Morning Fizz
With Groucho Marx Aplomb
Caffeinated News & Gossip. Your daily Morning Fizz.
1. We gave Republican budget writer state Sen. Joe Zarelli (R-18, Ridgefield) the quote of year for his explanation at yesterday's budget press conference of the difference between the GOP's intention to suspend a pension payment and the Democrats' plan to delay a K-12 payment.
But we buried the quote at the bottom of our long budget story with lots of numbers.
So, here's the quote again.
With Groucho Marx aplomb, Zarelli described the Democrats' budget sleight of hand (the Democrats want to save $330 million in the current biennium by making a local schools payment on the first day of the next biennium), saying the ploy meant they would have to: "figure out next year how you come up with $350 million to fill the hole to spend the money that you didn’t really have so you can buy the things you really wanted last year and then figure out how to pay for it tomorrow."
2. Good stuff. But the Democrats certainly struck back. Particularly Gov. Chris Gregoire, who accused the senate Republicans (and their three Democratic compatriots) of wasting time because they didn't have the votes to pass their budget plan—which also comes with a charter schools proposal. Gregoire said she'd veto that.
Jim Camden at the Spokesman Review has the report from yesterday's fireworks.
3. Awkward.
State Sen. Steve Litzow (R-41, Mercer Island) was at NARAL Pro-Choice Washington's annual chocolate for choice fundraiser last night at Safeco Field's First Base Terrace Club. Litzow, a pro-choice Republican and former NARAL PAC board member, voted against the Democrats' failed attempt to attach the reproductive parity act to the budget bill—a counter maneuver to the GOP budget coup earlier this month.
The bill, a top priority for NARAL, would require insurers who pay for maternity care to also cover abortions. The house passed the bill 52-46, but it got toppled in the budget standoff in the senate.
Litzow arrived with state Sen. Steve Hobbs (D-44, Lake Stevens), the bill sponsor .
There were no fireworks (it's Seattle).
But here's the cake of the night from the dessert-driven fundraiser.
1. We gave Republican budget writer state Sen. Joe Zarelli (R-18, Ridgefield) the quote of year for his explanation at yesterday's budget press conference of the difference between the GOP's intention to suspend a pension payment and the Democrats' plan to delay a K-12 payment.
But we buried the quote at the bottom of our long budget story with lots of numbers.
So, here's the quote again.
With Groucho Marx aplomb, Zarelli described the Democrats' budget sleight of hand (the Democrats want to save $330 million in the current biennium by making a local schools payment on the first day of the next biennium), saying the ploy meant they would have to: "figure out next year how you come up with $350 million to fill the hole to spend the money that you didn’t really have so you can buy the things you really wanted last year and then figure out how to pay for it tomorrow."
2. Good stuff. But the Democrats certainly struck back. Particularly Gov. Chris Gregoire, who accused the senate Republicans (and their three Democratic compatriots) of wasting time because they didn't have the votes to pass their budget plan—which also comes with a charter schools proposal. Gregoire said she'd veto that.
Jim Camden at the Spokesman Review has the report from yesterday's fireworks.
3. Awkward.
State Sen. Steve Litzow (R-41, Mercer Island) was at NARAL Pro-Choice Washington's annual chocolate for choice fundraiser last night at Safeco Field's First Base Terrace Club. Litzow, a pro-choice Republican and former NARAL PAC board member, voted against the Democrats' failed attempt to attach the reproductive parity act to the budget bill—a counter maneuver to the GOP budget coup earlier this month.
The bill, a top priority for NARAL, would require insurers who pay for maternity care to also cover abortions. The house passed the bill 52-46, but it got toppled in the budget standoff in the senate.
Litzow arrived with state Sen. Steve Hobbs (D-44, Lake Stevens), the bill sponsor .
There were no fireworks (it's Seattle).
But here's the cake of the night from the dessert-driven fundraiser.
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