Tag Archives: WA 2011 Legislature
Medical-marijuana bill passes, governor threatens veto
The Senate passed the House-amended version of a bill to regulate and license medical marijuana dispensaries in Washington state, but Gov. Chris Gregoire still isn’t going to sign anything that would put state employees at risk of violating federal law … Continue reading
Posted in Associated Press, The Seattle Times
Tagged Crime, Drugs, Politics, WA 2011 Legislature
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Governor unfazed that cop killer attended signing
When the governor signed into law a bill prohibiting motorcycle profiling last week, she was unaware that a man who had been convicted of killing an Oregon police officer 30 years earlier was standing a few feet away. She says … Continue reading
Posted in Associated Press, The Seattle Times
Tagged Crime, Governor, Politics, WA 2011 Legislature
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State capital budget hinges on debt-limit amendment
Two senators have introduced a bipartisan constitutional amendment to reduce the state’s debt limit and reduce the portion of the operating budget that goes toward paying off debt service, which is already more than 6 percent. To ensure its passage … Continue reading
Posted in Associated Press, The Seattle Times
Tagged Budget, Politics, WA 2011 Legislature
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Workers seek outside options to end tax breaks
Since Democrat legislators (almost certainly) can’t wrangle the two-thirds majority vote to change tax preferences or cut tax exemptions, labor groups have introduced their own initiatives to direct the resulting tax revenue toward education and social services. Power to the … Continue reading
Posted in Associated Press, Bloomburg BusinessWeek, The Seattle Times
Tagged Budget, Politics, WA 2011 Legislature
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To ease budget cuts, Dems seeking to end tax breaks
Thank Tim Eyman and the passage of I-1053 last fall for imposing the two-thirds majority vote requirement on any measure to change or raise tax preferences. With I-1053 in place, it will be virtually impossible for Democrats to close tax … Continue reading
Posted in Associated Press, Bloomburg BusinessWeek, The Seattle Times
Tagged Budget, Politics, WA 2011 Legislature
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WA lawmakers have less than 2 weeks left
Another Where Things Stand, looking at what measures have lived or died at this second legislative cutoff deadline. For non-budget bills to continue on, they had to be heard in the floor of the house opposite where they started by … Continue reading
State Senate OKs bill tying teacher evaluations to layoffs
Under current statute, when budget cuts necessitate reductions in force (RIFs), it’s the newest-hired teachers who get cut loose. Sen. Rodney Tom, D-Medina, amended a broad education reform bill to propose that teachers who score lowest on performance evaluations be … Continue reading
Posted in Associated Press, The Seattle Times
Tagged Education, Politics, WA 2011 Legislature
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Wash. bill regulating medical marijuana advances
Washington voters made medical marijuana legal in the state in 1998, but because federal law still finds marijuana for any use to be illegal, the methods by which patients accessed the drug have existed in a legal gray area for … Continue reading
Posted in Associated Press, The Seattle Times
Tagged Drugs, Politics, WA 2011 Legislature
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Higher ed takes a beating in upcoming budget
Weekender: Higher education has come out the loser in the past few budget cycles, with state universities and colleges losing about half of their state support since the beginning of the 2009-2011 biennium if the current budget proposals pass. This … Continue reading
Posted in Associated Press, Bloomburg BusinessWeek, The Seattle Times
Tagged Budget, Education, Politics, WA 2011 Legislature
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Think tank sues Wash. gov. in public records case
There are over 300 exemptions to Washington’s broad-sweeping public disclosure act, but conservative think tank The Freedom Foundation says the governor’s office is citing one that doesn’t exist when it withholds documents: executive privilege. The foundation is suing Gov. Chris … Continue reading
Posted in Associated Press, The Seattle Times
Tagged Politics, Public Records, WA 2011 Legislature
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Molly Rosbach 