1. In case you missed it, Erica had a follow-up to her Monday story about Bleu Bistro Grotto, which was charging customers a surcharge to pay for paid sick leave for employees.

Bleu Bistro Grotto owner Ross McCartney told us he will stop charging the fee, immediately.

2. Last night, Mayor Mike McGinn won the 43rd District Democrats' Ballots and Bubbly straw poll fundraiser, where supporters could buy votes—$2 per vote or $5 for three votes, with no limit on the number of votes a supporter could buy. Proceeds went to the 43rd Dems.

Here are the results: McGinn (341 votes); Ed Murray (236 votes); Peter Steinbrueck (21 votes); Tim Burgess (13 votes); Charlie Staadecker (five votes); Kate Martin (five votes); and Bruce Harrell (one vote).

The 43rd, which is made up of Capitol Hill, the University District, Wallingford, Fremont, and downtown, is Sen. Murray's district. Murray was a no-show (he was in Olympia). McGinn, Burgess, Martin, Staadacker, and Steinbrueck were all at the event.

The group's official primary endorsement vote is scheduled for next month; a candidate needs 60 percent to win. 

The Murray campaign scoffed at last night's results, saying it "wasn't a barometer of public sentiment," but rather that, "like the Iowa straw poll 'won' by Michele Bachmann, this was really just an indication of who among the candidates was willing to spend the most resources to create an artificial sense of momentum."

Perhaps. Or perhaps it was an indication of how dedicated and organized McGinn's supporters are. As one 43rd member said, "you have to have supporters willing to put their money where their loyalty is, and a campaign that organizes those supporters. Clearly, the incumbent did an excellent job there."

Joe Mallahan won the 43rd straw poll in 2009.

3. Yesterday, we noted that conservative Sen. Doug Ericksen (R-42, Ferndale) surprised us by moving an environmental priority bill that would ban toxic flame retardant chemicals to the floor for a vote. (The bill didn't come up yesterday, but thanks to Ericksen, it's now back in play.)

Ericksen unceremoniously killed the bill in his committee early in the session before taking up the house version and watering it down

Keeping it in play gives the Democrats the opportunity to upgrade it to include more chemicals and prevent manufacturers from swapping out the dangerous chemicals for equally dangerous ones. (The original liberal house version does just that.)

Shortly after Ericksen's move, the Association of Washington Business sent an email to legislators saying: "We support HB 1294 as amended by the Senate Energy, Environment, & Telecommunications committee banning both TRIS flame retardant. We do not support any other provisions related to flame retardant chemicals or alternative assessments."

Ericksen told us that's his position as well.

4. Sen. Adam Kline (D-37, SE Seattle) says a Republican proposal to crack down on drunk drivers—the bill would make a drunk driver's fourth DUI charge, as opposed to their fifth, a felony—sounds tough, but wouldn't get the job done because it's not funded; the increase in the number of felons would presumably spike.

Kline, who's actually a co-sponsor on the GOP proposal, says he's prepping additional legislation to pay for incarceration and also treatment by extending the beer tax.

"Republicans like to talk tough and thump their chests about getting tough on crime," he says, "but are they willing to pay for it?"