Legislature

State budget gap widens

An additional $760 million in hoped-for state revenue evaporated in the latest economic forecast, and lawmakers began talking up the pros and cons of tax increases to help plug a budget shortfall now estimated at $2.7 billion.

Renovations ramp up at O’Brien site

Some workers say they could feel jackhammers pounding in the basement. Others noticed dust on their upstairs windows and desks, or grit in the air. Still others smelled fumes from welds or construction compounds.

Eyman plans next ballot measure

Professional initiative promoter Tim Eyman says he’ll be back next year with another ballot measure, and how state lawmakers handle taxes in January will have a lot to do with what he proposes.

New agency for open records?

A state task force on open records issues has agreed unanimously that the Legislature should create a new Office of Open Records that can sort out public-records disputes.

State will break Aetna contract

The state Health Care Authority says it is scrapping a contract with insurer Aetna, which had planned to take over administration of the popular Uniform Medical Plan for state employees in 2010.

Judge finds that contracting rules aren't legal

A state appeals court upheld a finding Tuesday that invalidated three of the Department of General Administration's rules for contracting out state services to the private sector.

Smith wants more savings in health bill

U.S. Rep. Adam Smith said President Barack Obama did a good job of talking about those who have health insurance and are at risk of losing coverage during his speech Wednesday night.
• 'Tea Party' rally set for Saturday
• We'll pass health bill, Dems say

Labor groups blast top party

A few of Washington’s major labor groups say they are mad as heck and don’t want to take it any longer – and this time, they’re talking about their friends in the Democratic Party.

State not alone in using creative budget tricks

Here's one creative way that state lawmakers helped balance Washington's troubled budget: They assumed public employees will stay on the job longer – and die sooner than expected once they finally retire.

Referendum 71 could be close

Social conservatives who organized the Referendum 71 challenge to domestic-partnership rights for same-sex couples turned in fewer signatures than initially thought.

Same-sex rights may see vote

A political fight over the rights of same-sex couples is drawing nearer in Washington.

Lawmaker touts town hall twist

OLYMPIA – State Rep. Brendan Williams says his experiment with a telephone town hall meeting Tuesday night was a success, drawing a peak audience of 336 listeners at one point in the hourlong event.

Reed says ballot ruling is needed

Secretary of State Sam Reed’s office disputes a lawsuit that questions how secure voters’ secret selections are in Washington.

Secret ballot threatened, suit alleges

A lawsuit filed Tuesday in the state Supreme Court is aimed at blocking the use of bar codes on election ballots in Washington because they could be used to identify a voter’s choices.

A new kind of town meeting

Olympia Rep. Brendan Williams says he hopes to save taxpayer money and have a better talk with voters Tuesday evening using a telephone town hall and live-blog discussion of issues.