“Life is good,” Dino Rossi tells The Associated Press after the Public Disclosure Commission’s staff recommended dismissal of the campaign finance complaints lodged by state Democrats.

"It proves we were telling the truth all along and Gregoire’s agents were lying all along to try to smear me and call me sleazy. Christine Gregoire owes us an apology for what they said."

Gregoire, told of his remarks Thursday night, gave a big belly laugh and said she’ll apologize just as soon as Rossi stops being such a negative campaigner himself.

Here’s the rest of the story by The AP’s David Ammons:

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Not exactly. But he’s close.

Read Aaron Toso’s bio. I-745 was Eyman’s gig. Eyman was no fan of Proposition 1.

The only two people who are more “anti-Eyman” are Christian Sinderman, who’s working for House Speaker Frank Chopp half the time, and state Sen. Adam Kline, D-Seattle.

Here’s the governor’s news release:

Gov. Gregoire Names New Press Secretary



OLYMPIA – Governor Chris Gregoire has named Aaron Toso of Tacoma as her press secretary, effective Dec. 10.



Toso comes to the Governor’s Office from Gordon Thomas Honeywell Governmental Affairs,

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The House and Senate both passed the bill that restores the 1 percent limit to the growth of property tax collections and sent the bill to Gov. Chris Gregoire. The governor is expected to sign it into law in about 20 minutes.

The House vote was 86 to 8. The Senate vote was 39-9.

Both chambers also passed the tax deferral bill. The House vote was 55-39. The Senate vote was 27-21. That measure will allow homeowners with income of less than $57,000 to defer half of their property tax payments, starting next year.

The governor is

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The House and Senate have basically swapped bills. Now, the Senate is taking up the 1 percent limit bill that was passed by the House, and the House will be debating the Senate tax deferral bill.

Gov. Chris Gregoire is expected to sign both bills tonight if they reach her desk, as expected.

Here’s how South Sound senators voted on Senate Bill 6178, which would allow households with incomes up to $57,000 to defer half of their property tax payments:

YES

Tracy Eide, D-Federal Way

Rosa Franklin, D-Tacoma

Karen Fraser, D-Olympia

Claudia Kauffman,

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House Bill 2416 is the measure to reinstate the 1 percent tax limit on the growth of property tax collections that had been in place since 2002. Here’s how South Sound representatives voted:

VOTING YES

Gary Alexander, R-Olympia

Tom Campbell, R-Roy

Steve Conway, D-Tacoma

Jeannie Darneille, D-Tacoma

Richard DeBolt, R-Chehalis

Dennis Flannigan, D-Tacoma

Tami Green, D-Lakewood

Chris Hurst, D-Enumclaw

Troy Kelley, D-Tacoma

Steve Kirby, D-Tacoma

Pat Lantz, D-Gig Harbor

Jim McCune, R-Graham

Joyce McDonald, R-Puyallup

Mark Miloscia, D-Federal Way

Dawn Morrell, D-Puyallup

Skip

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The state House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed a measure to restore the 1 percent limit on property tax collection increases that was thrown out three weeks ago by the Washington Supreme Court.

The vote was 86 to 8, with three members excused and one vacancy.

All eight of the “no” votes were from the Puget Sound area; five of them from Seattle.

Rep. Sharon Tomiko Santos, D-Seattle, noted that 62 percent of her constituents voted against Initiative 747 in 2001 and she saw no urgency to pass such a restrictive limit.

The Senate is having problems

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Don’t be misled by the overwhelming number of vote in favor of restoring a 1 percent cap on property tax growth. It will happen this afternoon.

Many of the "yes" votes will be pretty unhappy. In fact, word around Olympia is that Senate Democrats didn’t have enough votes to pass its own version of Initiative 747, and some of them didn’t get on board until Gov. Chris Gregoire let them add the tax deferral bill to the special session agenda.

Why? Who knows, really?

Maybe majority Democrats in the House and Senate didn’t want to look as

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The Associated Press reports: Democratic presidential contender Barack Obama is scheduled to hold a fundraising event in Seattle on Dec. 11 (at 7:30 p.m. at Showbox SoDo).

Tickets are $100, according to his campaign Web site.

Obama was last in Seattle on June 1 and drew 3,500 to an event at Qwest Field Events Center.