Latest deadline in Washington Legislature fells more bills

More legislation fell by the wayside Friday, February 28, in the Washington Legislature, including bills on signature gathering for ballot initiatives, free school meals and ballot box tampering.  Friday was the deadline for bills to pass through fiscal committees, like Senate Ways and Means and House Appropriations. With a multibillion-dollar deficit hanging over the session, […]

RIP: Bills that didn’t survive the WA Legislature’s Policy Committee deadline

OLYMPIA—Bills dealing with cow burps, the state flag, and changes to police traffic stop standards are among the first to land in the legislative graveyard this year in Olympia.  This session, lawmakers in the state House and Senate have introduced nearly 1,800 bills. To stay alive, much of that legislation needed to get voted out […]

Making sense of Washington state’s multi-billion-dollar budget hole

OLYMPIA (The Washington Standard)—Washington state’s budget is, to put it nicely, in a world of hurt. There’s a big gap between what the state is collecting in taxes and what it needs to pay for its commitments in education, human services, health care, corrections and other day-to-day government operations. On paper, the chasm is billions […]

Protestors to Governor Inslee: Let us work!

By Mario Lotmore | Lynnwood Times Staff Washington State Patrol estimated 2,500 demonstrators Protesters were critical of Governor Inslee’s lockdown policies and lack of a plan for reopening Washington Legislative powers to extend the “Stay Home, Stay Healthy” order is only applicable to state statues in Subsection 2 of RCW 43.06.220 Proclamations not associated with […]