job growth from 2004 to 2008; and WHEREAS, The Senate values these jobs and the people who hold them, and will make it a priority to ensure Washington remains the best place to design, build, and market commercial airplanes; NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, That the Washington State Senate acknowledge and honor the Boeing Company for its tremendous contributions to Washington's economy, the families of our state, and the vitality of our citizens; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be immediately transmitted by the Secretary of the Senate to Boeing Corporate Offices in Chicago, Boeing Commercial Airplanes in Seattle, the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, and the Society of Professional Engineering Employees in Aerospace. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment Major fee hike bill could arrive today One of the largest revenue-producing bills of the session is supposed to arrive today. The Environmental Priorities Coalition is planning to deliver its proposed legislation that could generate $225 million in a year into the state's general fund, most of it from the bank accounts of oil refiners. The legislation is an updated version of the per-barrel fee that had a head of steam going in the final days of the 2009 session then crashed. The major change is it will impose a major hike in the hazardous waste clean-up fee. Here's a Washington State Wire story on the subject by Erik Smith. Here's the coalition's take on what to expect when it arrives: What hasn't changed: 1. The bill is still a shared, top priority of labor, cities and counties, as well as our environmental coalition. 2. It will still help solve our state's biggest water pollution problem, stormwater runoff. 3. It still funds new jobs in the construction industry (their unemployment rate is 27%!) to build the infrastructure needed. 4. Finally, it relieves some of the pressure facing local municipalities that don't have funding for the federally-mandated clean-up projects, rather than make them look at increasing property taxes and utility rates on the individual taxpayer. Here's what's new: 1. We're changing the revenue source from a per-barrel fee on petroleum to an increase of an existing tax on polluters. 2. A portion of the new revenue would go to the state's general fund for the next few years, to help offset the painful budgets cuts facing everyone. This means that now our friends in health care and education are behind this bill too. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment
Battle on bail bill looms in House There's some chatter that on Friday the House may try to pass a constitutional amendment giving judges greater discretion in denying bail to convicted criminals facing new charges. House Joint Resolution 4220 is viewed as the one change in law that might have prevented Maurice Clemmons from being free on bail at the time he killed four Lakewood police officers. If it clears the Legislature, it will be put on the ballot for voters to decide. There's a divide among Democrats on how much leeway judges should be given. Today, the constitution allows bail to be denied only in cases of capital offenses. The proposed bill would expand it to allow judges to essentially examine the criminal history of an accused person and deny bail if it appeared they could be a threat to public safety. A number of amendments sought by Democrats would not go that far. Instead they would expand the list of crimes for which bail could be denied far less than the original bill envisions. Law enforcement officials (nor the governor) aren't fans of such a change and are watching closely to see how this plays out. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment Rep. Hunter: Don't appeal school funding ruling Rep. Ross Hunter, D-Medina, issued a statement today suggesting the state not appeal today's ruling in the school funding case. Here's the statement: "Today's court ruling doesn't tell us anything we didn't already know – the Legislature is not giving schools the money they need to provide the quality of education we want. This issue is why I ran for the Legislature in 2002 and it remains my top priority to this day. “We took an historic step forward last session when we passed House Bill 2261. We expanded the definition of basic education and committed ourselves to reworking the funding formula to make sure lawmakers pay for it. We made students and student success the basis of our new funding approach. I've said all along that when our children graduate from high school they should be prepared for jobs that don't require paper hats. Clearly the courts agree. “I don't think the state should waste money appealing this decision. It lights a much-needed fire under legislators to put education funding first.” ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment Updated: State loses round in school funding battle Updated at 11:50 a.m. with ruling attached. An important conclusion from the document: "Thirty years have passed since our State Supreme Court directed the State to provide stable and dependable funding for basic education. The State has made progress toward this Constitutional obligation, but remains out of compliance. State funding is not ample, it is not stable, and it is not dependable. Local school districts continue to rely on local levies and other non-State resources to supplement state funding for a basic program of education. Recent legislation addresses, but does not resolve, the perennial underfunding of basic education. Accordingly, the State is directed to determine the cost of amply providing for basic education and a basic program of education for all children resident in the State of Washington. The State must also comply with the Constitutional mandate to provide stable and dependable funding for such costs of basic education. Funding must be based as closely as reasonably practicable on the actual costs of providing such programs of basic education. The means of fulfilling this Constitutional mandate properly fall within the prerogative of the Legislature." A King County Superior Court judge ruled today that the state is not living up to its responsibility to fully fund public schools. That doesn't cost the state a dime today as this legal battle is surely headed to the Supreme Court. But the decision is going to be worth reading to see if it sets the stage for a costly outcome in the future. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment
UPDATE: Bills coming out today to suspend 960, hike taxes 2:30 p.m. The first major tax bill is out. Rep. Ross Hunter dropped HB 3176 and it's got lots of the goodies that I wrote about earlier (below). It's 89 pages. Here's my earlier stuff: This afternoon may bring the filing of bills to suspend portions of Initiative 960 and an early revenue package to raise as much as $389 million. As I understand, the plan is for the Senate to deal with I-960 and the House to handle the tax package. Senate Majority Leader Lisa Brown will be meeting with reporters at 3 p.m. The initiative-suspending bill getting introduced in her chamber will be the chief topic, I'm sure. A bill may be dropped in the House containing several money-raising items. If not today, almost surely tomorrow -- as sure as one can get making predictions during the session. As I understand this package will include each of the governor's proposals plus as many as seven more. The new ones include making interstate haulers pay a public utility tax while traveling on roads in the state and levying an annual excise tax on owners of airplanes. The latter change aims to treat boats and planes the same in the tax code. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment Cop to lawmakers: Don't let Washington become "cop-killing capital" Today, with resolutions and legislation, the House and Senate honored the lives and service of police officers killed in the line of duty last year. Lawmaker after lawmaker spoke, some in tears, during the sessions. In the Senate, emotions may have peaked when Pierce County Det. Ed Troyer asked legislators to ensure laws they pass can be carried out effectively. Here is an excerpt: "We need to avoid the illusion that laws enforce themselves. Often legislation is well motivated, but there are no resources to carry out the mandate. "Let's not be known as the cop killing capital of the USA here in the state of Washington. It is unacceptable, it hurts the hearts of our citizens and it will hurt our economy. Businesses will think twice about expanding or relocating a business to an area with horrendous crime. "Currently we are not supervising felons, contemplating closing prisons and jails, and law enforcement agencies are losing positions," he said. "This is a bad mix and may be creating the perfect storm. Having any legislation without funding for resources pushing the mandates down to the local agencies will provide shoddy if any enforcement behind the laws." Those were pretty strong words to be spoken. Others had the same impression that it might not have been the best time and place for delivering such a message. "This is a complex place and we're all trying to work to get the best result and sometimes inflammatory statements don't help," said Don Pierce, executive director of the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment Obama tells Dems to press on not pull back President Barack Obama, in his role as Wizard of Washington, tried today to give courage to his fellow Democrats to hold to their convictions and finish work on a number of political issues. "If anybody is searching for a lesson from Massachusetts, I promise you the answer is not to do nothing. The American people are out of patience with business as usual. They want us to start worrying less about keeping our jobs and worrying more about helping them keep their jobs," Obama told Senate Democrats. Here's an account from the Associated Press and another from the Washington Post. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment
GOP mourn loss of party leader's mom My condolences to House Minority Leader Richard DeBolt whose mother, Aurelia Jo DeBolt, died Saturday in Arizona after a short and intense fight with cancer. She was being cared for the Mayo Clinic Hospital at the time of her passing. Caucus staff said Jo DeBolt will be buried in Arlington National Cemetery because the GOP leader's father, Fred, is a retired officer of the U.S. Army. I was told that in lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial gifts to Mayo Clinic Hospital. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment Gregoire heads east to meet with Obama, FDIC leader Gov. Chris Gregoire is traveling today to Washington, D.C. where she and other governors will meet Wednesday with President Barack Obama on the issues of climate change and clean energy. She will be one of 11 governors in the room. The others are: Jim Douglas (R) of Vermont; Joe Manchin III (D) of West Virginia; Steven Beshear (D)of Kentucky; Dave Freudenthal (D) of Wyoming; Brian Schweitzer (D) of Montana; John Baldacci (D) of Maine; Phil Bredesen (D) of Tennessee; Bob Riley (R) of Alabama; Mike Rounds (R) of South Dakota and Ted Strickland (D) of Ohio. Also Wednesday, Gregoire is scheduled to meet one-on-one with Sheila Bair, the chairwoman of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, to talk about federal efforts to support community banks. Then the governor will sit down with Christina Romer, head of Obama's Council of Economic Advisers. U.S. Treasury Secretary Tim Geitner may also be in attendance. Some state Republican legislators wanted Gregoire to show up at her session with Bair carrying a copy of House Joint Memorial 4029 that calls on Obama and Congress to “actively support” community banks in making loans to small businesses and aiding the residential and commercial real estate sectors. Rep. Barbara Bailey, R-Oak Harbor, introduced the bill last Thursday. That same day it got heard and passed out of the House Financial Institutions and Insurance Committee. It did not get acted on by the full House before Gregoire's flight departed. Rep. Dan Kristiansen, R-Snohomish, told me this morning that Republicans were under the impression the governor wanted it in hand for the meeting. He said he believed House Speaker Frank Chopp intervened to prevent quick floor action. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment Roach: 'I Will Not Be Distracted' I got an e-mail at 8:04 a.m. today from Republican state Sen. Pam Roach of Auburn. In it she assures recipients that she won't be deterred in her legislative pursuits this session by the "petty politics" occurring around here. She doesn't mention the specifics that she's been booted from her caucus. The e-mail sent from a personal account repeats what she posted Friday on her personal blog, the Pam Roach Report. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment Cut-off day arrives in the House Carcasses of dead legislation are piling up in the House and will be given their procedural burial at 5 p.m. today. The life expectancy of policy bills is three days longer in the Senate. Formal cut-off day in that chamber is Friday. These are the policy bills. Most anything with money involved - whether the state spends it or collects it - are exempt from cut-off and labeled NTIB (Necessary To Implement the Budget.) Here's the calendar for key dates this session. Why are the two chambers different? You'll see the House leadership set today for policy bills while giving its appropriations committees until Friday to send legislation to the Ways and Means Committee. Next Tuesday is the deadline to act for budget committees to both chambers. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment
Obama budget prompts Gregoire to seek less in new taxes Gov. Chris Gregoire said today she will seek a smaller increase in taxes because she's confident the federal government will provide the state with at least $435 million in new money for Medicaid. Gregoire said President Barack Obama's budget proposal issued today contains funding for states that would be available between Jan. 1 and June 30, 2011. Washington's share would be $435 million. "It's what we've been waiting to hear," she said. "I am now convinced that we will be getting that Medicaid money. I feel now we should be able to assume with confidence that money will come." Gregoire's current proposed budget closes a $2.6 billion deficit using reserves, transfers, nearly a billion dollars in cuts and $780 million in revenue. Until today, she'd accounted for roughly $105 million of that total with changes in tax laws and closing tax loopholes. The remainder was booked as a combination of federal money and new revenue through taxes or fees. She said she'll subtract the $435 million from her target. When I do the math I wind up with a gap of $240 million. Gregoire is still hoping the feds will provide funds to cover the cost of the state's Basic Health Plan as well as money for keeping teachers and cops employed. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment
Tax measures pass in Oregon Oregon voters have passed two measures that will make higher wage earners and business owners pay more taxes. It appears this will generate enough revenue to help the Legislature balance the state budget when lawmakers return for their 2010 short session. From today's print edition. UPDATE: Gov. Chris Gregoire issued this statement today on the election results. Oregon voters met the challenge of these difficult times and clearly said that schools, healthcare, public safety and other essential services cannot be forsaken. It is gratifying to see that the public understands the importance of preserving services to the most needy and providing education to the next generation--especially now when those efforts are most needed. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment
If there was a photo, would 2004 have turned out differently? There are plenty of parallels between Dino Rossi's near-miss campaign for governor in 2004 and Scott Brown's successful win in 2010. Except Dino kept his clothes on as a college student. Maybe he shouldn't given Brown's victory. From my Sunday column. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment Santos uncorks tax on bottled water Democratic Rep. Sharon Tomiko Santos has introduced House Bill 3120 to tax bottled water and spend the money on public health services. Under the bill, the tax rate would be .00296 cents per ounce of bottled water. My calculations, with some outside help, mean this will be about a penny for every 3 ounces or a dime per liter. How much would this net? The Department of Revenue has estimated a penny per ounce of bottled water would generate about $135 million a year. There's a spreadsheet of DOR estimates for all types of taxes attached to this story. The tax on bottled water would be paid by the wholesaler of the product. Proceeds collected by the state would go into a new public health services account "for the purpose of funding local health jurisdictions to conduct core public health functions of statewide significance," according to the bill. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment
Lawmakers claw back at Boeing, push ahead for aerospace As noted in Michelle Dunlop's aerospace blog, Rep. Jeff Morris, D-Mount Vernon, dropped a bill Friday that takes direct aim at the tax incentives given the Boeing Co. a few years back. Morris, the Speaker Pro Tem, introduced House Bill 3107 to eliminate those tax incentives for Boeing and for "air plane manufacturers transferring substantial manufacturing operations to other states." I haven't talked to Morris yet. What I heard is the bill is his way of trying to claw back some of the $3.2 billion in incentives provided Boeing in 2003 that helped convince the company to build its 787 Dreamliner in Everett. It's obvious he's responding to Boeing's opening a second assembly line in South Carolina and doesn't want to see them get more work than us. He is not the only lawmaker responding to the South Carolina decision this session. Earlier I posted on Rep. Brendan Williams, D-Olympia, introducing House Bill 2833 seeking regular commitments from aerospace firms to support Washington's economy or lose some of their financial aid. On the other side, state Sen. Steve Hobbs, D-Lake Stevens, has a bill calling on the state to step up its efforts on behalf of aerospace companies by investing in worker training and research. Senate Bill 6678 embodies most of the suggestions made in the Washington Council on Aerospace report issued earlier this month. A link to it can be found off this item. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment
A different kind of pot tax proposal Curt Stroh of Snohomish offers a budget balancing solution in a letter to The Herald today. It has been announced that the state could be broke by September. My solution to this problem is simple. I'd start by taxing toilet paper and legalizing marijuana. Then, whenever anyone goes to use the pot, the state will make money. We'd wipe out the debt, and live high on the hog. Duh? ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment
Chopp on early cuts, future taxes and workers comp House Speaker Frank Chopp sat down with reporters this morning with much of the conversation devoted to budget-related matters. Senate Majority Leader Lisa Brown plans to meet with reporters this afternoon. Chopp previewed tomorrow's House and Senate sessions in which Democrats will be pushing legislation to make small trims in government spending. He said he is looking forward to bipartisan support in the House to pass a bill to slice $47 million in spending out of the current budget. The Senate will be considering a furloughs bill for state workers. He likes it, noting House employees began taking unpaid time off in the months preceding the 2010 session. "This is extending that same philosophy to the rest of state government," he said. On taxes, it's seems pretty clear he's not pushing for a hike in sales, property or B&O taxes but thinks there are enough loopholes to close, exemptions to get rid of and individual ones (can you say bottled water?) to get added to cover whatever the Dems want to keep funding. As far as a future infusion federal dollars, he said he's expecting there will be some but declined to say what amount is getting used for budget writing purposes. And on workers compensation he confirmed HB 2950 sponsored by Rep. Jeff Morris and supported by the Boeing Co., most business groups and even Republicans is dead as currently written. "That particular bill is not moving forward," he said, adding some of its components might be pushed as separate bills. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment Supreme Court stunner opens door for more money and hijinks in campaigns The U.S. Supreme Court issued a ruling today that could increase the amount of money spent in elections by the nation's corporations and unions. It also may force changes in Washington law limiting last-minute blasts of spending for and against candidates by interest groups. According to the Associated Press story, the court ruled on a 5-4 vote that corporations and unions may spend as freely as they like to support or oppose candidates for president and Congress. The court also overturned two of its own decision that said companies and labor unions can be prohibited from using money from their general treasuries to produce and run their own campaign ads. The decision threatens similar limits imposed by 24 states. It leaves in place a prohibition on direct contributions to candidates from corporations and unions. AP reports the decision's most immediate effect is to permit corporate and union-sponsored political ads to run right up to the moment of an election, and to allow them to call for the election or defeat of a candidate. Expect lots of reaction from near and far on this ruling. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment
Ballot may be next arena for marijuana battle As expected, today the House Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Committee did vote down legislation to legalize use of marijuana by adults. The panel also rejected a bill to reduce penalties for adults caught possessing a small amount of dope. On the legalization measure, House Bill 2401, the vote was 6-2. Three Democrats joined the committee's three Republicans in rejecting the bill. On the decriminalization proposal, House Bill 1177 the tally was 5-3. Rep. Al O'Brien, D-Mountlake Terrace, who opposed legalization did endorse lighter penalties. “Possession of a minor amount is not a big deal,” said O'Brien, a former Seattle cop. “We can save our jail space. We can save the time of our law enforcement agencies.” Now legalization backers will focus their efforts on an initiative filed for the November ballot by Sensible Washington. The measure would remove criminal penalties possessing, cultivating and using marijuana. Petitions could be available for circulation by March 1, according to the group's Web site. To qualify, the group must submit 241,153 valid signatures of Washington voters by July 2. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment
Thousands attend Rally for Life At least 5,000 people squeezed onto the steps of the state Capitol today for the annual gathering of pro-life/anti-abortion adherents. Men, women, students and infants traveled from all parts of the state to participate in what is typically one of the largest ralllies - if not the largest - held during a legislative session. The crowd included religious groups and church members from Arlington, Stanwood, Snohomish, Lynnwood, Whidbey Island, Camano Island and Bothell. Those attending cheered loudest for calls to end legal abortion and applauded warmly for state lawmakers, most of whom began their remarks by describing themselves as unashamedly pro-life. Several lawmakers urged the crowd into action against Senate Bill 6452 and a companion bill in the House dealing with information provided by workers of crisis pregnancy centers to women considering abortion. The legislation restricts what information can be collected from and shared with women who come to the centers and lays out penalties for violations. Sponsors have said their intent is to stop the flow of medically inaccurate information to those who come to the centers. State Sen. Val Stevens, R-Arlington, was one of several lawmakers decrying the bill as an attempt to put the centers out of existence. "We must stop this legislation," she said. As of today, no hearings have been scheduled for the bill. A handful of pro-choice/pro-abortion supporters gathered on the steps of the Hall of Justice for a counter protest. A bigger rally of pro-choice believers will be held at the Capitol in the coming days. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment Lawmakers propose taxing sex offenders Lawmakers this session are tossing around many ideas on how to help cities and counties raise bits and pieces of revenue. One of the latest: Registered sex offenders would pay a $65 registration fee when they move from one county into another county. Under House Bill 2883 the money would be paid to the sheriff's office to cover the costs of processing and keeping an eye on their new felon resident. The bill is awaiting a hearing in the House Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Committee. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment House panel to snuff out marijuana bills If marijuana use is going to be legalized in Washington this year, voters will have to do it because legislators won't. On Wednesday, the House Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Committee is expected to vote down bills dealing with legalization and decriminalization of marijuana. Rep. Chris Hurst, chariman of the public safety panel, told me there are not enough votes to move either bill out of committee. While amendments to one or both bills could be proposed Wednesday, he did not envision enough minds would change to alter the outcome. There are five Democrats and three Republicans on the committee. The Republicans will unite against the bills. Hurst and Rep. Al O'Brien, D-Mountlake Terrace, both former cops, each said they will oppose the bills. Hurst said votes could have been taken last week at the end of a two-hour hearing on the legislation. Sponsors of the bills requested time to ponder possible changes in response to criticism raised in the hearing. He's pushing to get the matter resolved to give backers of an initiative for legalization a clear field on which to wage their fight. The issue is not completely stubbed out in the Legislature. A Senate bill decriminalizing use is still alive though no hearings on it have been scheduled as of this morning. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment
The stimulation of the stimulus will peak this summer The Congressional Budget Office is reporting today that the boost to the nation's economy from the $787 billion American Recovery and Reinvestment Act will top out this summer. "By CBO's estimate, the economic effects of ARRA—including direct and indirect effects—will peak in the first half of 2010. After that point, the stimulus will still be adding to demand but by smaller amounts. Consequently, although it will still help hold up the levels of GDP, its effect on growth will turn negative," the report states. If Congress is looking at another package of economic stimulants, the CBO makes a couple of suggestions "Policies that could be implemented relatively quickly or targeted toward people whose consumption tends to be restricted by their income, such as reducing payroll taxes for firms that increase payroll or increasing aid to the unemployed, would have the largest effects on output and employment per dollar of budgetary cost in 2010 and 2011." Here's the report. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment Here's where $4 billion in unemployment benefits went in 2009 The state paid out nearly $4 billion in benefits to 470,231 people in 2009, according to the Employment Security Department. I've attached a spreadsheet from the department breaking the numbers down by county. You'll see $1.2 billion was paid out to 121,020 people in King County. Pierce County had the second highest number of recipients but the second largest sum of money ($513,429,203) was doled out to 54,603 unemployed workers in Snohomish County. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment
Lawmakers want Boeing to show its love to keep its tax break Legislation introduced today would require the Boeing Co. and other aerospace firms to demonstrate their loyalty to the state or face the loss of the tax breaks they receive. House Bill 2833 would, as its title indicates, require "aerospace tax incentive claimants to periodically reaffirm their commitment to the economic well-being of Washington. The declaration isn't much. According to the bill, it would read something like.. "I affirm that the . . . [full name of business] . . . expresses a commitment to the economic well-being of residents in the state of Washington." A firm that doesn't comply should have their tax break repealed, said the bill's prime sponsor, Democratic Rep. Brendan Williams of Olympia. "Washington taxpayers' dollars should not be invested in South Carolina," he told me in an e-mail. "My district includes the state capitol – and it's Olympia, Washington, not Columbia, South Carolina. If my Republican colleagues swear allegiance to Mark Sanford and not our state's taxpayers that's their choice. " The bill has 14 sponsors, all Democrats, including three whose districts include part of Snohomish County - Reps Mike Sells of Everett, Hans Dunshee of Snohomish and Maralyn Chase of Edmonds. For those who remember, Williams stirred up things late in the 2009 session with a bill pertaining to lobbyists that took aim at Boeing's representatives who lawmakers said were constantly talking about leaving Washington if certain legislative changes weren't made. The bill, which is still alive, said no lobbyist (of any company) could: "Threaten any legislator, or any government official, with the relocation of manufacturing jobs including, but not limited to, jobs involving commercial airplane manufacturing, based upon the outcome of any pending or proposed legislation." ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment
Here's some dope on marijuana initiative Tim Eyman filed an initiative Monday to require a two-thirds majority vote in the Legislature to approve new or higher taxes. He wasn't the only one filing an initiative. A newly formed organization filed its paperwork with the Secretary of State's Office asking voters to let adults legally grow and smoke marijuana. The measure, in a nutshell, would "remove all criminal penalties under Washington law for the adult use, possession and cultivation of marijuana," according to a statement issued by the group behind the measure, Sensible Washington. From a press release issued by the group: "It's time for a bold move,” said Douglas Hiatt, an initiative co-author and Seattle attorney who has long defended medical marijuana patients in the state. “The state legislature has proven year after year that it cannot and will not protect the rights of medical marijuana patients and the right of average citizens who use marijuana recreationally and responsibly. So it is now time to put the question of marijuana legal reform directly to the voters.” Two bills are before the state Legislature dealing with decriminalizing as well as legalizing its use. A hearing on them is set for Wednesday as I noted in this earlier post. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment Holiday sales push state tax receipts above predictions With consumers spending more than expected, Washington tax collections exceeded projections in the last two months. Revenues collected between Dec. 11, 2009 and Jan. 10 totaled $69 million, which is 7.3 percent higher than predicted in a state revenue forecast issued in November. The "cumulative variance" is $51.8 million or 2.1 percent above what Arun Raha, executive director of the state Economic and Revenue Forecast Council put in his November forecast. From the council's latest collection report: Holiday sales between Thanksgiving and Christmas grew a higher than expected 3.6 percent over last year's dismal numbers according to MasterCard Inc.' s SpendingPulse unit. It is the first sign we have seen in a long time that consumers are opening up their wallets again. Pent up demand from buyers denying themselves anything other than essentials for over a year, and better inventory management by retailers that precluded deep discounting have led to several chains raising their earnings forecasts this week. What is encouraging about the earnings results is that while value chains like Aeropostale, Ross Stores and Costco posted double digit gains, so did upscale stores like Nordstrom‟s and Saks. The report acknowledges most of the positive variance in December is due to a change in the timing of property tax payments described below, "the cumulative variance would be positive even without the variance in property tax." Here's the full report. Raha noted Monday that it's not much when the looming budget deficit is $2.6 billion. But it's the first "positive variance since I have been chasing the numbers down for a year and a half,” he told the Senate Economic Development, Trade and Innovation Committee. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment
Inmates say they want to cast ballots Herald Reporter Andy Rathbun went to the state prison in Monroe to find out if inmates cared about the federal appeals court ruling letting them cast ballots from behind bars. They do. Here's his story. and the reader reaction that followed. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment A peek at Boeing's deal in South Carolina News reports over the weekend state The Boeing Co. will pay the homeowner's tax rate on its South Carolina property where it will produce Dreamliner aircraft one day soon. No dollar amounts were disclosed, but Boeing said Friday it would pay Charleston County 4 percent on its real and personal property for 30 years, the same rate as for an owner-occupied home, according to The Post and Courier of Charleston. Industrial taxpayers are typically assessed at 10.5 percent, but a spokeswoman for the manufacturer said the deal wasn't uncommon. Here's the account from the Associated Press and a lengthier report in The Post and Courier. The Charleston County Council is slated to vote on aspects of the deal Jan. 12. But apparently the company is urging the details be kept secret. From today's edition of the Charleston paper Public officials are set to approve millions of dollars of tax breaks and grants promised to Boeing Co., but Charleston County Council members learned that the details of what they've been asked to bless may not be released for up to a year. Site work already is under way for Boeing Co.'s new 787 Dreamliner production line, which is set to open in 2011 at Charleston International Airport near the aerospace giant's existing fuselage plants (background). That request for secrecy came from Boeing, which has asked that incentive details be kept under wraps until well after the elected officials vote on them. Despite having signed a nondisclosure agreement, county officials and council members previously said they expected to release the details after the incentives were approved. Council is scheduled to take a final vote on the incentives Jan. 12. Some details of the local and state inducements, pegged at about $450 million, to lure a Boeing 787 aircraft assembly plant to the area have trickled out. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment |
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- A revolutionary 747
- Fire breaks out at Everett car dealer
- Everett rethinks boutique wineries
- A tidy lawn could be law in Lynnwood
- Snohomish County's bargain housing won't last
- Boeing's 747-8 takes off after weather delay
- Plan for I-5 closures this week
- A new bowling alley for Monroe?
- Lake Stevens man homeless after fire
- I-5 bridge joint may give you a jolt, but it isn't damaged
- A tidy lawn could be law in Lynnwood
(10) - Vote on school levies by Tuesday (10)
- Everett police officers cleared in 2008 shooting death (5)
- 1949 travel aid shows how few places blacks were welcome in Washington (4)
- I-5 bridge joint may give you a jolt, but it isn't damaged (4)
- Everett rethinks boutique wineries (4)
- Three politicians who want Gregoire's job in 2012 (3)
- Toyota has powerful D.C. friends (3)
- Snohomish County's bargain housing won't last (3)
- Life story: Man fought depression courageously, family says (3)
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