Reps. Morris and Lytton help out a local business

In the flurry of activity earlier this week you may have missed that the House of Representatives unanimously approved House Bill 2179, which will give city councils the responsibility to review liquor license applications.

The measure was introduced by 40th Legislative District Representatives Jeff Morris and Kris Lytton after a small family business in Mount Vernon was denied a liquor license by the city’s then-mayor for no clear reason.

Hearing of the incident, Rep. Morris wrote to our state’s Liquor Control Board and asked them to reverse the mayor’s decision. The mayor eventually changed his mind and Rep. Morris began working with Rep. Lytton to ensure that this wouldn’t happen to another business in Washington. 

“Liquor license applications should always be reviewed at the local level, but there is a huge risk for abuse when your rest this authority with one person,” said Morris. “These changes ensure that the process is democratic and fair.” 

The bill now moves to the Senate for consideration, and you can track its progress here.

To read this story in Spanish, click here.

The incredible shrinking budget

Yes, it’s true: Relative to the state’s economy and to residents’ income, the state general fund budget is considerably smaller today than it was 15 to 20 years ago – and the spending plan for the current, 2011-13 biennium will be downsized even more in the Legislature this session.

The findings about budget trends come from the Economic Opportunity Institute, a non-profit, nonpartisan think tank in Seattle. And as state spending has shown a relative decline, so has state government employment, with the number of state workers per capita in Washington lower than it has been for more than 10 years.

 So, if you’re looking for budget cuts and slashed government payrolls, look no further: It’s already happening, and has been for years.

To read an extended post on this subject, click here.

To read this story in Spanish, click here.

WA Whiteboard: Is Washington a high-tax state?

Who’s hungry for a little myth busting; perhaps a truth sandwich? 

“Taxes are out of control” and “state spending is reckless” are bread-and-butter arguments from some quarters. Rep. Marko Liias wants 90 seconds of your time to talk about state and local taxes here in Washington:

And now that their butter argument is dispelled, don’t forget the Liias whiteboard from last session challenging their bread issue, state spending:

To read this story in Spanish, click here.

Town Halls are happening in your district this weekend!

For a PDF of this schedule, click here.
To view this schedule in Spanish, click here.

1^st LEGISLATIVE DISTRICT:

Reps. Luis Moscoso & Derek Stanford

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 18

Time:   10:00 – 11:30 AM – Mountlake Terrace

Place:   Mountlake Terrace Library

            23300 58^th Avenue West

            Mountlake Terrace, WA

                        AND

Time:   1:00 – 2:30 PM

Place:   Cascadia Community College

            UW Bothell Mobius Hall

            18345 Campus Way Northeast

            Bothell, WA

3^rd LEGISLATIVE DISTRICT:

Reps. Tim Ormsby & Andy Billig

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 18

Time:   10:00 AM – 12:00 PM

Place:   West Central Community Center Auditorium

            1603 North Belt

            Spokane, WA

 

11^th LEGISLATIVE DISTRICT

Rep. Bob Hasegawa

 

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 18

Time:   10:00 AM – 12:00 PM

Place:   Tukwila Community Center Social Hall

            12424 42^nd Avenue South

            Tukwila, WA

 

21^st LEGISLATIVE DISTRICT

Reps. Marko Liias & Mary Helen Roberts

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 25

Time: 10:30 AM

Place:   Mukilteo Library

            4675 Harbour Pointe Boulevard

            Mukilteo, WA

                        AND

Time:   1:30 PM

Place:   Edmonds Council Chambers

            250 Fifth Avenue North

            Edmonds, WA

 22^nd LEGISLATIVE DISTRICT

Reps. Sam Hunt & Chris Reykdal

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 18

Time:   12:30 – 2:30 PM

Place:   Chambers Prairie Elementary

            6501 Virginia Street Southeast

            Lacey, WA

 

23^rd LEGISLATIVE DISTRICT

Reps. Sherry Appleton & Drew Hansen

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 18

Time:   10:00 – 11:30 AM

Place:   Eagle’s Nest

            Kitsap Fairgrounds

            1200 Northwest Fairgrounds Road

            Bremerton, WA

                        AND

Time:   1:30 – 3:00 PM

Place:   Poulsbo City Hall

            200 Northeast Moe Street

            (3^rd Avenue Northeast)

            Poulsbo, WA

 

24^th LEGISLATIVE DISTRICT

Reps. Kevin Van De Wege & Steve Tharinger

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 17

Time:   5:00 PM

Place:   J.T. Sweet Stuffs

            80 North Forks Avenue

            Forks, WA

            (hosted by Rep. Van De Wege)

                        AND

Time:   5:00 PM

Place:   Quilcene Community Center

            294952 Highway 101

            Quilcene, WA

            (hosted by Rep. Tharinger)

                        AND

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 18

Time:   11:00 AM

Place:   PA Senior & Community Center

            328 East Seventh Street

            Port Angeles, WA

 

27^th LEGISLATIVE DISTRICT

Reps. Jeannie Darneille & Laurie Jinkins

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 18

Time:   10:00 AM – 12:00 PM

Place:   The Evergreen State College

            Lyceum Hall

            1210 Sixth Avenue

            Tacoma, WA

29^th LEGISLATIVE DISTRICT

Rep. Connie Ladenburg

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 18

Time:   10-:00 AM – 12:00 PM

Place:   Pacific Lutheran University

            Garfield Book Co. Community Room

            208 Garfield Street, Suite 101

            Tacoma, WA

 

35^th LEGISLATIVE DISTRICT

Rep. Kathy Haigh

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 18

Time:   10:00 AM – 12:00 PM

Place:   Shelton Civic Center

            525 West Cota Street

            Shelton, WA

 

41^st LEGISLATIVE DISTRICT

Reps. Judy Clibborn & Marcie Maxwell

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 18

Time:   10:00 – 11:30 Am

Place:   Hazelwood Elementary

            7100 116^th Avenue Southeast

            Newcastle, WA

                        AND

Time:   1:30 – 3:00 PM

Place:   Mercer Island High School

            9100 Southeast 42^nd Street

            Mercer Island, WA

 

44^th LEGISLATIVE DISTRICT

Rep. Hans Dunshee 

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 18

Time:   10:00 AM – 12:00 PM

Place:   Mill Creek City Hall

            15728 Main Street

            Mill Creek, WA

                        AND

Time:   1:00 – 3:00 PM

Place:   Lake Stevens Community Center

            1808 Main

            Lake Stevens, WA

 45^th LEGISLATIVE DISTRICT

Reps. Larry Springer & Roger Goodman

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 18

Time:   1:00 – 2:30 PM

Place:   Sammamish City Hall

            801 228^th Avenue Southeast

            Sammamish, WA

 

47^th LEGISLATIVE DISTRICT

Rep. Pat Sullivan

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 18

Time:   11:00 AM – 12:30 PM

Place:   Cutters Point Coffee

            16739 Southeast 272^nd

            Covington, WA

 

48^th LEGISLATIVE DISTRICT

Reps. Ross Hunter & Deb Eddy

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 18

Time:   10:00 AM – 12:00 PM

Place:   Redmond City Hall

            Council Chamber

            15670 Northeast 85^th Street

            Redmond, WA

State budget gets second shot of good news this month

The state revenue collections are looking up for the first time since the spring of 2010, giving state budget writers a second bit of good news for the month.

The Economic and Revenue Forecast Council met this morning and adopted a revised forecast for the current biennium and the first forecast for the 2013-15 biennium.

In the current biennium, revenues are expected to grow by about $45 million.  The forecast shows an increase of about $96 million, but $51 million was part of the budget proposal adopted in December 2011.  That funding was due to HB 2169 which dealt with earlier collection of unclaimed property. 

Last Wednesday it was announced that a reduction in the demand for state services has saved the state around $340 million.  All this good news has reduced the current budget shortfall from about $1.5 billion to more like $1.1 billion.

"It's the first positive forecast we've had in nearly two years," said House Ways and Means chair Ross Hunter, "so of course I'm happy to see it.  However, much of the uptick is due to policy changes we made in December.  We're still fighting the effects of the recession and need to temper our optimism with caution."

Seattle leads America in online generosity

Everyone knows Washington is a world leader in online sales, because we’re home to a thriving high-tech sector and great global businesses like Amazon.com.  But in Washington, we’re not just about money-making.  

The Puget Sound Business Journal reports that a new study from Convio shows Seattle is the most generous city in America when it comes to online charitable giving. Despite the economic challenges inflicted by the global economic downturn, Seattleites made more than 134,000 online donations worth a total of $17 million in 2011—a 44 percent leap over 2010.

What is more, the average online donation from Seattleites averaged about $125—nearly twice the national average of $65 per donation.

It’s one more proof that Seattle is a great city with a big heart.

To read this story in Spanish, click here.

What lived and what died?

A lot of bills met the end of the road yesterday at the 5:00 pm House of Origin cutoff.  According to legislative rules, no non-fiscal bill can be sent to the opposite chamber after that cutoff.

783 bills were introduced in the House this year, and 88 were still in the Rules committee from last session (the first year of the biennium.)  Of those, only 257 were sent to the Senate by the close of business yesterday.  And a  good many of those survivors will not make it through the Senate process and end up on the governor's desk next month.  Such is the life of a good little bill trying to become a law.

So what is still alive?  Major Democratic priorities kept moving:

• The Jobs Now proposal is exempt from cut-off and expected to be heard in committee soon after the revenue forecast later this week.
• We took the next steps in implementing the federal afforable care act.
• Important education reform to improve outcomes for students advanced.
• We updated the state's environmental protection act.
• A package of bills to crack down on drunk drivers and another that helps improve foster care in our state.

Transportation, capital,and operating budgets are still to come.

You can read more about these and other priorities that are advancing here.

To read this story in Spanish, click here.