The Impact will not be airing at its regularly scheduled time of 7:00 p.m. and 10:00 p.m. tonight, as we’re preparing for tomorrow’s marathon Sine Die show.  The show will air from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. whether or not lawmakers decide to go into special session (which appears to be a forgone conclusion according to this blog post by Inside Olympia Host Austin Jenkins).

Since I didn’t spend the day doing in-studio interviews for a show tonight, I was able to attend the Republican media availability at noon.

Senate Minority Leader Mike Hewitt told reporters that Democrats are having trouble negotiating a final budget because the “political winds are leaning toward conservatives” and they’re afraid to vote.

Asked if the legislature can’t agree on a budget, could and should the Governor step in and make across-the-board cuts, House Minority Leader Richard DeBolt said it would be an “abdication of responsibility as a legislature…the public should be offended if that happens.”

Is a 60-day session enough time to deal with the enormity of this budget problem?  The Senate Republican’s budget leader, Joe Zarelli, said the legislature has “one-party control, and you’d think we could agree”… but there’s been a “distracted approach to handling all the problems.”  He points to the income tax bill that was dropped late last week, which did not garner widespread support among Democrats and “served absolutely no purpose,” according to Sen. Zarelli.

I hope to talk with all three of the aforementioned lawmakers during tomorrow’s show.  Here’s a list of the other state leaders I have scheduled (or am trying to schedule):

• Governor Chris Gregoire
• Randy Dorn, Superintendent of Public Instruction
• Victor Moore, Governor’s budget director
• Eldon Vail, Department of Corrections Secretary
• Susan Dreyfus, DSHS Secretary
• Peter Goldmark, Public Lands Commissioner
• Reps. Lynn Kessler, Gary Alexander, Mary Lou Dickerson, Cary Condotta, Steve Conway, Kirk Pearson, Ross Hunter, Judy Clibborn and more…
• Sens. Lisa Brown, Ed Murray, Mary Margaret Haugen, Jeanne Kohl-Welles, Rosemary McAuliffe, Adam Kline, Jim Kastama, Randi Becker, Mike Carrell, Janea Holmquist, Dan Swecker, Rodney Tom,  and more…

Of course, these are all subject to change.

Gov. Chris Gregoire will be on the show at 9:00 a.m., followed by analysis with Austin Jenkins and blog reporter Niki Reading.  The Impact will be on the air during breaks in floor action until 7 p.m.

Tags: Impact, special session, TVW

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

There’s too much good stuff in these interviews to summarize.

Tags: Inside Olympia, TVW

Get the popcorn!

Here’s The Impact, which includes an excellent explanation of the public safety bills and another on human trafficking:

(You can watch an Off the Set interview with The Impact guest Chris Hurst in the post below.)

And here’s Inside Olympia, where Austin Jenkins talked with lawmakers who have served in the police force. It’s a great interview about public policy and public safety:

Tags: Public Policy, public safety, TVW

Right now, the bills to legalize marijuana are playing live on TVW and streaming on our web site. And about 1,000 people all over the world are watching.

Here’s a list of the countries of origin of people watching right now, courtesy of our web department:
Australia, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, Germany, Estonia, France, Ireland, Japan, Korea and, of course, the U.S.

In fact, the number of people watching is about the same as the number who watched Gov. Chris Gregoire’s State of the State address yesterday.

Here’s a screen shot of the map. I will say it looks way more impressive in person, in the TVW web team’s control room.

Tags: marijuana, TVW

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

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

On The Impact tonight, host Jessica Gao is focusing on schools:

Federal Way Public Schools lost its “fair funding” lawsuit, after the State Supreme Court overturned a lower court ruling in favor of Federal Way.  As it sits at the bottom of the funding allocation bracket, the district argued that funding formulas set back in the late 70s violate the state constitution’s provision for a “general and uniform system of public education.”

Tonight, Gao talks with Randy Dorn, the State Superintendent of Public Instruction, about what the ruling means for the future of education funding.  Dorn also gives us a preview of a major policy speech he’s scheduled to make on Thursday.  You’ll  hear some specifics on his new plan to raise the bar on math and science.

Plus, the Washington State Board of Education is developing proposed legislation to require state intervention in persistently low performing school districts. Gao looks at how the plan would work, how it would be funded, and whether it could be a sustainable, long-term solution.

The Impact airs tonight on TVW at 7 and 10 p.m.

Tags: education, The Impact, TVW

If you’re interested in Referendum 71, mark your calendar for next Wednesday at 7 and 10 p.m. Jessica Gao, host of The Impact on TVW, will interview gay rights activists and others about Referendum 71. The referendum, which would extend all state-granted rights and responsibilities of marriage to same-sex domestic partners, is passing. (Updated tallies are coming at 4:30, so check back.)

Gao’s segment will cover what happens next, what the impact across the state will be (and won’t be) and more. Don’t miss The Impact — Wednesday at 7 and 10 p.m. on TVW.

Tags: The Impact, TVW

Here’s what’s on The Impact tonight, from host Jessica Gao:
A final report was just released outlining recommendations for closures to prisons and Juvenile Rehabilitation Administration facilities. We outline the options from the initial draft report and go in depth with lawmakers on the impact to communities. They speak frankly about how they feel budget cuts are putting the entire corrections system in jeopardy years down the road.

Also, the U.S. Senate voted today to extend unemployment benefits for an additional 20 weeks in high unemployment states like Washington. We talk with Employment Security Department Commissioner Karen Lee about the need for the benefits extension and other ways the state is helping the unemployed get back to work. Commissioner Lee has also recently been elected president of the National Association of Workforce Agencies. She tells us how she’s using her position to influence workforce development policy on the national level.

The Impact airs on TVW at 7 and 10 p.m. tonight. Don’t miss it!

Tags: The Impact, TVW