With the Legislature set to convene a special session May 13, Gov. Jay Inslee, House Democrats and the Republican-dominated Senate majority will be tasked with working toward a budget deal. But that likely won’t be the only contentious matter the parties take up next month.
Two women have sued the state, alleging they were raped and molested as children by a man known to social workers to be a pedophile.
The special session of the Legislature that Jay Inslee has called for May 13 gives the new governor a second chance to leave his mark, something he was mostly unable to do in the 105-day regular session that ended Sunday.
After struggling to sway both state and federal lawmakers, proponents of expanding background checks for gun sales are now exploring whether they will have more success by taking the issue directly to voters.
Depending on when state lawmakers resume their work in a looming special session, the chase for campaign cash could kick into high gear as early as Monday — and the sooner, the better for Senate Democrats.
Gov. Jay Inslee signed a new stalking-protection law Saturday at Tacoma’s Birney Elementary School, just a short distance away from the spot where teacher Jennifer Paulson was shot and killed by an obsessive stalker three years ago.
SPOKANE — A wolf caught in the act of attacking livestock or pets in parts of Washington can immediately be killed by the property owner without a permit, the state Fish and Wildlife Commission decided Friday.
Absence makes the heart grow fonder. After eight years that often put them at odds with Gov. Chris Gregoire, Republican state lawmakers praised her to reporters Wednesday as they drew an unflattering comparison with her successor, Jay Inslee, in the two Democratic governors’ approach to end-of-legislative-session negotiations.
Entering her final year in office, former Washington Gov. Christine Gregoire found herself in a difficult spot. Indian tribes, powerful supporters of the governor, wanted stricter water pollution rules. Meanwhile, her powerful supporters in the aerospace industry – spearheaded by The Boeing Co. – were dead set against tightening the rules. Aerospace won.
Lawmakers are in crunch time for budget negotiations, but Gov. Jay Inslee went before reporters today to argue that it’s not all about the budget. With less than five days left in the regular session, the Democratic governor still wants to crack down on drunk drivers, keep guns out of the wrong hands, help young people brought to the country illegally go to college, guarantee insurance coverage for abortion, and raise taxes to fund transportation projects and maintenance.
This year’s state transportation tax proposal has looked like the chance for all the big projects that have been waiting in line behind Seattle’s behemoths, the state Route 520 bridge and Alaskan Way Viaduct replacements.
Only about 1 in 10 people who need treatment for substance abuse in Washington state are getting that help, but officials believe that could increase dramatically next January when tens of thousands more become eligible for insurance because of the new federal health care law.
Courts have struck down Tim Eyman’s efforts to make all tax increases go to public votes and to require supermajorities in the Legislature for tax increases to pass. Eyman’s latest offering would try a third way of limiting taxes.
State lawmakers are going down to the wire to negotiate a budget deal, but they haven’t even agreed on whether the numbers they’re using are real or imaginary.
Interest groups and public agencies reported spending more than $12.9 million to lobby the Legislature through March, topped by outlays from businesses, labor unions, local governments and health-advocacy groups.
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