Budget impasse has state workers fretting

Pam Olekas, a records clerk at Olympic Corrections Center in Forks, remembers getting paychecks in the form of IOUs as a California prison system employee when that state went without a budget more than two decades ago.

Lawmakers still tinkering with budget plans

As lawmakers debate how much money to spend on schools and state government, the budget proposal by House Democrats represents the high-water mark — one that even they cannot meet.

Under the Dome: Today is Saturday, April 27, the 104th day of the 105-day legislative session.

Quoted:"There's a glaring lack of protection for religion in state law."~Sen. Sharon Brown~R-Kennewick, on a bill that would allow businesses the right to deny services or goods if they felt doing so was contrary to their “sincerely held religious beliefs, philosophical beliefs, or matters of conscience.” Brown’s bill is a response to lawsuits filed against a Richland florist who denied service to a gay couple for their upcoming wedding.

Under the Dome: Today is Friday, April 26, the 103rd day of the 105-day legislative session.

Quoted:"It's been very liberating for me. I've gone from riding the pine to playing 48 minutes every game. So, it's a lot different."~Sen. Tim Sheldon, D-Potlatch, during Thursday’s Majority Coalition Caucus press conference. Sheldon, a conservative Democrat, was comparing his current leadership position in the Senate’s majority caucus to his days caucusing with his own party.

Under the Dome: Today is Thursday, April 25, the 102nd day of the 105-day legislative session

Quoted:"You know, Mr. Speaker, I've never given your nose much attention, but since the lady from the 30th (district) brought it up, it quite nice."~Rep. Brandon Vick~R-Vancouver, during Wednesday's floor debate on a $900 million tax package. Vick was referencing an earlier comment by Federal Way Republican Rep. Linda Kochmar, who compared the proposed tax hikes to cutting off your nose to spite your face.

Budget impasse has state workers fretting

Pam Olekas, a records clerk at Olympic Corrections Center in Forks, remembers getting paychecks in the form of IOUs as a California prison system employee when that state went without a budget more than two decades ago.

Special session tally: 30 days, 0 bills, $77,000

OLYMPIA, Wash. — The Legislature's first overtime session this year tied the record for the most unproductive gathering of lawmakers in state history. That doesn't mean it didn't cost taxpayers.

Murray’s military sexual assault piece stays in bill

Sen. Patty Murray’s proposal requiring the Armed Forces to train advocates to help sex assault victims moved forward this week as an amendment to Congress’ primary defense bill, setting it up for adoption later this year.

Online sales tax might help state, but it’s not a simple matter

Online shopping soon might become more lucrative for state government. Even if Congress doesn’t open the Internet to state sales taxes, a more modest change is brewing in Olympia — but drawing some of the same opponents.

Supreme Court rejects idea of patenting natural human genes

WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court ruled Thursday that naturally occurring human genes may not be patented, potentially opening up commercial and scientific terrain to more freewheeling exploration.

Area's members of Congress seek NSA information

Puget Sound lawmakers are not ready to say whether they believe the National Security Agency’s newly disclosed vast sweeps of Internet communications and phone records violate constitutional privacy protections, though some are pushing the Obama administration to reveal more information.

State House passes estate tax fix

OLYMPIA, Wash. — The Washington state House on Thursday approved a legislative fix to a court ruling on the estate tax, a move meant to prevent issuing millions of dollars in refunds that were set to start going out Friday morning.

Heck’s reverse mortgage bill makes it through House

WASHINGTON — The Federal Housing Administration could limit the size of initial lump-sum payments that lenders offer reverse mortgage borrowers and require escrow accounts to cover taxes and insurance, under legislation the House passed Wednesday.

Leaders agree on gas tax; transportation differences remain

The Republican transportation leader in the state Senate has prepared his own version of a gas-tax and fee-raising plan that could be taken up in the second special session that begins Wednesday.

Gun control advocates submit state ballot initiative

Advocates seeking to expand the use of background checks on gun sales submitted a Washington state ballot initiative Tuesday, taking a new approach after both federal and state lawmakers passed on similar proposals.