Tags: The Impact

With a week and one day to go in the legislative session, I sat down with Speaker Pro Tempore Jeff Morris to talk about the unresolved issues heading down the stretch.  He gave great insight into negotiations over a constitutional amendment on bail and called on the governor to wield influence in the debate. The business community will also be interested to hear about last-minute proposals to offset sharp increases to workers’ compensation and unemployment insurance rates.

On the tax front, I talk with Senator Randy Gordon and Rep. Ross Hunter.  Rep. Hunter gave a big plug to the power of public testimony.  You’ll hear about changes to the tobacco tax proposal after yesterday’s Finance Committee hearing. You’ll also learn where the House and Senate have found common ground.

In our weekly committee segment, we have Sen. Rosemary McAuliffe and Rep. Bruce Dammeier talking about education: basic education reforms, Race to the Top reforms, math and science graduation requirements, drop-out prevention, and early learning.

You can watch The Impact Wednesday nights at 7:00 p.m. and 10:00 p.m. on TVW.

Tags: bail, taxes, The Impact, unemployment insurance, workers' compensation

I’ve just finished taping interviews for The Impact. First, I did a compare and contrast of the Senate and House budgets and then talked with Rep. Kelli Linville, the House’s main budget writer, and Sen. Joe Zarelli, ranking Republican on Senate Ways & Means. With the delay of the House Finance Committee’s proposed tax package, we don’t know exactly how the House plans to raise $857 million in new revenue. But I did learn that Rep. Linville would support a temporary sales tax versus the “menu” approach of cobbling together tax exemptions. For his part, Sen. Zarelli said neither chamber has done enough in the reform department.

As for government reform, we examine a number of ideas:  GA-U (temporary assistance for the disabled who can’t work), liquor store conversions, Department of Printing closure, DSHS abolishment, and natural resource agency consolidation.  The governor’s legislative director, Marty Brown, sat down with me to explain her stance on these issues.  While Gov. Gregoire proposed a more modest version of  natural resources reform, you should tune in to hear what the governor thinks of Sen. Rodney Tom’s more ambitious proposal.

Finally, in our weekly committee segment, we have senators from the Natural Resources, Ocean and Recreation committee.  The discussion brought into focus new ideas on how to manage state marine resources, a plan to turn forest biomass into energy (we’ll explain biomass in the show), and the pros and cons of increasing some permitting fees.

You can watch The Impact Wednesday nights at 7:00 p.m. and 10:00 p.m.

Tags: natural resources merger, taxes, The Impact

Another busy week. Here’s a few videos you may have missed. That’s what the weekend is for.

Gov. Chris Gregoire’s tax package unveiling:

The intense Fish and Wildlife Commission confirmation hearing for David Jennings.

The hearing on the “Clean Water Act of 2010″ to triple the hazardous waste tax to 2 percent: (more…)

Tags: 960, Budget, governor's tax proposal, hazardous waste tax, Inside Olympia, The Impact

We have just passed the halfway point of this 60-day session, and Tuesday evening is the cutoff for policy bills.  So, which issues are winning and which ones are losing?  I just got back from interviews with House Majority Leader Lynn Kessler and House Minority Leader Richard DeBolt.  Rep. Kessler tells me her caucus has moved forward on most of their priorities this session:  education, public safety, and job creation. And just when you may have thought the liquor privatization issue was dead, Rep. Kessler says House Democrats are looking more closely again at releasing some controls on the booze business.

On the Republican side, Rep. DeBolt says his caucus is happy with the education reform package that builds on reform work from last session. However, he’d like to see an “education-first” budget formula put into place.  He also applauded the bipartisan work on public safety bills to address the string of deadly police shootings last year.  But his list of grievances is long on the budget and taxes.

Coming up this week on The Impact, I’ll go through the major issues that have drawn attention this session from education to jobs.  In studio, blog reporter Niki Reading and Spokesman-Review reporter Jim Camden will provide analysis.  We’ll also look at the twists and turns of the budget debate and the Democratic divide over how to raise taxes.

You can watch The Impact Wednesday nights at 7:00 p.m. and 10:00 p.m.

Tags: liquor privatization, taxes, The Impact, TVW

I’m back in Olympia today working on legislation to make pre-school/early learning part of Basic Education in Washington State.  On Friday, I was on the road in Oregon, tracking down the lawmakers who supported and opposed the tax increases passed by voters last week:  Measure 66 raises taxes on high-wage earners and  Measure 67 raises the state’s corporate minimum tax.  When I sat down with Oregon’s Senate President Peter Courtney, he was still expressing shock over the victory for his side, saying “this has totally caught a lot of us off guard, including those of us who worked so hard on it because one minute to 8:00 [p.m.], I thought we weren’t going to win it.  I just thought – I just know the sky is falling.”

A month-long special session in Oregon begins today, and lawmakers will not have to figure out where to trim $750 million from the budget.  With Washington lawmakers grappling over how to fill a $2.6 billion budget shortfall, we examine what Oregon’s vote could mean about the tax climate in Washington.  What can our lawmakers learn from Oregon’s approach?  Sen. Courtney shares what he thinks was the key to convincing the public to raise taxes in a recession.

Back on the early learning front, I’m talking with a range of lawmakers on their various proposals.  Tomorrow, I’ll visit a state-subsidized pre-school to get a look at the programs already aimed at helping low-income families.   On set, I’ll be talking with Department of Early Learning Director Bette Hyde.

That’s what I’m working on for this Wednesday’s edition of The Impact, which airs at 7 and 10 p.m.

Tags: early learning, oregon tax vote, The Impact

On last night’s edition of The Impact, host Jessica Gao focused on the budget. Here, in 46 minutes, you’ll find an excellent explanation of the state budget picture and what lawmakers are considering as options:

Tags: Budget, The Impact

I’ll be blogging any news this week and next (although I won’t be around to post news on the two holidays). But: I won’t post a Thursday Q&A this week, nor will there be an Off-Set interview. Inside Olympia and The Impact are also on hiatus for the next two weeks.

We’ll all be back the first week of January — just in time to get ready for session.

Happy Holidays!

Tags: holidays, IO, The Impact, TVW

Here’s the interview I did with Mary Selecky earlier in the week about the swine flu vaccine, MRSA and more:

Watch Mary Selecky on The Impact here.

Tags: Department of Health, mary selecky, The Impact

I just spoke with Mary Selecky, head of the state Department of Health, who said more H1N1 vaccines are on the way, and should be available by mid-January.

Right now, vaccines are given to those in high risk groups: Pregnant women, people with compromised immune systems, etc. But in a few short weeks, Selecky said, there will be enough vaccine doses for those not in high-risk groups.

Tune into The Impact at 7 and 10 p.m. to see Selecky discuss rural health care initiatives.

Tags: H1N1, mary selecky, The Impact, TVW, vaccines