Yet again, the State Government is looking for ways to cut the deficit, and yet again, they are going to extraordinary lengths to avoid having to raise taxes or close loopholes. more ›

Happy end-of-the-special-legislative-session day! Here's what else is going on: charges for the man accused of running down some pedestrians in Fremont, high schoolers make their voices heard, taller buildings for Roosevelt and some alleged terrible child-rearing. more ›

It's the first day of the State Legislative session in Olympia, and Occupy Seattle is taking their show on the road to make sure budget-slashing legislators hear from the 99%. more ›

You made it! It's Friday. Here's what to talk about over happy hour. more ›

In a city like Seattle with a vibrant Chinatown/International District neighborhood, it may be easy for some to forget (or remain unaware of) the historical wrongs which affected its population. The U.S. Senate's unanimous approval of Resolution 201 yesterday, which apologizes for anti-Chinese discriminatory laws—most notably the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882—may change that. more ›

Amanda Knox is still in court, lawmakers are still padding their own pockets, and the Mariners are still hoping to put together a team that won't suck. What else is new? more ›

Initiatives, agreements and amendments, oh my. Today, everyone was in talks and meetings--and some came out smelling like roses. more ›

Following through on our promise/threat to do whatever it takes to ensure that 4Culture ends up being funded by the end of the special legislative session happening as we speak, we bring you word on the latest bill making the rounds in Olympia: SB 5961. This is a new bill created by State Senators in the wake of SB 5958's failure to pass by one vote. more ›

Washington State is going to have a new 10th congressional district in 2012, and you'd be surprised by one of the people interested in representing it. more ›

She's baaaaack! Amanda Knox is making headlines again, plus bad financial times for the State, as well as for Libyan students. more ›

The USPS may not be perfect (ahem, yard pooping), but they're now the only way you can cast a vote anywhere in Washington State. Thanks a lot, Pierce County. more ›

Last week, the State House released its proposed 2011-2013 budget, one that slashes $4.4 billion in spending from education and health care, sparking protests and outrage. Last night, the Senate's Ways and Means Committee released their own, and it doesn't look too good, either -- it cuts $5.3 billion in spending and, unlike the House's plan (which raises money through leasing out the state's liquor distribution), it does not include any plans for raising revenue. more ›

State democrats introduced a house bill today that would repeal "certain tax exemptions" to bring in extra money to fully fund K-3 class-size reduction. more ›

As of around noon today, two to three thousand people were already gathered by the Capitol just today to protest cuts to state education and health services without closing certain tax loopholes. more ›

Olympia's sleepover party, SPD crackin' down (again), and avalanches over the pass. Just a preview of more news to come for your Thursday. more ›

A state operating budget for 2011-2013 was proposed in the State House Ways and Means Committee -- one that slashes $4.4 billion in spending, most notably from education -- $485 million of the cuts came from higher ed. The state is facing a $5.3 billion deficit. more ›

The worst thing about not being in school anymore is that you no longer have an excuse to take field trips. Even the most boring museum or lamest play becomes awesome when it's an interruption from the tedious life of a middle school student. Want an excuse to take an educational and democratic break from the tedious life of an adult? Head on down to Film Day. more ›

So what happened this week? Well, it was beautiful, and then it wasn't. It freakishly snowed and we collectively shook our fists at the sky. more ›

The Evergreen State College takes great pride in the geoduck. The school has so much admiration for the animal that they made it their mascot and the school's motto, Omnia Extares, (Latin for "let it all hang out") is at least partially intended as a reference to the creature's phallic appearance. Even the school’s alma mater sings the geoduck’s praises. more ›

Not so fast on the Mayor Nickels-bashing, claims the P-I. Turns out charges that he costs the city by not playing well with Olympia may be overblown, because Seattle’s legislators aren’t very good at helping Seattle themselves. more ›

There will be no special legislative session to take care of lawmaker odds and ends. What kind of fun are our legislators missing out on? more ›

Publicola is feeling grim about the legislative session's taxes vs. deficit paralysis, and boils down the basics with a look at Rep. Eric Pettigrew’s (D-37, S. Seattle) sales tax bill. It called for an increase of three-tenths of a percent, and Publicola says its failure—"with a $13 million cut to children’s health care, a $75 million cut to low-income care for hospitals, a $28 million cut to mental health care among other cuts—defines the 2009 session." more ›

Moving beyond the easy teabagging jokes, Publicola has a nice report on the anti-tax demonstration in Olympia today. Top honors for hyperbole go to State Sen. Janea Holmquist of Moses Lake for her zinger: "You know what, being a little bit Socialist is like being a little bit pregnant...Pretty soon you give birth to a full blown Marxist." See here for the full report. more ›

Do you prefer one or two lumps of conservative sugar with your tea? Today, around the nation, conservatives are joining together for the Tax Day Tea Party, (TEA stands for "Taxed Enough Already") to protest the government's spending and tax motives. Naturally, Seattle (and many other Washington cities) will be holding myriad tea party rallies throughout the day. While the group of conservative Seattle bloggers, who claim to have ignited the new "revolution" nationwide, will be drawing crowds (and singing tax songs!) in Olympia. more ›

Seattlest headed south on I-5 this past weekend for our annual Oregon coast getaway. Instead of boring you with details about rugged ocean scenery, we thought we’d detail what must be the least beautiful of the major interstate commutes from Seattle. more ›

• Hella Bus has an engaging, creative, relevant (and short!) video episode about politics in Olympia--including the best fifteen seconds of political film we've seen in ages tucked in at the very end.
• Videogum wrote about 'Nightline's Great Satan Debate--apparently it was a laugh riot!
• The Daily Weekly got a hot tip about a man wearing a jacket printed all over with Asian call-girl ads. Weird.

It's probably a good thing that the most interesting headlines this morning have to do with flowers. It means soldiers survived the night, no heinous crimes were public enough to catch the attention of journalists, and the economy still exists. Up in Kitsap County, intrepid blogger Josh Farley investigated recent anecdotal reports of graveside flower thefts and concluded, "It appears for now that such theft isn’t a problem. Vandalism in cemeteries, I should add, is an appalling crime, and I’m sure happens once and awhile." The deer are eating the flowers. News! And down in Olympia, the capitol grounds will plant fewer flowers this year than last, and the flowers will be more daffodils than the traditional tulips, because they last in the landscaped patterns longer. more ›

(via Publicola, who stick their noses into politics so we don't have to) more ›

State House Speaker Frank "Grumpypants McMegamall" Chopp and 43rd District Representative Jamie Pedersen (the Fightin' 43rd) tag team tomorrow to host a town hall on the current legislative session. It's at 1:30 p.m. Saturday at First Hill's Seattle First Baptist Church, located near Harvard and Spring. They'll fill you in on all the news from down Olympia way. more ›

Publicola has the news this morning: a controversial bill that tried to raise density standards around 40 light rail stations has failed to make it out of committee and is dead in the water. The bill, supported by city councilor Sally Clark and generally a good idea, is a casualty of competing progressive interests between poverty activists and environmentalists. John Fox, the head of the Seattle Displacement Coalition, has effectively solidified his reputation as the "local Ralph Nader," in Publicola's estimation, by going against other housing advocates in opposing the bill for not offering enough affordable housing guarantees, while the mayor's office eventually came after it because its affordable housing guarantees were . So now we have nothing, furthering Seattlest's impression that the Democratic leadership in the State government is a joke and that local activists are incapable of delivering on virtually anything. (Read Josh Feit's assessment of the impasse.) more ›