Under the dome - Feb. 14

Today is the 32nd day of the 60-day legislative session.

QUOTED

"We'll find out how much money we have to work with on Friday. We're trying to be as conservative as possible."

— Rep. Kathy Haigh, D-Shelton, talking about the revenue forecast due at the end of the week and House Appropriations' plans to release a budget next Wednesday or Thursday. Haigh hopes to put more money into high school skills centers such as New Market in Tumwater.

TODAY

The Coalition for the Homeless plans a march with 300 people from The United Churches to the Capitol today. The event starts at 10:30 a.m.

Also today:

•Washington Community Action Network has a rally and mock marriage between small businesses and health care reform at the Capitol Rotunda. The 11:45 a.m. event highlights House Bill 2537, which makes changes to 2007 legislation that set up a future "connector" for selling subsidized insurance to small businesses and employees.

•Common Ground Coalition breakfast at 7:30 a.m., Columbia Room.

NOTEWORTHY

Two flood-relief bills have passed in the House Finance Committee and await a vote in the full House, according to Republican Rep. Richard DeBolt, the chief sponsor of both measures.

They are:

• House Bill 3137, which offers a three-year exemption from the state share of property taxes for property damaged by the December flooding. A home would qualify if its assessed value drops by at least 10 percent.

• House Bill 3138, which provides a sales- and use-tax exemption for rebuilding residential structures damaged in 10 counties by the December flooding. Thurston, Lewis and Grays Harbor counties are among the qualifying areas.

The latter bill carries a price tag of more than $28 million in state property taxes and would reduce local government receipts by $9.4 million, according to a bill analysis.

Also co-sponsoring the bills were Democratic Reps. Sam Hunt and Brendan Williams, both of Olympia, and Republican Rep. Jim McCune of Graham.

UPDATE

A survey released Wednesday by NARAL Pro-Choice Washington showed that more than 10 percent of pharmacies or pharmacists fail to stock or dispense the Plan B emergency contraceptive in Washington.

"This project really shows that this issue is much bigger than Ralph's Thriftway in Olympia, and affects countless more women statewide," NARAL's state leader, Karen Cooper, said in a statement that released the survey findings.

The group has issued a Web-based, interactive map that shows which pharmacies in Washington either don't stock or refuse to provide customers with Plan B. The map is available at http://prochoicewashington.org/issues/pharmmap.shtml.

The study found 7.4 percent of pharmacies queried did not stock Plan B, and 3 percent of pharmacies had a pharmacist who refused to dispense it.

The release came on the eve of a U.S. District Court hearing in Tacoma on Friday morning to consider motions related to a pending legal case pitting the owners of Ralph's and state Pharmacy Board regulators.

At issue is a preliminary injunction against the Pharmacy Board and its investigation into allegations brought by several women that the family-owned supermarket and pharmacy has refused to dispense the medication in keeping with state laws. Judge Ronald Leighton's order last fall said the state cannot enforce the rules against Ralph's and any other pharmacist or pharmacy.

Attorneys for Ralph's and reproductive-rights activists on the other side both are asking Leighton to amend his order.

Brad Shannon, The Olympian; news services