The prospects of avoiding a 2012 Special Session to balance the budget will likely hinge on the Senate’s appetite for budget gimmicks or the House’s willingness to back down from its proposal to kick $405 million of K-12 school payments down the road into the next budget. Unlike their Republican counterpart’s budget proposal, House Democrats today released a plan that

Seattle Port Commission President Bill Bryant is reportedly in the final stages of making a decision on running against U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), but his interest in the race has already ignited a small controversy among Eastern Washington Republicans after an email taking aim at Bryant was sent this weekend by a state legislator with ties to current U.S.

Budget writers for the House Republicans released the first legislative budget proposal of the 2012 Session today (Day 40). Though a copy of the actual budget bill is not available yet here are some of the details according to a GOP release: “Our $1.6 billion budget solution includes: $63 million in fund transfers $160 million in unspent agency funds (known

A KING 5/SurveyUSA poll of the Washington State Governor’s race released Thursday shows Republican Rob McKenna in a 10-point lead over Democratic congressman Jay Inslee, a lead that includes a healthy advantage in the central Puget Sound. Of the 572 registered voters statewide surveyed, 49 percent said they would vote for McKenna, 39 percent for Inslee and 12 percent remain

For the first time since lawmakers adjourned the “budget balancing” special session last December without actually balancing the budget, there is a glimmer of hope that they’ll be able to get the job done during the remaining 21 days of the 2012 Regular Session. This new found optimism is due to the news this week that the state caseload forecast

Washington State attorney general and Republican candidate for governor Rob McKenna has earned a 9-point advantage in the race against Democratic congressman Jay Inslee, according to a new poll by Elway Research of registered voters in Washington State. The poll results released Tuesday based on calls made the week prior found 45 percent of respondents were either strongly in favor

On Monday, Feb. 13, the Washington Families for Online Learning Coalition announced their lawsuit against the state of Washington to restore full basic education funding for online students. In the 2011 legislative session, legislators reduced the Basic Education Allocation (BEA) by 15 percent for students participating in an online public school program in lieu of a traditional public school. In

While not on the order of the love note Washington State Democrats delivered Monday to liberal activists, Republicans in Olympia today are taking credit for a gift of deceptive importance to the objective of righting the state’s fiscal ship. House Bill 2607—a proposal spearheaded by House Republicans that would require the Office of Financial Management to publish a six-year budget

Washington State’s retailers are ready to help the state Legislature balance the budget and create jobs to heal some of the financial wounds of the recession. We’ve proposed an August back-to-school sales tax holiday weekend that a new study shows would boost state and local government revenues by $12.5 million and create 1,555 jobs while giving consumers a deserved financial

On Monday, former U.S. Senator Rick Santorum will make a day trip to Washington State, according to numerous sources, riding on a three-state sweep of the this Tuesday’s Republican primary and caucuses in Minnesota, Michigan and Colorado. The presidential dark horse will hold his campaign event at the Washington Historical Museum (map it) between 7:00 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. in

It’s been 107 days since the Governor called last December’s special session declaring “timely legislative action is needed to secure the State’s fiscal health and address the shortfall in the 2011-2013 operating budget.” We are now in day 33 of the 60 day 2012 REGULAR Session without a budget plan being introduced let alone debated. Defending the lack of action

The House and Senate Ways and Means Committee have advanced two bills to help policy makers focus on the long-term impact of budget decisions. The House Ways and Means Committee advanced HB 2607: Requiring a six-year budget outlook tied to existing revenues. The Committee adopted an amendment reflecting the recommendation from my testimony that the budget outlook should be updated

Judging only by the slate of legislation allowed to reach the statehouse floor in Olympia, a casual observer might assume that Washington State is in its best times, basking in a heyday of economic prosperity and fiscal bliss in which precious legislative time can be spent guilt-free to pursue purely social objectives. Democrat-sponsored legislation to make Washington the seventh U.S.

Last Thursday was the first ever national Digital Learning Day. More than 10,000 teachers and 2 million students participated in raising awareness of the importance of digital learning. Among them was a dedicated band of online students from across Washington state. The iLearn Project and the Washington Families for Online Learning Coalition partnered to host a demonstration of online students and

As it turns out we could have one of the richest mineral deposits ever discovered in Washington State, right in our backyard here in Southwest Washington. Mount Margaret is located in the Saint Helens Mining District of Skamania County, about 22 miles southwest of Randle. The Mount Margaret deposit holds the potential for tremendous economic opportunity for Southwest Washington and

Does the Legislature really want to hear from citizens on changes to the landmark public records act voters adopted in 1972? Based on the treatment of SB 6576 (Allowing school districts to charge for the reasonable costs of responding to public records requests) one is left to wonder. Not only was SB 6576 directly referred to the Senate Ways and

As the 2012 campaign season ramps up, the gubernatorial race here in Washington between Republican Rob McKenna and Democrat Progressive Jay Inslee is already in full swing. One area that both campaigns have taken to in attempting to get their message out to voters is new media, especially the realms of Facebook and Twitter. Curiously enough, I, as an almost

As former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney continues to push forward toward a possible win of the Republican presidential nomination – riding on concurrent double-digit victories in this week’s Florida primary and Nevada caucuses—all politicians not named Romney are preparing for “the question.” The query from the political beat reporters has many variations, but goes something like this: “If asked, would