Morning Fizz
"I'll Try to Take Solace in the Fact That..."
Caffeinated News & Gossip. Your daily Morning Fizz.
1. As budget talks dragged into the final weekend of the special session, Fizz got a text from a liberal lobbyist that seemed like an accurate final analysis of the $2-billion-shortfall session, which started back in December as the then-noisy Occupy movement descended on Olympia demanding taxes on the rich and the Republicans called for reforms—meaning cuts:
As the weekend wrapped up, however, it looks like our texting Democratic lobbyist will now have to find a different source of solace. Though not nearly as comprehensive as the Republicans had initially demanded, the senate passed two of the reform bills on the GOP's shortlist of "must haves" over the weekend—a bill for tighter oversight of K-12 employees' health care plans (initially the GOP had wanted a complete state takeover of the K-12 plans, which would have leveled collective bargaining for the teachers' union) and another bill requiring the legislature to come up with a plan for a four-year balanced budget.
With most liberals voting against both bills (though Sens. Karen Keiser and Adam Kline went with the K-12 bill), the reform legislaton passed 29-17 (K-12) and 30-16 (balanced budget). The house is taking up both bills today.
Next up for the Republicans, their big demand, state worker pension reform. After the Saturday vote, Republican budget chief Sen. Joe Zarelli (R-18, Ridgefield) said:
2. If Mayor Mike McGinn was last year's favorite bad guy in the local press, his measured counterpart, King County Executive Dow Constantine, was everyone's favorite success story.
Late last year, the Seattle Times ran a feature hyping Constantine's "lean" approach to government, which is technocrat speak for corporate efficiency.
They might have spoken too early. Last week came the story of the $1,248 dollar bunny expenditure at the King County Animal Shelter.
3. In his surprise cakewalk to fill retiring US Rep. Norm Dicks' (D-WA, 6) Congressional seat, state Sen. Derek Kilmer (D-26, Gig Harbor) raised $356,000 since declaring just last month. He has $350,000 cash on hand.
Kilmer has already cleared the deck of any other Democrats. Two Republicans are running, former Kitsap County prosecuting attorney Doug Cloud and business consultant Jesse Young, but neither one has much of a shot and Kilmer's money is probably giving pause to any other Republican hopefuls.
1. As budget talks dragged into the final weekend of the special session, Fizz got a text from a liberal lobbyist that seemed like an accurate final analysis of the $2-billion-shortfall session, which started back in December as the then-noisy Occupy movement descended on Olympia demanding taxes on the rich and the Republicans called for reforms—meaning cuts:
Lefty Lobbyist: I was reminded earlier how f%ing weak we are -- at start of session, R message was "reform before revenue." Revenue isn't even on the table anymore.
Fizz: Ouch
Lefty Lobbyist: I'll try to take solace in the fact that Rs probably say reform isn't on the table either.
As the weekend wrapped up, however, it looks like our texting Democratic lobbyist will now have to find a different source of solace. Though not nearly as comprehensive as the Republicans had initially demanded, the senate passed two of the reform bills on the GOP's shortlist of "must haves" over the weekend—a bill for tighter oversight of K-12 employees' health care plans (initially the GOP had wanted a complete state takeover of the K-12 plans, which would have leveled collective bargaining for the teachers' union) and another bill requiring the legislature to come up with a plan for a four-year balanced budget.
With most liberals voting against both bills (though Sens. Karen Keiser and Adam Kline went with the K-12 bill), the reform legislaton passed 29-17 (K-12) and 30-16 (balanced budget). The house is taking up both bills today.
Next up for the Republicans, their big demand, state worker pension reform. After the Saturday vote, Republican budget chief Sen. Joe Zarelli (R-18, Ridgefield) said:
Today turned out to be the most productive day so far of this special session, after strong bipartisan votes sent two of our proposed reforms over to the House. Unless the House wants to prolong its stay at the Capitol this year, it should move these meaningful reforms forward to the governor right away. The door also is now open for our coalition to act on our proposed reform of the state pension system.
I’m as anxious as anyone to complete our work, but I want to leave here with a supplemental budget that doesn’t automatically lead to another financial crisis in 2013, and with reforms that will produce substantial returns in the long run; if that takes us a day or two or three beyond Tuesday, when this special session ends, it’ll be worth the time.
2. If Mayor Mike McGinn was last year's favorite bad guy in the local press, his measured counterpart, King County Executive Dow Constantine, was everyone's favorite success story.
Late last year, the Seattle Times ran a feature hyping Constantine's "lean" approach to government, which is technocrat speak for corporate efficiency.
They might have spoken too early. Last week came the story of the $1,248 dollar bunny expenditure at the King County Animal Shelter.
3. In his surprise cakewalk to fill retiring US Rep. Norm Dicks' (D-WA, 6) Congressional seat, state Sen. Derek Kilmer (D-26, Gig Harbor) raised $356,000 since declaring just last month. He has $350,000 cash on hand.
Kilmer has already cleared the deck of any other Democrats. Two Republicans are running, former Kitsap County prosecuting attorney Doug Cloud and business consultant Jesse Young, but neither one has much of a shot and Kilmer's money is probably giving pause to any other Republican hopefuls.
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