Did you miss Adam Hyla on KBCS yesterday? Here’s a link to listen online
Listen here to hear Adam Hyla talk about the state of the state’s social safety net as the 2010 legislative session draws to
Featured Story
Please Support Olympia Newswire in Final 2 Weeks of Pilot Project
The Olympia Newswire needs your support now to provide coverage and analysis of the end of the state legislative session. If you haven’t yet donated to the Olympia Newswire, now is the time to send us your tax-deductible donation by donating
Feature Story
Basic Health Plan Squeaking By — Maybe
With just days to go in a session where state lawmakers are facing a $2.8 billion deficit but can’t agree on which taxes to raise, nothing is certain.
Child Care: Deal Means Funding Not Dead
Despite appearances, funding for the Working Connections child care
Opinion
Op-Ed: Senate Bill Would Likely Harm, Not Help, Campaign for Income Tax in Washington
The state Senate’s bill to put an income tax on the ballot in 2010, SB 6250, is
Op-Ed: Legislature Should Debate Education Funding, Avoid Race to Top Pressure to Revisit Charter Schools
Although Washington State voters have rejected charter schools on three different occasions, the issue will return to the state’s political agenda
Social Services
The Big “Clawback”: Senate Would Take Back Housing Money
The state Senate is working late tonight, and one of its major tasks is to amend, and possibly approve, the state’s capital
Elderly Health Centers in Jeopardy
One of the larger items in trouble as House and Senate budget writers reconcile their dfferences is medical care for hundreds of frail, elderly people. It’s
Education
Is It Time to Reconsider Charter Schools?
The research on charter schools is becoming more rigorous and it says that charter schools work for poor kids. Charter schools are public schools that
Gift Horse, Trojan Horse, or Windfall? Feds Giving New Grants to State’s Lowest-Performing Schools
Any day now, the state of Washington will announce a list of K-12 schools that are eligible for federal grants this year. The grants are sizable – up
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Economy
House Proposes Raiding College Student Fees to Fill Budget Deficit, Singles Out University of Washington for Extra Cuts
Students at Washington state’s four year colleges and universities may be surprised to learn that the state House of Representatives has proposed channeling
House Tax Package: Important Precedents for Tax Fairness
On Monday, March 1, the state House of Representatives came out with its $857 million package of new taxes to close the $2.8 billion gap in the state’s
Publisher's Notebook
Preview: This Week on the Wire
This week marks the return of education reporter Margie Slovan (who took a couple weeks off in February to mark her debut as a director of a new play),
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Under the Hood: The Present and Future of the Olympia Newswire
The Olympia Newswire launched out of nowhere just 5 weeks ago, on a shoestring budget and without any formal connection to any of the powers that be in
Recent Headlines
Myths and Facts About An Income Tax in Washington State
Pro vs. anti-tax hysteria has poisoned the debate over an income tax. Here is a list of the most common myths about the income tax in Washington state, debunked for those who feel like having a real
A Specter Haunting Washington: The Income Tax Debate Returns From the Dead Yet Again
There’s a specter haunting Washington state, and to many Democrats and Republicans, it might as well be communism. But it’s not communism. Indeed it’s not even socialism. It’s the notion that the
The Cost of Inaction: House Speaker Pro Tempore Warns of “Draconian” All Cuts Budget
The Newswire doesn’t usually post links to stories, but this important interview of House
Correction
The recent Newswire story, the Two Hundred Million Dollar Question,
Child Care Bill Passes Senate
A new bill setting broad parameters for the state’s welfare-to-work program passed the Senate yesterday, 27-20,
The Two Hundred Million Dollar Question: Debate Looms Over State’s Solvency and Bond Ratings
[EDITOR'S NOTE, Mar. 4, 2010: This story is being left as originally published, but please see the correction for a more accurate description
Senate, House At Odds Over Disability Program
More than 18,000 disabled people who live on $339 a month from the state’s General Assistance-Unemployable program could see their monthly grant reduced to $50 starting in September under a bill amended
Op-Ed: Time to Adopt Better System for Funding Higher Education
by Teresa Totorica, Research Assistant at Washington Policy Center A few weeks ago, nearly 400 students rallied at the state capital to support Washington’s
Inside the Company Town: State Government Cuts Hit Olympia-Area Economy
Take what Boeing and Microsoft mean to the economy of King and Snohomish counties, multiply it a few times, and you start to get the picture. “Our number one major employer in Olympia, Lacey, Tumwater
Opinion: Too Many Cuts, Too Few Taxes: The State Legislature’s Budget Proposals Are Out of Balance
Mark your calendar. Tuesday, February 23, 2010 was the high water mark in our state government’s efforts to preserve Washington’s health, education and human-services infrastructure against
Will Foster Care Cuts Drive More Runaways to the Streets?
Gregoire’s proposed budget hits at two programs aimed at getting troubled kids to gain independence Seventeen-year-old Mikhail Stewart has never ridden a horse. Or pushed a lawnmower. Driving a car?
