With a great deal left undone, the Washington State Legislature adjourned sine die this evening, two days ahead of the deadline for adjournment of an odd-year regular session fixed in the Washington State Constitution. The Democratic-controlled House and Republican-controlled Senate remain far apart on an operating budget for 2015–2017, and haven’t yet finished working on […]
Tag: Budgeting
Posted inEconomic Security, Education, Legislative Advocacy, Policy Topics
Lake Washington teachers latest to walk out in protest of inadequate education funding
Teachers in the Lake Washington School District — which serves 26,700 students in NPI’s hometown of Redmond along with the neighboring cities of Kirkland and Sammamish — have voted to walk off the job on Wednesday, May 6th in protest of the Legislature’s completely inadequate response to the Supreme Court’s McCleary decision, and its refusal […]
Posted inLegislative Advocacy
Analysis: State Treasurer’s grand tax reform plan is fatally flawed, shouldn’t move forward
Yesterday, State Treasurer Jim McIntire — who is responsible under state law for managing and overseeing the investment of the public’s money — unveiled a rather grand and ambitious plan for reforming the state’s tax code, which he says he hopes will be a “conversation starter”. The plan would dramatically alter Washington State’s tax structure […]
Posted inEconomic Security, Legislative Advocacy, Policy Topics
U.S. Senate passes $1.1 trillion, giveaway-stuffed “cromnibus” bill in late night vote
Earlier this evening, following in the footsteps of the House of Representatives, the United States Senate passed the massive appropriations bill that has become known as the CRomnibus, sending the legislation to President Barack Obama, who is prepared to sign it without delay. The final vote was fifty-six to forty; four senators did not vote. The […]
Posted inBreaking News, Economic Security, Legislative Advocacy, Policy Topics
U.S. House passes massive appropriations bill laden with gifts for Wall Street and K Street
A short time ago, the United States House of Representatives narrowly voted to pass a mammoth-sized, Republican-engineered appropriations bill loaded with goodies and gifts for Wall Street and K Street. Nicknamed the CRominbus (continuing resolution + omnibus appropriations bill), it would keep most of the federal government open till September, but at an unacceptably high cost. […]