Political Buzz

Compromise on adoptees’ birth certificates passes House

The TNT’s Lexie Krell wrote about the bill in today’s paper. It’s the product of a compromise between two House members, a Democrat who was adopted as a baby and a Republican birth mother who gave her child up for adoption as a teenager.

The bill passed the House unanimously today.

House OKs limits on defendants’ viewings of child pornography

Tacoma Rep. Connie Ladenburg‘s bill putting restrictions on defense attorneys’ access to pornographic images that are evidence in a case passed the House unanimously today and moves to the Senate.

A committee change to the bill requires that a defendant who is acting as his own lawyer must be supervised by someone appointed by the court when viewing child pornography.

That’s what a judge ordered in the case of a Lake Tapps man allowed to view pornography in the Pierce County jail; this would write that into the law.

Ladenburg and county prosecutors are seeking to make sure defense …

Morning update: Day 34

The Senate is tackling economic development today during its weekend work.

There are several bills on the docket that were highlighted last week by Senate Democrats as ways to promote job creation. For example, the Senate just passed a bill by Sen. Tracey Eide that would set up new state oversight of local governments’ permitting processes. It calls on the state Office of Regulatory Assistance to certify a permit process as “streamlined,” a designation that would move the local government to the front of the line when it applies for infrastructure funding.

This morning the Senate has already passed …

State lawmakers get $200M worth of good news

The quarterly Caseload Forecast Council’s report released Friday showed fewer children in Washington’s public schools and other smaller caseloads that brought good news for state budget writers.

Preliminary estimates are that smaller caseloads translate into $157 million in lower costs for the state over in the next 16 months, and Gov. Chris Gregoire’s budget director says the good news may actually top $200 million.

That is still a fraction of the $1.5 billion budget gap lawmakers are hoping to close in a legislative session that ends March 8. But the caseloads report comes as at …

Rick Santorum will bring his surging GOP presidential campaign to Tacoma-Olympia on Monday

The former Pennsylvania senator will hold several events, one public, when he visits Washington state on Monday.

Andrea Innes, a state committeewoman from Pierce County, said the state party has notified party officials that Rick Santorum will lead a rally at 7 p.m. at the Washington History Museum in downtown Tacoma beginning at 7 p.m.

Beforehand he will have a closed meeting with state party officials including members of the state committee, Innes said. The even is free and open to the public.

Santorum will also be in Olympia earlier Monday but none of those events will be open to …

Morning update Day 33: Teacher test edition

For the third day in a row, lawmakers expect to negotiate in Gov. Chris Gregoire’s office today in hopes of reaching a deal on teacher evaluations.

One lawmaker from each caucus is meeting with Gregoire: Republicans Rep. Bruce Dammeier and Sen. Steve Litzow, and Democrats Rep. Kristine Lytton and Sen. Rosemary McAuliffe.

Senate Majority Leader Lisa Brown was optimistic Thursday the talks would lead to Senate floor action by the weekend. And the governor’s spokeswoman said ”progress was made.” But Dammeier, of Puyallup, said a solution is a “long ways” away.

A dispute among Senate Democrats over charter schools stalled

…

Gov. Gregoire to sign gay-marriage bill Monday

A bill making Washington the seventh state to recognize same-sex marriages will be signed by Gov. Chris Gregoire in an 11:30 a.m. ceremony in the State Reception Center, her office says. A referendum seeking to repeal it can’t be far behind.

TVW is expected to cover the signing and stream it live. The Reception Room is on the third floor of the Legislative Building in Olympia.

The Democrat-controlled state House voted 55 to 43 on Wednesday to approve Senate Bill 6239.

The Senate voted 28-to-21 a week ago taking in the first of three major steps to making it …

Dino Rossi endorses Romney for president

Two-time Republican gubernatorial candidate Dino Rossi is endorsing Mitt Romney for president, the Romney campaign says today in a news release. The announcement comes a little more than three weeks before Washington Republicans hold caucuses on Saturday, March 3, to pick delegates for the presidential nominating process.

With Rick Santorum’s wins over Romney this week in Colorado, Minnesota and Missouri, local GOP activists may have some influence on who wins the party’s nomination.

Romney’s press release quotes Rossi, who last ran statewide in 2010 for U.S. Senate against Democrat Patty Murray, as saying:

Labor Council endorses Inslee, Cantwell, Ferguson

Hold the shock, please: The Washington State Labor Council is giving an early campaign endorsement to Jay Inslee in the governor’s race. The decision followed a vote by council delegates meeting in Olympia today. The council also endorsed U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell for a third term and Bob Ferguson for attorney general.

Among frontrunner candidates for governor, Inslee is battling Republican Attorney General Rob McKenna; Ferguson and Republican Reagan Dunn are dueling for McKenna’s current job as AG. Cantwell is challenged by Republican state Sen. Michael Baumgartner of Spokane amid rumors Bill Bryant of the Port of Seattle might also …

Federal Way businessman plans to run for Miloscia’s seat

The owner of a court reporting business announced this week that he will run for a 30th District House seat as a Democrat.

Roger Flygare of Federal Way said he is planning to file for the district’s Position 1 seat now held by Democrat Mark Miloscia, who is running for state auditor instead.

Miloscia endorsed Flygare for Federal Way City Council last year in a race against Susan Honda, who won the council position. Flygare, in addition to running Alliance Reporting and leading a property management firm, is serving as a co-director for a subcommittee of the Federal Way …