If you can't make it to the Democratic caucuses next Saturday and want to participate by affidavit, you better have a good excuse and act fast.

The affidavit isn't just for those who have to work. You must be disabled, in the military or not attending for religious reasons.

If you pass that test, here's one more: You need to submit the form by no later than 5 p.m. tomorrow, Feb. 1. Don't worry, there's a fax number. Godspeed and good luck.

One more note about the caucuses and primaries: You must sign a statement at either caucus that says "I consider myself a Democrat" or "I consider myself a Republican." To participate in the primary, you'll fill out either the Democratic Ballot or Republican Ballot, meaning you have to pick your party there, too.

I asked Secretary of State Sam Reed and Pierce County Auditor Pat McCarthy earlier this week if they thought that would detract the third of Washington's voters who consider themselves independents from participating.

Reed said that, since more "hardcore" voters participate in the caucuses, that crowd likely won't care. If you're not hardcore and really don't know, you could just show up and listen.

McCarthy said the primaries are a bit different. Yes, you have to pick a party and yes, it is a partisan activity, but it's out of necessity. She said there's a possibility it could discourage voters.
"You know, it could. I hope it doesn't but it could."

What about you? Do you care? If you happen to be a member of the nonpartisan staff in the Legislature, you might: They've been asked not to participate.

Maybe not this year, but it's possible.

Some background: Sales tax on construction of the new Narrows Bridge, about $59 million, was deferred until 2012. That's when the project (aka tollpayers) have to start making $5.9 million annual payments over the following 10 years. If Seaquist's bill becomes law, that debt would be forgiven.

The reason it has a chance when similar proposals have been ignored in the past is because of the Highway 520 bridge project. House Transportation Committee chairwoman Judy Clibborn, D-Mercer Island, wants the same deal for her bridge, which some day also will have tolls on it. And Seaquist just told me she's given her blessing to extending the same break to the Narrows Bridge.

Seaquist, D-Gig Harbor, might be able to play the fairness card. If it works, that's $59 million less that bridge commuters will have to pay in tolls. I must point out tollpayers still would be paying about $1.9 billion through 2030. But it would be something.

Here's the rub: When the Legislature exempts a highway project from sales taxes, that's money that won't go into the state general fund. That's the money that pays for schools, prisons, social programs and almost everything else that makes state government operate. The folks who write the regular operating budget don't like it when transportation budget writers take money from or keep money from going the general fund.

That's where the real battle will be fought.

Here's the full news release from Seaquist:

Jan. 31, 2008
For Immediate Release

Time to end tax burden on toll projects, Seaquist says

OLYMPIA – Legislation being heard in the House tomorrow would help current and future toll payers pay off project debt quicker.

State Rep. Larry Seaquist (D-Gig Harbor), whose district includes the Tacoma Narrows Bridge, introduced the bill he believes will bring fairness to toll payers statewide.

“Right now the state is hitting our toll-payers twice, and it’s unfair, bad policy,” Seaquist said. “In my book, paying down bridge debt instead of paying sales taxes back to the state is common sense policy.”

Seaquist’s legislation, House Bill 3051, would exempt the Narrows Bridge and future tolling projects from the sales and use taxes normally paid during construction of state projects.

Providing this exemption is important as the state looks to expand toll use around the state.

“Our toll-paying communities know this isn’t fair and they’ve rightfully been asking for the state to fix this,” Seaquist said. “Relief stalled in previous sessions, but I’m confident that by talking about creating fairness for future toll payers too, we can get this passed.”

The House Finance Committee is expected to hear the bill tomorrow during their 8 a.m. meeting.

Sen. Mike Carrell, R-Lakewood, just dropped by the office to tell me to expect a letter from the state Department of Community Trade and Economic Development. The letter will say the agency is not going to award the $1.1 million grant to Citizens for Responsible Justice to provide transitional housing to recently released prison and jail inmates.

"This is good news," Carrell said.

Sure enough, the e-mail just arrived. CTED doesn't come right out and say C4RJ was lying in its application, but it's pretty close.

CTED Director Julie Wilkerson, in a letter to the Tacoma City Council, said "in the absence of sufficient supporting documentation, CTED has withdrawn our conditional approval of this project application. C4RJ was formally notified today that we will not enter into a contract with them for this project."

Wilkerson specifically mentions C4RJ's failure to back up what it said when the group applied for the grant to provide transistional housing to about 70 prison and jail inmates over the next 18 months.

She said there was "insufficient documentation of . . . collaborative partnerships...regular meetings or close working relationships with neighbors and law enforcement agencies, non profit status, housing availability and a valid business license."

Here's the news release Carrell just sent out:

Sen. Carrell statement on CTED offender housing grant decision

OLYMPIA… After announcing in December that a group called Citizens for Responsible Justice would be awarded a million-dollar grant, the state Department of Community, Trade and Economic Development has reversed its decision. The Pierce County group planned to use the money to establish high-risk offender reentry housing in Tacoma’s Hilltop neighborhood. State Senator Mike Carrell, R-Lakewood, who represents parts of Tacoma, made this statement:

“I’m very pleased about the outcome of this situation. I don’t believe that anyone is at fault here, and I’m glad that that Debbie (Sen. Debbie Regala, D-Tacoma) and I were able to help CTED work its way out of a difficult situation.

“I know the Tacoma City Council was very upset by CTED’s decision to award the grant to a group planning to site a new halfway house in the heart of its city. That’s why we did a lot of work behind the scenes to help CTED find ways to ‘unring the bell,’ so to speak, and respond to the concerns of the community. We were able to help develop avenues to pursue other options, and we ended up with a win-win situation.

“I think the agency treated us very fairly in addressing our concerns, especially given this extremely difficult, emotionally charged issue. This is really a compliment to the agency that it took the time to investigate the appropriateness of this grant. The issue was handled the right way, and it proves that the system works.”

Here's some notes from my conversation with John Kerry, who's headed to Tacoma tomorrow to stump for Obama:

"I've come to Tacoma several times. I had a wonderful rally there. I loved it...
I left from Tacoma to go to Vietnam in 1968. I go way back with Tacoma."

OK, OK. I'm listening.

I asked him what he learned from the attacks ads in 2004 from the so-called Swiftboat Veterans for Truth - and if he sees a parallel to the attacks on Obama (several internet rumors have claimed Obama is Muslim, wouldn't be sworn in on the Bible, etc.).
"I believe that, look, we all learn. We thought we had answered the smears and the lies enough. It wasn't an unwillingness (to comment). We thought the truth was out there."

The lesson: "You just have to keep track of every dollar they're spending." He indicated Obama was doing as much. "Barack Obama has a fire in the belly and the toughness to answer (to attacks)." He also said "all of us around him will make certain" that he takes it in stride.

=> Read more!

Waiting for John Kerry to call me, I ran over to Pritchard to get coffee and grab bill reports. Today, there's a mere three pages of bills, a real downer compared to the small stack we'd get at the beginning of the session.

My favorite today: HB 3325, "authorizing the establishment of qualified shopping cart recovery programs."

Make your own joke on that one.

I'll be getting details in a few minutes (from the man himself) of a John Kerry visit to Tacoma tomorrow.

No, you didn't wake up in 2004. Kerry is stumping for Obama.

I'll post all the details of our chat here, of course. In the meantime (7.5 minutes or so), got any questions for him? I can't promise I'll ask them, but I'm interested in what you're interested in.

Update: Kerry was pulled into testify in a hearing, so our conversation has been postponed for a few minutes.

Pierce County Democrats have two events scheduled for Saturday.

Sen. Maria Cantwell and Rep. Jay Inslee will join a South Sound for Hillary rally at 1 p.m. at King’s Books, 218 St. Helens Ave., Tacoma.

Also, the party will have a “maucus” – or mock caucus – at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. at the central committee office, 3049 S. 36th St., Suite 102.

For more information, call (253) 473-6812.

Jerry Cornfield of the Everett Herald has an interesting piece today about Chang Mook Sohn, who's been delivering the state's official economic forecast since 1984. He's also considering a run for state treasurer this fall.

In the meantime, as Jerry reports, the state is preparing to find a replacement. Here's a link to the post.

Pierce County Council members are sensitive to the suggestion that politics plays a role in key votes. But sometimes it’s hard to conclude otherwise.

Take Tuesday’s discussion of proposed new ethics rules, which featured three of the four candidates for Pierce County executive.

Councilmen Calvin Goings and Shawn Bunney cast the only votes against tabling an ethics ordinance Tuesday. Perhaps not coincidentally, both are running for county executive.

Goings, a Democrat, has been pushing ethics reform for months. He makes no secret of his plans to set the agenda for the executive campaign.

In private, some on the council accuse Goings of grandstanding. They also say Bunney, a Republican, is following Goings’ lead in an effort to avoid handing his opponent a campaign issue. What politician wants to be seen as opposing ethics reform?

With Goings and Bunney seemingly jockeying for position, County Auditor Pat McCarthy – another Democratic executive candidate – joined the debate Tuesday. She urged the council to amend the ethics proposal to ban elected officials from accepting campaign contributions in November, when the council finalizes the county budget.

A cynic might suggest all three are “playing politics” with ethics reform. We’ll know when we see the details of the final ethics ordinance.

It's been a couple days since Joe Turner and I made it over to Pritchard for an extended coffee session. This morning, I missed the good old days of going over bill introduction sheets, blogging and harassing lobbyists.

Today, I grabbed the (now much slimmer) packets and found this gem, with bipartisan support.

HB 3313 would designate coffee as the state beverage. It's currently sponsored by 14 lawmakers.

Now ... let's make a little bet on which beverage lobby will jump all over this. My guess: Craft beer makers.

Sen. Patty Murray today endorsed Hillary Clinton for president.

Here's a link to the story on our home page.

And here's the Clinton campaign's press release:

=> Read more!

Les Blumenthal wrote a story that quoted Reps. Adam Smith and Brian Baird on their reasons for voting against the economic stimulus package developed by the House and the White House.

Here's the full statement released later by Smith's office:

=> Read more!

I just got off the phone with Luke Esser, who heads the state's Republican party. He tells me that he's spoken with the regional campaign contacts for each of the major Republican contenders, and he has some good news.

"What most have said is, count on us coming to the state of Washington," he said.

He said he's "encouraged" the campaigns to schedule visits and joked that he considered it "soft lobbying."

Yes, I did ask. And no, that doesn't mean he's filed with the PDC ...

For Democrats, similar good news, courtesy of the Associated Press:

(Barack Obama's) campaign is also setting up operations in several states with primaries after Feb. 5, including Louisiana, Nebraska, Washington, Virginia, Maryland and Wisconsin.
"We are aggressively, aggressively organizing in those states," (campaign manager David) Plouffe said.

Methinks where Obama goes, so goes Clinton. And that other guy.

Which brings me to this: I'm working on a story about the caucuses and primaries that are fast approaching. Are you flummoxed? Confused? Delighted? Going to participate in either? It's your civic duty to let me know.

Ballots for the Feb. 19 presidential primary go in the mail to most Washington voters on Friday (Pierce and King will operate poll sites as well). That means some of you may cast a vote this weekend.

And the state party caucuses are Feb. 9. So it's about to get real busy around here... I'm working with politics reporter Niki Sullivan, wire editors, page designers and online producers to develop a coverage plan designed to help you make an informed vote (or votes, if you go to a caucus and vote in the primary) over the next few weeks.

The Associated Press has produced a handy grid called "Where they stand" that lists each candidate's position on such issues as education, health insurance, Iraq, Social Security, taxes and the proposed economic stimulus package. I'm in discussions with other editors about when to run it in our print edition (I'm shooting for Sunday, space permitting).

Our parent company, McClatchy Newspapers, put together an online issues database that's pretty handy. Here's a link.

For daily news, McClatchy's political home page is packed with stories from around the country.

Stay tuned for more updates.

It appears that Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul can get anything he wants at Alice's Restaurant.

Exceptin' Alice, of course.

Normally we wouldn't rush to blog with yet another endorsement announcement. But when Arlo Guthrie – son of Woody, friend of Alice, father of Abe and Sarah Lee – endorses a candidate and that candidate happens to be Ron Paul, well we couldn't resist.

"I love this guy," Guthrie said in a press release issued by the campaign. "Dr. Paul is the only candidate I know of who would have signed the Constitution of The United States had he been there. I’m with him, because he seems to be the only candidate who actually believes it has as much relevance today as it did a couple of hundred years ago.

"I look forward to the day when we can work out the differences we have with the same revolutionary vision and enthusiasm that is our American legacy."

Will Paul's Guthrie trump Huckabee's Chuck Norris?

Pierce County Council spokesman Brad Chatfield says the council likely will postpone action on a major ethics overhaul when it meets at 3 p.m. Chatfield says a flurry of last-minute amendments has convinced council members they need more time to study the matter.

As currently written, the measure would prohibit county employees from accepting most gifts and require lobbyists to register and disclose their finances.

The City of Tacoma's ethics board dismissed a complaint against Councilman Spiro Manthou during a special meeting last night.

Ken Kingsbury, chairman of the Tacoma Narrows Business District, and Ginny Eberhardt, chairwoman of the West End Neighborhood Council, complained that Manthou was involved in planning a meeting that excluded Kingsbury and Eberhardt, and that an e-mail regarding the Tacoma Musical Playhouse contained false informmation.

After reviewing potential ethics violations, board members concluded that the allegations against Manthou did not constitute "conduct prohibited by the code of ethics," said Yvonne Yaskus of the City Clerk's office.

The meeting lasted about 45 minutes. Neither Kingsbury nor Eberhadt attended. Manthou also did not attend.

Score one for open government.

The Pierce County Council today is expected to endorse state legislation that would require audio recording of governing bodies’ closed-door meetings.

Attorney General Rob McKenna and State Auditor Brian Sonntag have requested the legislation. It would allow people who claim a closed-door session was improper to petition a court to review the recording to determine whether the “executive session” complied with state open meetings requirements. And it would make the recordings a public record not subject to disclosure except by court order.

The state Open Public Meetings Act allows elected officials to hold closed-door sessions to discuss pending litigation, personnel matters and real estate transactions. But the law requires that all votes be held in public session.

County Councilman Shawn Bunney introduced a resolution supporting the proposed legislation. It passed the council’s Rules Committee last week and will go to the full council today.

Last week Bunney said the closed-door sessions can be “a hotbed for potential abuse.” He said taping the closed meetings will “help ensure a greater level of trust” in government.

Expect some sparks today when the Pierce County Council reconsiders a sweeping ethics proposal.

The original proposal – tabled last month – would prohibit county employees and elected officials from accepting most gifts. The original version’s supporters – Councilmen Tim Farrell and Calvin Goings – say amendments proposed by Councilman Roger Bush would gut the ban on gifts and exclude some paid lobbyists from registration requirements.

Bush says his plan merely brings county requirements in line with time-tested state rules.

The council meets at 3 p.m. at the County City Building to consider the ethics ordinance. Download a copy of the proposal here.

Word is, Randy Dorn has been toying with the idea of running for statewide office. Problem is, Terry Bergeson already occupies the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction.

Dorn is executive director of the Public School Employees union, the one that represents the janitors, cooks and computer technicians. (See blog posting from last week.) That's not a bad foundation to have if you go for state schools chief.

Or he could run against Rep. Jim McCune, a Republican who got a scare two years ago when newcomer Jean Marie Christensen made such a strong showing in the closed primary elections. Problem there is, Christensen is still running and shows no signs of getting out of the way, so Dorn would have an opponent in the Democratic primary election this fall.

One advantage to Dorn's running for the legislative post: He could keep his "day" job with the union. Frank Warnke, a former state senator, once held both jobs.

CORRECTION: A reader pointed out that my original posting incorrectly had Rep. Jim Dunn as the incumbent in the 2nd District. Of course, it is Jim McCune.

At least, I think so.

I just finished reading two stories -- one by The Associated Press, another in the Everett newspaper -- that said there now are six openly gay members of the Legislature. Both stories list all six members.

I was thinking about doing a story myself, but that's old news now. So I figured I'd approach it from a different angle. Since there are 147 legislators, 49 senators and 98 representatives, and six are gay, that must mean that 141 are heterosexual. Right?

I'm not going to list all 141 here because the list would be too long. Besides, I'm not sure if they're all straight.

Perhaps later this session, Niki Sullivan and I will try to figure out how many cat-lovers and dog-lovers are in the Washington Legislature -- as long as they're open about it.

This is a followup to the story that I wrote for last Friday's edition about House Bill 2688. That's the bill that would stop the Washington Department of Corrections from sending our inmates out of state if the inmate is active in the life of his children.

Deputy Corrections Secretary Ruben Cedeno testified that DOC doesn't "expect" to have to send any more inmates to Arizona, Minnesota or Oklahoma, but the following e-mail comes from the top guy, Corrections Secretary Eldon Vail. He sent the following e-mail to the fiancee of an inmate who already is out of state.

From: "Vail, Eldon W. (DOC)"
To:
Subject: RE: Meeting with you...
Date: Mon, 28 Jan 2008 17:33:26 +0000

I am sorry it look me some time to get back to you but my schedule has been a bit overwhelming. You did not give me a subject for your meeting but I presume it relates to housing offenders out of state.

I am not certain a meeting will be productive.

The agency regrets having to send folks out of state. It is a bad practice. But, the agency is caught between laws that sentence people to prison beyond our bed capacity to house them safely in the facilities in this state. It would be worse to create dangerous levels of crowding here than it is to send folks to the out of state locations.

The good news, although not immediate relief, is that we intend to send no one else out of state ( except for the possibility of volunteers) for capacity reasons, unless the legislature changes laws that cause us to take in more offenders than current projections tell us we will receive. With the same caveat in place, we should be able to begin returning offenders back to Washington starting in July of 08 and have them all back by June of 09. Again, all that assumes nothing happens in the legislature to change the number of inmates we believe we will be receiving.

I am sorry we find ourselves in this situation. To reiterate, it is bad policy but it is not as bad as creating dangerous conditions in our prisons here.

Did you just know Obama would run away with 55 percent of South Carolina's votes in the primary. Are you tired of telling your friends how smart you are?

Might I suggest Kingmaker. It's basically everything wonderful about fantasy sports mixed with everything exciting about politics.

Sign up - for free - and get 100 points to start. Then wager on the outcome of Florida's primaries tomorrow. Then do some studying and bet on Super Tuesday. You can even bet on whether either party will have a candidate with enough delegates for their party nomination by March 5.

If you're like me, you'll squander your 100 points and end up at the bottom of your pool in no time. Good luck.

Kilmer has introduced a couple measures to help "international services." That means Frank Russell of Tacoma (Russell Investment Group). I don't know precisely what all the bills would do yet because there's no report on how much money it will cost the state treasury each year.

That will come later. It's a tax credit based on the number of employees.

I don't know how this would keep Frank Russell from moving to Federal Way, because the company could get the credit as long as it's somewhere in Washington.

To get the really big bucks in tax breaks, you have to threaten to move to Chicago.

Here's Senate Bill 6627, the English language version of the tax credit measure.

The real rescue effort appears in SB 6626, which would give Frank Russell a deferral of sales tax on construction of a headquarters building that costs at least $30 million and is the workplace for at least 300 employees.

Sens. Jim Kastama, Marilyn Rasmussen, Debbie Regala, Rosa Franklin, Chris Marr, Mike Carrell and Paull Shin are co-sponsors of the bill.

Click below to read Kilmer's full news release.

=> Read more!

Didn't the Supreme Court just say that it's still OK to lie about your opponent in a political campaign? Something about free speech.

Well, Sens. Tim Sheldon and Marilyn Rasmussen are sponsoring Senate Bill 6202, which says you can't tell a deliberate lie about an opponent AND it must be defamatory.

Sheldon, you may recall, was the guy who was lied about in one of his Senate campaigns. That was the case that the Washington Supreme Court ruled on.

The PDC last Thursday agreed to support the bill. They supported the last one, too.

Former state Sen. Jim Clements, Selah Republican, often used to refer to himself as "just an ol' porch dog." I was never quite sure what that meant, but everyone always laughed when he said it.

Now, he's the newest member of the state Public Disclosure Commission, the official "watch dog" of all campaign finances and punisher of misdeeds. Guess it's time for the porch dog to wake up.

SeaTac's city manager fessed up to one of those misdeeds earlier this week and drew a $2,500 fine. The PDC waived $1,500 of it, as long as City Manager Craig Ward sins no more for four years and pays the $1,000 balance within 60 days.

Ward "authorized the expenditure of public funds to produce and distribute a mailing and a video reproduced on DVDs in support of a September 2006 city ballot proposition," according to the commission.

That sort of thing seems to be happening more and more often. Officials keep crossing the line. Ward also has to organize a regional training session to teach local officials about the "right way" to use public facilities in election campaigns.

It's actually "craft distillery" in Senate Bill 6292.

“Washington already allows people to make their own beer and wine, so I think allowing them to produce, consume and even sell modest quantities of distilled spirits should also be allowed,” Marr, a Spokane Democrat, said in a news release.

The bill defines craft distillery as an establishment that produces up to 20,000 gallons of spirits per year using a pot still, and in which more than fifty percent of the raw materials used in the production are grown in Washington. Operators would have to get a $100 license each year and would be allowed to sell their spirits under applicable laws.

I was wondering whether I was using the word "moonshine" correctly, so I looked it up on Wikipedia:

Moonshine is a common slang term for home-distilled alcohol, especially in places where this production is illegal.

The name is often assumed to be derived from the fact that moonshine producers and smugglers would often work at night (i.e. under the light of the moon) to avoid arrest for producing illegal liquor. The 1811 edition of the Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue, originally by Francis Grose, defines "moonshine" as follows: "A matter or mouthful of moonshine; a trifle, nothing. The white brandy smuggled on the coasts of Kent and Sussex, and the gin in the north of Yorkshire, are also called moonshine." It has been suggested that the term might derive from smugglers' explaining away their boxes and barrels as "mere moonshine" (that is, nothing).

No truth to the rumor than Marr also want to rename the North-South Freeway in Spokane "Thunder Road."

Eyman just swung through the press houses here in Olympia, something he does every time he's here to testify on a bill, looking for free publicity or just plain bored.

This time, he handed out mock-ups of his latest ballot proposal, Initiative 985, which have an example of how the petitions should be filled out: Printed Name of Voter, Signature of Voter, Your Home Address, City, County.

Eyman fills out the sample: John Q. Taxpayer, (signature), 1313 Mockingbird Lane, Olympia, Thurston.

The trivia question for reporters is who lived at that fictitious address.

I had to Google it. The answer: THE MUNSTERS, from the television series.

I-985 would open up carpool lanes to all traffic during non-peak hours, make the state spend money on congestion relief and dedicate tolls and some tax revenue to a special account.

Eyman, a former Mukilteo mail-order watch salesman, now makes his living promoting ballot measures. He said he probably won't start collecting signatures until mid-February.

Every week, House Speaker Frank Chopp, D-Seattle, holds a little get-together in his office for members of the press. Senate Majority Leader Lisa Brown, D-Spokane, does the same. The biggest thing to come out of these meetings has been the on-again, off-again UW stadium minidrama.

But the most curious thing has been a mysterious poll Chopp has referred to over the past two meetings. He initially brought it up last Thursday when discussing a proposal to fund family leave, one of the "kitchen table issues" they're interested in working on this session. One idea is to pay for the leave (which you'd get for having or adopting a baby) with a 1-2 cent per hour payroll tax. Chopp said the plan, which would be referred for voter approval, had "overall public support," but that they'd find out more after polling is done.

What poll? He didn't know. Who are you polling? He wasn't sure. All he knew is that he was writing questions for it. Hmm...

Fast forward to yesterday. The poll comes up again in conversation. Here's something to help you imagine the scene, complete with the Junior Mints he hands out:

Now, imagine Chopp turning his head your way, holding up his hand and saying the poll -- though we're still not sure what poll -- would not be paid for with tax dollars.

At this rate, I might have some idea what the poll is about by the end of session.

Until then, I've got this to ponder: Is family leave really a "kitchen table issue"? Joe and I couldn't decide. I say it's more of a bedroom issue, whereas Joe claims it's a bathroom issue. That's when I stopped asking questions.

Tacoma's ethics board will meet Monday evening to review a complaint against Councilman Spiro Manthou.

Ken Kingsbury, chairman of the Tacoma Narrows Business District, and Ginny Eberhardt, chairwoman of the West End Neighborhood Council, complained in a Dec. 18 letter about Manthou and Jon Rake of the Tacoma Musical Playhouse.

The three-page letter is pretty detailed, but the issue relates to the effort last year to create a new mixed-use center along Sixth Avenue near Jackson Avenue.

Included with the complaint letter was an e-mail Rake sent to members of the Narrows Business District. Kingsbury and Eberhardt allege that the e-mail contained false information, and refers to the need for a meeting that excluded Eberhardt.

"At this point we would also like to ask the City Attorney about the ethical implications of Mr. Manthou and Mr. Rake getting together and asking members to meet without all members, and by slandering our names to all other members of the Tacoma Narrows Business District," the letter states.

Manthou said Thursday that he wasn't aware of Monday's meeting, but wasn't worried about it. He doesn't believe he did anything wrong.

Eberhardt also wasn't aware that the letter had triggered a meeting of the city's ethics board, and didn't have much comment. "We were very concerned," she said. "We felt it was important to write the letter we wrote."

The Board of Ethics will meet Monday at 6:30 p.m. in Room 248 of the Tacoma Municipal Building, at 747 Market Street.

This just came in from Gov. Chris Gregoire's press office:

“Today, I asked the state Department of Licensing to request an extension with the Department of Homeland Security on Real ID implementation. By not filing an extension, effective May 11, Washingtonians would have automatically been subject to additional security screenings at airports and federal buildings.

"I will not allow for confusion and chaos at our busy airports. This extension will allow our residents to continue use of their Washington state driver license or ID card to board planes and enter federal buildings.

“The federal regulations on Real ID compliance are ambiguous and I share funding and privacy concerns held by many state legislators. I will continue to work with state and federal officials, our congressional delegation, as well as my fellow governors to address these concerns and to find a solution to what is a very complex issue.”

It is kind of what was expected. Here's what I wrote about the topic this morning.

The Tri-City Herald's Chris Mulick reports on his Olympia Dispatch blog that WSU fans are voicing their unhappiness with the UW's taxpayer-funded stadium proposal.

Someone even went through the trouble of listing the alma mater of every member of the Senate Ways and Means Committee in an effort to predict how they might vote.....And on the football message board at Dawgman.com you'll find talk about old times, jokes about how Cougs would spend $150 million, gripes about Tyrone Willingham and complaints about "negadawgs."

The AP is reporting that this year's Super Tuesday (Feb. 5, when 24 states will hold primary elections) may not be as super as previously thought. And that might be good for us.

"The race for delegates is so close in both parties that it is mathematically impossible for any candidate to lock up the nomination" on what some have called "Tsunami Tuesday," according to an AP analysis. (To be clear: The AP did not analyze the origins of the name "Tsunami Tuesday," nor did they use the term, though I desperately wish they had.)

Washington holds its caucuses on Feb. 9, when all Democratic and half the Republican delegates from our great state will be chosen. Ten days later, we'll have our primary, which has been derided as a "beauty contest," since none of our Democratic delegates are chosen (though the other half of the Republican delegates are).

So why do you care: Delegate-hungry candidates might soon swarm our down-home coffee shops and picturesque parks. That could certainly make Washington feel a bit more special in advance of the caucuses. And Secretary of State Sam Reed says he thinks the primaries could be important in creating momentum. Here's hoping.

In the meantime, who are you rooting for? Or do you have electile dysfunction?

UPDATE (from Hunter): The Olympian's Adam Wilson has a how-to story today about participating in the primary. We'll do our own story next week, but considering how convoluted our process is you can never explain it too many times.

This afternoon, I'll be covering a hearing on House Bill 2688, which would tell Washington prison officials they can't transfer our inmates out of state if the inmates are staying in touch with their kids.

I wrote about the out-of-state inmates back in October. We have 1,200 of them in privately-run prisons in Oklahoma, Minnesota and Arizona. The Department of Corrections said then and will say again it already does take into account family connections before they transfer inmates.

This is a hot-button issue for inmate families and those who want to punish inmates for their crimes. Families say it's about the children, not their criminal parent.

Pressure to send Washington inmates out of state will lessen somewhat later this year when the Coyote Ridge Corrections Center north of Tri-Cities opens up an expansion and state can start bringing back some of those who were sent elsewhere.

Look for more details in Friday morning's paper.

Former U.S. Attorney John McKay will give the keynote address at a City Club of Tacoma luncheon on Feb. 20.

McKay, you'll recall, was in the group of U.S. attorneys that were forced out by Attorney General Alberto Gonzalez, who ultimately had to step down as well.

The City Club event will be held at noon at the Landmark Convention Center, 47 St. Helens Ave., Tacoma. Reservations are required by Feb. 18. Cick here for more information.

Maybe it's just wishful thinking, but this time of year there are always rumors about an incumbent legislator who might not run again. That, of course, would open up the field to any number of wanna-be officeholders.

The latest one is that Rasmussen won't run again for her 2nd District Senate seat.

"There nothing to those rumors," the Eatonville Democrat told me Wednesday evening. That's roughly what she said to Ken Madsen, Pierce County assessor-treasurer, Tuesday night when Madsen reportedly said to her, "you're going out of here feet first, aren't you?"

"That's right," Rasmussen said.

The rest of the rumor was that Rep. Tom Cambell, R-Roy, would then try to jump from the House to her Senate seat and might end up facing former Democratic state Rep. Randy Dorn, who's now with the Public School Employees union.

Campbell said that part's not true either. "I'm happy here," he said. "I've got the best of both worlds."

He does. Even though he's a Republican, the Democrat majority made him chairman of the Select Committee on Environmental Health. And he's got 14 years in the House.

That leaves Dorn. Maybe he'll be running against incumbent Rep. Jim McCune, R-Graham. (This is how rumors get started.)

Rasmussen said she sees Dorn every once in a month of Sundays at her church, Our Lady of Good Counsel. Dorn's wife is a regular, Rasmussen said.

I guess we'll know if Dorn is running if he suddenly starts attending mass more often.

I'm healthy. Under 30. Active. Cheap. In other words, I'd be perfect (if not for my employer-provided health insurance) for a bill introduced by Sen. Linda Evans Parlette, R-Wenatchee that would create health insurance plans tailored to young people. See SB 6030 here.

California is one of several other states that have the plan, which, for reasons beyond me, they call Tonik. Here's a snippet from their Web site:

Basically there are 3 Tonik plans to choose from:
1. Thrill Seeker (AKA Tonik 5000)
2. Part-Time Daredevil (Tonik 3000)
3. Calculated Risk Taker (Tonik 1500)
All three plans offer $10 generic prescription drugs, low copays for doctor visits and $100 copays for the Emergency room (deductible waived)...
The average price of Tonik for someone under 30 ranges from $77 - $164

Sounds radical. And like a new brand of alcohol-infused energy drinks.

The bill had a hearing on Monday, along with the various universal healthcare bills we covered. If the bill goes any further, I'll be sure to inform you before I quit my job to mountain bike full time with my Tonik 5000.

There's a bill up for hearing in about 30 minutes that would ban gifts to state legislators, regardless of their value. That includes trips to conferences in Hawaii, tickets to the Rolling Stones (or bigger name acts like Hannah Montana).

The bill (HB 1157, found here) was introduced last year, but didn't get so much as a hearing. At the time, House Majority Leader Lynn Kessler, D-Hoquiam, said the bill was overkill and that it gave the impression that lawmakers were being feted around like ... well, other lawmakers -- specifically the ones in Congress.

"I don't see a problem right now. If there was a problem and it was rampant, I'd say absolutely," Kessler said.

So, we can infer that either it has become rampant or the bill is getting a hearing just for kicks.

I know some of our readers are lobbyists. What do you think? Have the 900-some of you gone on a rampage?

The House today passed the Public Works Trust Fund bill, House Bill 2437, on a 97-0 vote. The real significance of this bill is who gets to be its prime sponsor, the first name on the bill.

The fact that it's Larry Seaquist should tell you a few things:

1. He's up for reelection. (yes)
2. He's either a freshman (yes) or in a swing district (yes).
3. House Democratic leadership is looking out for him by letting him sponsor it. (yes)

It's always nice to go into campaign season and be able to tell your constituents you brought home the bacon and that you were behind a jobs-creating measure. (yes and yes).

To find the bacon for the 26th Legislative District in Pierce and Kitsap counties....

=> Read more!

I meant to post this Monday when I got it, but got sidetracked.

Sen. Mark Schoesler brings his "aw shucks" wit to some issues. This is one of those times. They can't exactly make the same threat as the professional teams. I mean, the other professional teams.

For Immediate Release: For Interview Contact:
Jan. 21, 2008 Sen. Mark Schoesler (360) 786-7620

Schoesler statement on UW request for Husky Stadium funding

OLYMPIA…Sen. Mark Schoesler, R-Ritzville, today issued this statement on the University of Washington’s recent announcement that it is seeking $150 million in public funding for renovations to Husky Stadium:

“What are the Huskies going to do if the Legislature says no to their funding request? Threaten to move out of state?

“There is no way the Legislature should provide state funding to help renovate Husky Stadium. Even though it costs far less money, WSU didn’t even think of going to Olympia to ask for money to fix up Martin Stadium. The Cougars are right to deal with their stadium project without asking for state help. With all of their rich alums and wide fan base, the Huskies should try to raise the stadium money without going to the Legislature for help.

“It would set a bad precedent for the Legislature and would unfairly give one of our state’s Pac-10 football teams a recruiting advantage over the other Pac-10 football team.

“If the Legislature won’t provide $300 million to help the Sonics pay for a multipurpose arena and convention center that could be used nearly every day of the year, why should we agree to give $150 million of the public’s money to fix up a college football stadium that probably would see only a dozen or so games a year? College football stadiums rank pretty far down the people’s list of public funding priorities.”

UPDATE: I ran into Schoesler in the hallway this afternoon.
"Portland does not have PAC-10 football," he said. I guess that means if the Huskies do need a new home, that might be one.

This item was worth it just so I could write that headline.

Actually, it really is a good thing. The county just sent out a press release saying Councilman Shawn Bunney will be on the program Thursday with fitness trainer and TV personality Jillian Michaels of NBC's "The Biggest Loser."

Bunney is participating in a MultiCare-sponsored program that encourages Pierce County residents to lose a combined 1 million pounds over the next year through exercise and good nutrition. As part of Michaels' presentation, Bunney will "donate" the 92 pounds he has lost over the past 12 months toward the 1-million-pound goal.

Bunney achieved his weight loss through nutritional dieting as well as walking and bicycling most of Pierce County's parks and trails.

Michaels' appearance will be at MultiCare's ninth annual "Do Something Healthy" program tomorrow from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Greater Tacoma Convention and Trade Center, 1500 Broadway. Tickets are sold out. More information is available here.

I covered the anti-abortion rally on the capitol steps yesterday. Aside from writing the story, I spent a chunk of the day processing this surreal experience: Rep. Jim Dunn, R-Vancouver, doing "the good Christian thing" by pointing across the way at the abortion rights protesters, proclaiming that they're "minions of the evil one."

A friend used to say that when you point a finger at someone, four more are pointing right back at you. Aside from the fuzzy math, I saw her point: Dunn lost all of his committee assignments late last year after telling a staffer that he was buying her a drink so he could take her to bed.

Just as the irony circuit in my mind was shorting out, a half dozen streakers wearing nothing but silver masks bounced by the thoroughly bundled-up crowd.

Here's a picture of the crowd, minus the nudies:

Never a dull moment.

Just got this from a legislative staffer, who, for obvious reasons, must remain anonymous. Remember Dole doing those Viagra ads after he got out of politics?

This has been making the rounds. Do you think it's Nose-worthy?

Subject: New Entry for 2008 Dictionary

Electile Dysfunction: the inability to become aroused over any of the choices for president put forth by either party in the 2008 election year.

Don't know what drug you'd take for that particular condition. Maybe you blog readers can suggest something.

And by so doing, creates a new acronym: MIZ

That's for Military Improvement Zone(s). You can never have too many acronyms in government.

Here's what Kelley is proposing, in his own words and a link to the actual bill if you're really into reading statutes:

=> Read more!

The 26,000-strong Public School Employees union approved a special $1-a-month dues increase last summer to raise money to raise their visibility, and they're about to start that campaign.

PSE director Randy Dorn was escorting his president, George Dockins, around the Capitol Campus earlier today to meet reporters and legislators.

Dorn, a former House Democrat in the mid-80s to mid-90s, said the union that represents cooks, bus drivers, custodians, clerks and computer technicians is trying to give itself a higher profile in the eyes of the Legislature. Right now, they're pretty much in the shadow of the "big dog" -- the 75,000-member Washington Education Association, the union that represents the classroom teachers, librarians, physical therapists and others.

The "classified" workers in PSE don't get enough attention from the Legislature when it comes to budget time, Dorn said. But that's about to change.

The special dues assessment will bring in about $300,000 a year and you'll start seeing and hearing television and radio ads that shine a light on what all those support people do in the schools, he said.

This year, the union wants lawmakers to increase the number of support staff from 1 per 59 students to 1 per 58 students. Doesn't sound like much, but it would cost $11 million a year. The Legislature doesn't give school districts enough money to pay for support staff, which puts too much of the burden on local school district property tax levies, Dorn said.

The classified workers will be looking for more in 2009, after the election.

I wrote about this in our Jan. 13 edition, advancing the current legislative session. Haugen is following through with her idea to turn over regional road projects to Sound Transit, or trying to. Here's the news release she sent out a couple hours ago.

=> Read more!

Randy Boss copied this exchange of e-mails between himself and Sen. Rosa Franklin, D-Tacoma, so I figured I'd share it with the public.

Just for the record, we did a quick-and-dirty survey of readers and about 80 percent of them were on Boss' side and against naming the new Narrows Bridge after Oke.

Read the exchange between Sen. Franklin and Boss here:

=> Read more!

The Seattle Democrat left me a voice mail sometime overnight, just to register a pet peeve.

He got an e-mail urging him to "take the lead on global warming." State senators get a lot of e-mails that urge them to do something.

"I'm not going to do this, but what I want to do is reply with 'I'm doing the best I can. I just bought my first SUV,'" Jacobsen said.

I think the lesson here is "say what you mean."

Sen. Cheryl Pflug, a Republican, made blog headlines a couple of weeks ago when she made fun of Gregoire's statement that the 520 bridge would be built - all the state needs is a plan.

She quipped that Senate Republicans were planning a trip to Mars -- all they needed was a plan.

Well, she's recycled the punch line, this time in the Senate Health & Long-Term Care Committee. Right now, I'm listening to the final comments on Sen. Karen Keiser's bill to replace employer-provided health insurance with healthcare-for-all, financed by a payroll tax.

This time, the joke went as such: "To borrow from our governor on a different topic, we're all on the same page, we're moving forward together ... all we need is a plan."

Judging by the audience's response, the joke worked best the first time around, but you can't blame her for trying.

Update: Pflug had another joke, with mixed reaction. Talking about her own health care plan, she said, "You all have heard the Golden Rule. Well, there's a financial Golden Rule: Those with the gold make the rules."

Some snickers followed. Keiser (politely) snapped back, "The Golden Rule I remember is do unto others as you'd have done unto you." A few people clapped, and Pflug's testimony was ended.

Ok, back to covering the news part.

That's what some of our readers made their top issues for state lawmakers during the 60-day legislative session that started Jan. 14.

Over the past 10 days, 828 people filled out our survey at thenewstribune.com. We asked them to rank their Top 10 WANTS and DON'T WANTS. We know it isn't scientific, but it's fodder for discussion and we hope it gives you an idea of what's on your neighbors' minds.

Here’s what our readers MOST want the Legislature to do: (Number in parentheses is how many times readers ranked that issue in their Top 10.)

1. Make everyone prove U.S. citizenship to get a driver license. (509)
2. Send child rapists and molesters to prison, even if they are related to victim. (469)
3. Send drunk drivers to prison at least one year after third conviction. (408)
4. Don’t use state funds to pay medical bills for illegal immigrants. (354)
5. Make sex offenders wear tracking devices so police know where they are. (339)
6. Make ex-convicts finish their full sentences in prison if they break terms of their release to community. (290)
7. Require liability insurance for all vehicle owners. (281)
8. Kick families off welfare after they five years of benefits unless they are disabled. (267)
9. Make drivers pay a $3 toll to drive on Seattle’s Alaskan Way Viaduct and Highway 520 bridge. (254)
10. Let people with terminal illesses end their own lives. (242)

Here’s what our readers LEAST want the Legislature to do:
1. Spend $400 million in taxpayer money for an arena in Renton so the Seattle Sonics won’t leave. (559)
2. Let same-sex couples get married. (387)
3. Repeal the law that prohibits talking on hand-held cell phones while driving. (347)
4. Raise the state gas tax by 10 cents a gallon to pay for all of the projects voters were promised in 2003 and 2005. (314)
5. Get rid of the law that makes motorcycle riders wear helmets. (295)
6. Let ex-convicts vote right after they get out of prison, not wait until they pay all of their fines. (277)
7. Let the governor appoint all judges, instead of voters electing them. (275)
8. Remove the 1 percent lid on property tax collections so local governments can keep pace with inflation. (267)
9. Exempt all land or buildings owned by Indian tribes from state and local property taxes. (256)
10. Let all public employees retire with full benefits when they turn 60, as long as they work at least 25 years. (247)

There will be more about this in Tuesday's newspaper. But you can read the entire list and rankings for all 60 issues on-line now.

Aaron Ritchey, our survey expert, added a third category by adding the MOST and LEAST Top 10 scores together to show which issues are of most interest to readers, whether they support or oppose.

Sen. Mary Margaret Haugen, D-Camano Island, is targeted by the Republicans every time she runs for re-election. It's a Republican-leaning legislative district, so it's always close, but Haugen manages to pull it off.

With state ferries getting pulled out of service the past several months, it sounds as if Republican Linda Haddon is going to hammer on that point during the campaign.

What should we make of the fact that Haddon's husband manages a funeral home?

Read Haddon's news release here:

=> Read more!

I just got off the phone with Rep. Judy Clibborn, chairwoman of the House Transportation Committee, who called to alert me to a bill that's going to show up on the House calendar tomorrow morning.

The bill will contain all the things that Gov. Chris Gregoire is proposing to pay for the $4.38 billion replacement of the 520 bridge, including putting tolls on the bridge before its finished, etc.

The purpose of the call? "It's governor request legislation," Clibborn, a Mercer Island Democrat, pointed out.

That means: I don't necessarily agree with what the bill proposes, but I'm putting my name on it and introducing it as a courtesy to the governor.

(The governor can't introduce bills in the Legislature, so committee chairmen and chairwoman traditionally introduce bills for the governor, even if they're from opposite political parties.)

Later on, lawmakers can amend them to the point that they're no longer recognizable to the governor.

Some of that may occur here. Gregoire has suggested paying half the cost of the bridge with tolls. That's $2 billion. And the only way to raise that much money would be to put a toll on the bridge in 2009 instead of 2016-18 -- long before the new bridge is finished.

Early tolling would cause Clibborn a great deal of heartburn on the home front.

"It has some things that deserve discussion," Clibborn said, with emphasis.

I just got back from the press conference about Sen. Karen Keiser's plan to provide healthcare for everyone in the state of Washington. In two hours, I'll head over to a hearing on the Insurance Commissioner's bill for the same end by different means.

Here's what I know so far about Keiser's plan: It seems that it would wipe out employer-provided healthcare plans and replace it with healthcare-for-all by assessing a 2-4 percent payroll tax on employees and a 9-11 percent tax on employers.

Anyone in the state who's lived here for a year (or has a job, is a child or is pregnant) (and who isn't covered by federal programs already) would automatically get a voucher for health insurance. If you didn't use the voucher to enroll, you'd be assigned the default plan, which has no premium.

So ... here's Keiser's example: If you make $50,000, you'd get $1,000 to $2,000 taken out of your paychecks over the course of the year. Your employer would pay more. For that, you'd receive healthcare with no premium.

She made clear: This is not a single-payer model. It's based on a model that passed the Wisconsin Senate last year but didn't pass the Assembly.

The savings - to the tune of $1 billion a year for 10 years, based on Wisconsin numbers - would come from buying in bulk and reducing administrative costs, which now account for about 30 percent of healthcare costs, according to numbers cited by Keiser.

I'm working on a story that's scheduled to appear in the paper tomorrow. In the interim: What do you think? Employers? Employees? Would it save you any money? Get a cup of coffee and start typing... that's my plan, at least.

We're not going to make a habit of posting e-mail updates that lawmakers send out to their constituents. There are simply too many lawmakers and too many updates.

But Jarrett's letter to friends and constituents is noteworthy because he switched parties late last year and this was his first session as a Democrat. He's going to run for the state Senate seat in the 41st District this fall because incumbent Democratic Sen. Brian Weinstein isn't running again.

House Democrats should like Jarrett. He boosted their majority over Republicans to 63-35.

Here's Jarrett's letter:

=> Read more!

Sound Politics had a post Friday about Rep. Sam Hunt's proposal to force the state to go to all-mail voting. Of course, Pierce County is the only county that hasn't voted to make that switch, so it really just forces us to go along with everyone else.

Here's a link to the bill info in the Legislature.

Another member of the Ruston Town Council has resigned. The Ruston Connection web site features Councilman Bob Everding's resignation letter to Mayor Michael Transue. The letter was posted today.

Here's an excerpt:

I resign from the Town Council, effectively immediately. Our government is presently dysfunctional. A hostile environment permeates town meetings as a small minority (mostly those who lost the last two elections) are allowed to disrupt meetings with angry tirades and threats. Many citizens now feel physically intimidated and will no longer offer their views. As last Monday’s aborted study session demonstrated, the civil discourse and rational decision making essential to effective government are now impossible to achieve. I cannot and will not attempt to fulfill my responsibilities in such a hostile, working environment.

Everding is a retired college dean who won the seat in 2005.

He's the fourth council member to resign in recent months. Council members Mary Joyce, Del Brewer and Bob Pudlo all quit their positions early, either by letter or in person, late last year. Joyce and Brewer were leaving at the end of the year, but Pudlo still had two years left in his term.

This follows the news Friday that Jim Reinhold was ousted as Ruston's police chief. Reinhold's attorney says he was fired by the mayor for political reasons. Transue would not comment on the firing, or even confirm it.

Another online source of Ruston news, Karen's Pickett's Ruston Home, just links to the Ruston Connection story right now, but could have more information later.

UPDATE: Folks in Ruston's tight-knit community probably know this already, but outsiders might not. Everding's wife Sarah set up that Ruston Connection web site where he posted his resignation letter, according to a WHOIS review of the registration. The home address listed on the registration is owned by Robert and Sarah Everding. I point this out because I can't find any "about us" or other ownership information on the web site.

At a Ruston reader's request, I posted the full text of Everding's letter after the following link.

=> Read more!

Will the Legislature raise more taxes to pay for traffic relief? Will lawmakers authorize police to set up sobriety checkpoints on roads?

What will happen to the Sonics’ request for a new arena? Is that don’t-talk-on-the-cell-phone-while-driving law really going to take effect in July?

Our readers have questions about these and many other topics relating to the 60-day legislative session that began last week. And Joe Turner has some answers.

Joe has been covering state government for The News Tribune since 1990. He’s known for reading the state budget cover to cover every year. Sources come to him for information.

Now you can, too. Join Joe online at noon Tuesday for a one-hour chat. Send in your questions and he’ll answer as many as he can.

A link to the chat will be on our home page.

Joe Turner wrote this morning about the Narrows (aka Bob Oke) bridge coming in under budget ... but don't think that'll change the tolls, he writes.

Speaking of tolling, this New York Times story about tolls catching on in other states caught my eye. If all goes as planned, it could cost trucks 93 bucks (and cars $25) to cross the great state of Pennsylvania in a few years. Turns out, Washington lawmakers are on a similar wavelength: We ran an AP story earlier this week about tolls being the "wave of the future" in Washington. I'll start saving my change.

Also this morning, Rob Carson writes about a bill to give tribal police full authority to arrest non-Indians. Now, tribal police can only detain non-Indians, which some say is turning reservations into "havens" for criminals.

This will begin to go without saying: We'll keep you posted.

On Monday, when most people will have the day off, (although Gov. Chris Gregoire will have a "day on," which means she'll be volunteering... I digress...), the Legislature will be here, hard at work.

So will Joe and I! I'll start the day out at a press conference held by Sen. Karen Keiser, D-Kent. She'll spend some time discussing her bill to create the "Washington Health Partnership," which is essentially universal healthcare modeled after Wisconsin's efforts.

Aside from being modeled after Wisconsin, I'm not clear on all the details just yet. I'm sure any confusion will be cleared up between the press conference and a 1:30 p.m. hearing on the subject.

I'll keep you posted throughout the day.

I spoke with Keiser today while she was driving home (both she and her assistant assured me that she was using a hands-free device). Here's a bit of what she had to say:

On why she's taken up the cause:
"What I am doing is pushing the envelope and I am not expecting to have a slam dunk here. I'm putting issues forward that I think are serious and seeing how far we can make with progress on them."

On it's chances of passing:
"We're having a hearing on the bill ... at that point, we'll have a little better sense of who's aligning one way or the other. There's a tremendous amount of interest. My e-mail box was pretty full today."

Here's a leftover from last night's Pierce County delegation dinner.

State Rep. Dennis Flannigan, D-Tacoma, who's in hot water with the state election watchdog agency over his alleged non-disclosure of his stock holdings, jokingly blamed his travails on The News Tribune.

"Never offer The News Tribune editorial board a stock tip," Flannigan quipped, to the laughter of a few dozen state and local officials.

"You just made The Nose," one of them said.

Niki Sullivan and I are camped out in the state capital cafeteria, the one in the Joel Pritchard Building, which is where the real action is during most legislative sessions.

It's where lobbyists, reporters and staff hang out when they're not sitting in committee hearings.

Anyway, Nick Federici, lobbyist for the American Lung Association of Washington, just told us there will be a hearing at the end of month on a bill to make smoking cessation tools like Chantix and Nicoderm patches eligible for coverage under the state Medicaid program.

Nick says pregnant women on Medicaid already can get reimbursed when they purchase quit-smoking drugs and patches, and that has been quite successful.

Senate Bill 6421 would make more Medicaid folks eligible. It's scheduled for a hearing before the Senate Health and Longterm Care Committee on Jan. 31.

Prime sponsor of the bill is Sen. Craig Pridemore, D-Vancouver. That's significant. Pridemore, a chain-smoker when he first arrived in the Senate, quit a couple years ago. He used the patch.

"If there's an effort to merge the ports, there will be a holy war here," state Rep. Steve Conway said at last night's meeting between local officials and the Pierce County legislative delegation.

The South Tacoma Demorat was reassuring Port of Tacoma officials the delegation would rally against the Port of Seattle if its envy of land for growth takes on the form of a bill in the Legislature.

Tacoma, Pierce County and Tacoma port officials met for dinner at Ramblin' Jack's restaurant in Olympia Thursday night to talk about what each of them wants from state lawmakers this session. And what they definitely don't want.

If you're a Hillary Clinton supporter who's free this weekend, consider stopping in at the caucus training sessions her campaign will hold in Seattle and Tacoma this weekend.

In Tacoma, former state Democratic party exec Jim Kainber will lead the session, teaching supporters how the caucus system works and "how to deliver Washington for Hillary in the state's Feb. 9 caucuses." If you can't make it this weekend, no fear: A series of tranings will be held across the state every weekend from now until the caucuses.

Here's the details for tomorrow's trainings:
Tacoma caucus training 8:30 to 10 a.m. at IBEW Local 76, 3049 S. 36th St. in Tacoma.
Same day: Seattle training 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. at IBEW Local 76, 9135 15th Place, Seattle.

They're called "bacon bits" -- at least by Rep. Hans Dunshee, D-Snohomish.

That's relatively small amounts of "pork" that someone wants the state to pay for. Small, compared to the overall $65 billion state budget.

Charlie Brown, lobbyist for the school district, says the school wants some help building a skills center.

The House and Senate will come out with their budgets in a few weeks and we'll see how well Bethel fares.

Just got off the phone with Bill Vogler, and he says it's true.

"We've got this 'wall of fame' in the office with pictures of past presidents that go back 50 to 60 years," said Vogler, president of the Washington State Association of Counties. "I wanted to leave before I'm one of the ones who aren't alive anymore."

His resignation is effective March 31. He'll take sometime off, he said "but I'll probably come back and help out the counties in some other way."

First memory that popped into Vogler's mind was standing outside the Senate chamber in Ulcer Gulch with then-Senate budget chairman Jim West poking him in the chest with his finger. West was upset because Vogler had his county officials holding up passage of the Republican budget in the mid-1990s, and it was the very last day of session.

West, who died a couple years ago, promised Vogler the next session he would personally sponsor a bill to allow the tax to pay for Enhanced 911 service. So Vogler called off his dogs. And true to his word, West made it happen the following year.

"I wore it as a badge of honor," Bill said of the very public and very heated argument with West. "It was like an honorable thing going face to face with the chairman of Ways and Means. That was a big deal for us. With a Republican Legislature it was hard to get taxes through."

That tax, by the way, is the 20 to 50 cents on your monthly phone bill. And E-911 lets fire and police know where you are when you call for help.

Here's Bill's letter of resignation.

=> Read more!

And if they were able to form a public facilities district, they could generate about $600,000 a year, they could build it.

Tom Dooley is working the Legislature on the issue. I'll get you a bill number as soon as Tom gets back to me.

PFD is the mechanism that was used to build the Mariners ballpark and Seahawk stadium. Basically, the state lets the local jurisdication keep a sliver of the state's 6.5 percent sales tax that is generated in the local area.

I saw Jim Walton, a former Tacoma city manager, in the capital cafeteria earlier this week. He said he's down here trying to help the William Factory Small Business Incubator get more money.

Gov. Chris Gregoire put $500,000 for the incubator in her supplemental budget request to the Legislature. Walton and others are trying to get the Legislature to go along.

The incubator is on the East Side. It helps new businesses with start-up costs and has a major building expansion of its own in the offing, Walton said.

Some of you have asked me where to find the Reader Legislative survey that we're asking people to fill out, so I'm moving the link up here.

I listed 60 issues and I'm asking folks to pick the 10 items the MOST WANT the Legislature to do and the 10 things they most DON'T WANT lawmakers to do this session. I know the list could have been much longer, but I had to stop somewhere.

Fill it out if you have time. I think we're going to keep it up through Martin Luther King Jr. holiday (Monday) and then tally it up.

Sen. Ken Jacobsen is getting heat from his own Seattle constitutents over his proposal to name the new Tacoma Narrows Bridge after the late Sen. Bob Oke.

The gay community apparently is up in arms because Oke, before he died, was estranged from his daughter because she is lesbian. Oke was well known for his opposition to gay rights and gay marriage and condemned homosexual behavior.

The Stranger, an alternative weekly in Seattle, reportedly wants to ask Jacobsen if gays and lesbians will be able to drive across the bridge if it's named after Oke.

I've heard from a lot of folks on the Gig Harbor Peninsula, I suppose some straight; some gay - they didn't say - who aren't too keen on the idea of the Oke Bridge, either. They're just mad because they have to pay tolls, and nobody else in the state does. (Unless you count ferry riders.)

But I'm told that Jacobsen was sorta surprised that a proposal to do something down in Pierce County would create a backlash in his own Seattle district.

Jason Lee Middle School was the scene for an event Thursday during which Gov. Chris Gregoire congratulated Tacoma's new National Board Certified teachers and bragged a bit about her program to give them bonuses.

Gregoire and state school Superintendent Terry Bergeson met with eight teachers who have recently been certified. They then met with many of the school district's 46 certified teachers and some Jason Lee students.

Washington has more than 1,800 certified teachers, adding 485 last year. That's the fourth highest total of newly certified teachers in the nation. More than 1,600 Washington teachers are seeking certification which comes after a difficult process that can take one to three years.

Gregoire was told that two bonuses she pushed for have helped encourage teachers to take on the task. One is a $5,000 a year bonus for all certified teachers. Another $5,000 goes to certified teachers who teach in so-called challenging schools measured by the percentage of students who qualify for free or reduced price lunches.

The Legislature rejected a third bonus for teachers who are qualified to teach math and science. Gregoire pledged later to try again for that bonus as a means of dealing with a statewide shortage of qualified math and science teachers.

"Five thousand dollars doesn't buy a national board certified teacher," she told students later. "It simply means we respect you."

Sen. Margarita Prentice, D-Renton, gave it her all last legislative session, trying unsuccessfully to persuade her colleagues to pony up a slice of state taxes in King County to help build a new arena for the Sonics.

Now, the chairwoman of the Senate budget-writing committee says she's throwing her weight behind a proposal to give money to the University of Washington to fix up Husky Stadium.

The proposal calls for spending $300 million to renovate the stadium, with half of that money coming from the state.

Prentice told me last night she's all for giving the UW all the same taxing authority that she was willing to use to pay for part of a $500 million multi-purpose arena for the Sonics in Renton. None of the taxes is new, she pointed out. So, it wouldn't be a tax increase, well, not exactly.

It would continue some of the same taxes now in place to pay for the Mariners ballpark and Seahawks stadium beyond the dates they otherwise would expire. That's part of the state share of the sales tax collected in King County, car-rental taxes and some others.

As for the apparently Oklahoma City-bound Sonics, there's nothing afoot in the Legislature to help them. Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels is working on something, and he's been in touch with state lawmakers, but nothing has emerged yet.

Said Prentice, "Clay Bennett and I haven't talked in a while."

Our colleague Don Ruiz says the digs for the Dawgz would include a new lower bowl much closer to field. It could be ready by 2010 if the Legislature approves, Ruiz reported.

UPDATE: Niki says this is what House Speaker Frank Chopp, D-Seattle, had to say about the proposal:

"I'm willing to talk."

When asked if he was more sympathetic to this issue than the Sonics, he said, "Oh God, by light years."

He said the reasons he's more sympathetic are:

1. It's a state-funded school where the players are students, not millionaires.

2. Many of the improvements are safety-related.

I'm working on a story right now about a bill that would ban lead, cadmium and pthalates from toys and other children's products sold in Washington.

Maybe you, like me, assumed that children's toys couldn't contain lead. Not true. Lead in paint? Obviously illegal. But it's used as a stabilizer in plastics legally. Washington Toxics Coalition found a slinky that was 1.5 percent lead, for example.

So ... the full story will be available you-know-where tomorrow (or soon, if it's held). In the meantime, let me know if you've had experience with this. I have ... sort of. My niece, almost 4, can read at least three words: "Made in China." After the recent toy scares, she's disowned some of her China-made toys and swears that she knows that others don't contain lead.

Washington's Jewish population is irked: The state Democratic party scheduled county conventions for April 19, which also happens to be Passover ... which also happens to be a very important Jewish holiday.

Here's what Rob Jacobs, NW regional director the Israel advocacy group StandWithUs, said in an e-mail: "No one should be forced to choose between observing their religious beliefs and expressing and acting on their political beliefs."

They've set up a Web site here. They're also encouraging people to call the state Democratic party to express their opinions.

I encourage you to do it here.

Renton attorney, part-time Roy prosecutor and poker enthusiast Lee Rousso announced to KIRO radio on Monday that he will run for governor.

I think that's really all that needs to be said about that.

Saturday (Jan. 19) marks the deadline for citizens to register to vote or change their voter information via mail or online for Washington state's presidential primary on Feb. 19.

Citizens who have not previously been registered in Washington can register in-person at any county elections department until Feb. 4.

Keep in mind, this won't be like other elections here. The Pierce County Auditor's FAQ explains why:

Every registered voter may vote in the Presidential Primary. Depending on the county, just as in a regular primary, voters will either receive a consolidated ballot or separate party ballots.

Each voter must sign a one party oath, which will appear in the poll book for those voting at the polls, or on the envelope for those voting by mail.

The major parties drafted the oaths to which voters must attest. They are:

Republican: I declare that I am a member of the Republican party and I have not participated and will not participate in the 2008 precinct caucus or convention system of any other party.

Democrat: I declare that I consider myself to be a DEMOCRAT and I will not participate in the nomination process of any other political party for the 2008 Presidential election.

The government goes on to note that each party will receive the list of voters who chose to vote in that party's presidential primary.

I previously lived in Pennsylvania and North Carolina, where voters register by party. After moving here in 1996, I quickly came to appreciate the fiercely independent nature of voting out here, and how ticked off many people get over being forced to sign onto the party lists.

Here are links to the Pierce County auditor and Washington secretary of state election pages.

They closed the hearing for ESB 5261 (see below). Now they're discussing bills that seek to create more transparency in doctor-pharmaceutical company relationships.

One (SB 6302) establishes "standards for prescription drug marketing and disclosure." That means pharmaceutical companies would have to report the gifts, money and educational items they provide to doctors.

Another (SB 6241) prohibits "data mining," or "sale or use of prescriber-identifiable prescription data for commercial or marketing purposes absent prescriber consent."

What does that mean? Pharmaceutical companies couldn't buy or use information about what your doctor is prescribing, unless he or she gives them the go-ahead.

I'm at the Senate Health & Long Term Care Committee. Right now, they're hearing ESB 5261, which would grant "the insurance commissioner the authority to review individual health benefit plan rates." Sounds simple enough.

Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler just finished giving his testimony. He was given the third degree by Republican Cheryl Pflug, who seemed opposed to the idea of Kreidler reviewing benefit plan rates. Her assessment is that the bill would give Kreidler the ability to deny rate increases and cost insurance companies millions of dollars.

Kreidler said that's not the case: The only thing the bill would let him do, he said, is take 60 days to evaluate whether rate increases are warranted. If, at the end of the time, he doesn't know, he can ask for more information.

Pflug says: "The chair says this bill is about granting the commissioner the ability to do investigaiton. But as I read the bill ... I see that the changes are that it gives the commissioner the ability to deny the rate increase. "

Chair of the committee, Sen. Karen Keiser, told Pflug the question had been "answered two times" and that she needed to stop delaying the committee hearing ... or else.

I'll keep you posted.

But someday, it might.

Below are excerpts from an e-mail that was sent by the Department of General Administration, the agency that acts as landlord for most state buildings. Apparently, some legislative staffers wanted to know what the state was getting for the $5,000 that was spent last year to repair the sundial.

Anyone who's seen the sundial knows it doesn't tell time. Even if it did, how could tell with all the rain and clouds?

Imagine if you spent $5,000 repairing your watch and it still couldn't tell time! We're wondering how well it will work if they do try to fix it.

Reminds us of the old saying, "Even a broken clock is right twice a day."

Read on:

Why has the Sundial been changed?
Now 50 years old, the Territorial Sundial was not built to last. The original gnomon, or needle, had been repeatedly bent and repaired and its design configuration, with no support at its tallest end, contributed to the recurring damage. Poorly anchored from the start, the gnomon had also become loose. Water infiltration through the anchoring points and along the seam across the sundial's face had corrupted the substructure of concrete and rebar beneath. This led to deformation and increasing concavity of the face. All of these issues needed to be addressed.

In the 2007 capital budget, the Legislature included $5,000 for repairs.

Does the Sundial tell time?
No. There is no evidence that it ever did. It was commissioned by Pritchard Building architect Paul Thiry as a work of art, and the focus of the artist was on the story told in the bas-relief face of the dial.

In order to tell time accurately, the placement of the markings on the sundial's face as well as the geometry and placement of the gnomon must be calibrated using a set of calculations that include the latitude of the site. If the new gnomon even approximated the proper angle, it would need to be as much as 2 feet taller. A gnomon of that height and length would have been very susceptible to damage. It is not known what calculations, if any, were used for the design of the face.

How were the design and materials selected?
Because the original gnomon was part of the work of art, yet had to be removed and replaced, the decision was made to replace it in a way that did not seek to imitate the art. Stainless steel was chosen over bronze for strength, cost, availability and aesthetics. The use of stainless steel also ties the work back to its origins: the Pritchard Building. The flat strip of steel added to the half-inch square bar increases its strength and balance.

Are there plans for future changes to the Sundial Plaza?
Yes. The 2009-11 capital budget request will include a project to address infrastructure concerns under the roadway in front of Pritchard and accessibility concerns at the Sundial Plaza. The scope of this project is under discussion, but it has been proposed that it include funding to commission a new sundial that does tell time. In such a case, the Territorial Sundial might be relocated to a museum, solarium or other indoor public space.

I just visited with Tami Green. The Lakewood Democrat and former Western State Hospital psych nurse has introduced two bills (well, four ... but two for the purpose of our discussion) that could change the face of voting in the state.

Specifically, the face would be more Clearasil than Geritol. OK, one of the bills would allow 16-year-olds to vote.

"It won't pass," she said. And she's paid for even introducing it. "I've been getting my share of razzing" from fellow lawmakers, she said.

The other bill would allow 17-year-olds to vote in a primary if they'll be 18 by the time the general election rolls around. Other states have similar laws, and she thinks that one has a chance of passing -- there's even a slight chance it could happen before the presidential election.

I wondered what Tami's interest in the very-young vote was. Turns out they're from the Legislative Youth Advisory Council, a group of 14-18 year old Washington students who meet to make suggestions to the Legislature about issues important to youth.

Although she said the 16-year-old voting bill probably doesn't have a snowball's chance of passing, she isn't just introducing it as a courtesy.

=> Read more!

I just read an interesting bit on Chris Mulick's blog about a mysterious opponent to Tacoma Democrat Debbie Regala.

Mulick writes:

A Tacoma gentleman listing his name as "Mister Robert Hill" filed a candidate registration recently to run against her ... He listed his political affiliation as "?" and has no treasurer or committee officers. When asked to list related or affiliated political committees he lists "pending."
The form is dated "Tuesday, December 25th, 2007 A.D."
And he signed the form "(smiley face)=>27!"

I suppose it's best Hill filed on Christmas, rather than ... well, the holiday he infamously promoted at a Tacoma City Council meeting.

Update: I spelled Hill's name wrong. Not the Hill part, but the Traveller part. That's right, folks: Two ls. I can't promise I won't make that same mistake many more times, but I'll do my best.

I wrote a story for today's paper about Tacoma City Councilman Mike Lonergan saying he's ready to "go to war" with the state Department of Corrections over the issue of "dumping" ex-felons in the city.

Part of what fueled Lonergan's outrage was a report the city assembled that compares crime rates with other cities across the country. The comparison, which is based on data from the ICMA (International City/County Management Association) is presented in a bar graph, and it's pretty dramatic. Tacoma's bar leaps off the page.

But the other cities in the comparison aren't the usual suspects. Spokane – a city of similar size in the same state – isn't among them. Places like Salt Lake City, Utah, Dayton, Ohio, Salem, Ore., and Savannah, Ga. are on the list.

So what if you want to know how Tacoma compares with other places? Back in March, The News Tribune's Lights & Sirens blog published a link to a site that lets you do just that. Plug in the cities of your choosing and it spits out comparisons.

According to the site, Tacoma's crime rate per 100,000 people is not only higher than Spokane, Vancouver and Boise, but also Portland and Seattle.

Tacoma scored lower than Camden, N.J. – which scored the highest among cities with 75,000 or people – in murder, rape and robbery, but higher in burglary, larceny and vehicle theft.

Sen. Mike Carrell, R-Lakewood, introduced a bill today that would require those convicted of DUI-related offenses to drive vehicles with fluorescent yellow license plates.

Read all about SB 6402 here.

It would also require ignition lock devices, which only let you operate a vehicle if you pass a breathalyzer test. Driving a car without those features would be a crime if the bill is passed.

I'll keep you posted if the bill moves anywhere.

Getting tougher on drunk drivers is one of the themes of this legislative session, starting with Rep. Pat Lantz, D-Gig Harbor, and her controversial proposal to let cops set up sobriety checkpoints to catch drunks on the road.

(Gov. Chris Gregoire is pushing for the same thing, but the Guv borrowed that idea from Lantz.)

Lantz introduced another bill today, House Bill 2705, to make mandatory the 2 extra years that are sometimes tacked onto sentences for those convicted of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

The bill apparently would take away a judge's discretion and make the driver serve the full two extra years of confinement in prison.

The bill was assigned to the House Judiciary Committee for a hearing. And it probably will get one.

Lantz is chairwoman of that committee.

Gregoire just mentioned Tacoma in her State of the State address ... kind of.

"The bottom line: We've created 218,000 more jobs in the last three years. That, my friends, is the population of Tacoma and Moses Lake combined."

Now she's talking about healthcare for children. There are 84,000 more kids insured this year than three years ago and "are on our way to covering all children by 2010."

I wonder if Gregoire added this part of the speech after last night's other SoS address:

Let's give a well-deserved rest to partisanship and politics and replace them with progress and prosperity.

I don't know the answer. I'm just wondering...

Governor Chris Gregoire is just about to get started with her State of the State address. You can watch live on TVW if you please, but Joe Turner and I will keep you updated throughout the speech with blog posts.

I have a copy of the speech but I'm prevented from saying anything about its contents until after 5 p.m. ... but ... here's a preview: Someone gets married. Or dies. I really can't say for another 7 minutes.

In the meantime, here's a photo of everyone getting settled in. Both the House and Senate are squished into the House chambers, along with the state Supreme Court and a bunch of other people.

A new online survey invites Tacoma residents to tell the City Council what they think about the priorities council members have outlined. The survey, entitled "What do these priorities mean to you?" is at www.cityoftacoma.org/strategicplan.

The wide-open survey asks for feedback on:
• A safe, healthy, livable community
• A balanced vibrant economy
• A results-oriented government

Information from the survey will be compiled and shared with the City Council as members continue talking about how they might update the city's strategic plan.

Round 2 of the council's three-part discussion of the strategic plan is scheduled for today's study session, which begins at noon in Room 16 of Tacoma Municipal Building North, 733 Market Street.

On the agenda today: A review of "A Safe, Healthy, Livable Community."

Forget the tests and just have a little fun. That's Sen. Rosa Franklin's message. The Tacoma Democrat proposed a bill (last term, just got a hearing yesterday) that requires schools to have daily recess.

Franklin said she learned from some parents in her district (that's you) that their children's recess had been cut. She looked into it and found that some schools were cutting recess to make more time for curriculum. That just wouldn't do.

"Those kids need that time on the playground, to be able to release that energy," she said.

An awkward moment came when one senator asked for the definition of recess.

"That's one of the quirks of this whole issue. Recess is unstructured activity," she said, which doesn't necessarily lend itself to a tidy legislative definition.

But ... but ... it's a bill! We're the Legislature! We need to know exactly what unstructured activity is!

Supporters of the bill pointed out that children who have recess score higher on tests, so taking away recess to increase learning isn't possible in their eyes.

The bill did have one detractor: Barbara Mertens of WASA (Washington Association of School Administrators). She said she didn't want to start the year by testifying against a recess bill, but she had to bring forward her concerns. She said state-mandated recess takes away local control and is yet another "unfunded mandate."

We'll keep you posted. Anyone have any recess deprived children?

State Sens. Dan Swecker, R-Rochester, and Ken Jacobsen, D-Seattle, are collecting signatures on a memorial resolution to name the new bridge in Tacoma after the senator who pushed for its construction.

Jacobsen said a few minutes ago he thinks the memorial will be introduced on Wednesday.

"If it wasn't for Bob, I don't think we would have that bridge yet," Jacobsen said. "He persevered through everything, through hostile opposition. If I went through the whole set of legislators, there might be only 1 or 2 who would have persisted that long.

"It's a monument to his political courage and he new he was in a perilous political position and he didn't stop."

In his last election, Oke won by only 300 votes. He died last year of a rare form of blood cancer.

Longtime bridge opponent Randy Boss doesn't think it's such a good idea:

Bob Oke was a really sweet guy and I was very sorry to see him pass BUT that does not diminish the fact that he sold his people down the river....Bob Oke deliberately and purposefully defied over 80% of those people he represented by allowing (no - fostering) the State to jam an unwanted toll bridge down our throats. Bob had originally said that he would respect the will of the people but after the gerrymandered "advisory vote" Bob mysteriously changed his tune and by doing so, threw us, those he represented, to the wolves.

Former Rep. Lois McMahan, a Gig Harbor Republican, is part of the campaign for naming the bridge after Oke.

There is a Web site with a few more details. It was created by Oke's son-in-law, Tom Derby, according to a Senate news release.

As reported here two weeks ago, Pierce County Executive John Ladenburg is considering a bid to challenge state Attorney General Rob McKenna this fall.

Here's an update: While he "explores" the idea of running, Ladenburg has set up a campaign Web site. It's not much - just a one-pager featuring a letter outlining his resume and taking this shot at McKenna (though not by name):

The Attorney General is the citizens’ lawyer and should be responsive to the public needs. Many have urged me to run because they believe the office has become too political and biased. We need an Attorney General who will change the political nature of the office and return it to the citizens of the state. The Attorney General should be working for the interests of consumers, the elderly, the children and the disadvantaged, not creating a platform for political gain.

I caught just a minute or so of the prayer that preceded the Senate session. I'm not sure the name of the man giving the prayer, but there were inaudible giggles in the sidelines when he called the audience to "pray for Governor Gregory."

I suppose we're all working out a few kinks on day one.

Here are a couple photos I just took of the Legislature just before the noon opening session.

Here's the crowd gathered outside the two chambers. That's a lot of elementary and middle school kids.

Here's the House chamber a few minutes ago. Since I took the photo, about 15 more members have taken the floor and are chatting with fellow lawmakers.

House Speaker Frank Chopp is going to give a speech once things get under way. On the Senate side, Majority Leader Lisa Brown will do the same. I'll divide my time between the two and update when possible.

Gov. Chris Gregoire just sent out an e-mail urging everyone to donate to victims of December's flooding and windstorms. Here's a bit of what she had to say:

“Businesses and individuals in Southwest Washington are still struggling to recover from the catastrophic damage the storms caused,” Gregoire said. “I urge our corporations and residents to open their pocketbooks for them. Neighbors need to be helping neighbors at times like this.”

Residents of the 10 counties who are eligible for FEMA assistance need to register using the 1-800-621-FEMA toll free number or on-line registration at www.fema.gov.

In other news, Gregoire will give her state of the state address tomorrow, but Dino Rossi plans to beat her to the punch: He'll webcast his own state of the state address tonight at 6 p.m. via DinoRossi.com.

And finally, Attorney General Rob McKenna (who doesn't seem to have a MySpace page. I checked.) announced this morning that he and AGs across the country signed an agreement with MySpace to ensure that children who use the site will be protected from online sex predators.

Local leaders are scheduled to participate in a panel discussion next month about the next steps in dealing with traffic congestion. That's the topic of City Club of Tacoma's dinner on Feb. 6. Note that reservations are required.

Here's the news release:

=> Read more!

Here's a shot outside the capitol building I took about five minutes ago. As you can see, it's pretty sleepy right now. In the main building, there are a handful of people wandering the halls with name tags and smiles.

I'm in Olympia today for the official start of the Legislature and will be updating the blog throughout the day with whatever action catches my ears and eyes. Right now, I can hear many of the reporters arriving and wishing each other good luck for the day. It feels like the first day of school.

Here's the first thing that caught my eye this morning: Tacoma school officials want the Legislature to toughen laws aimed at misconduct and crimes by school employees. Here's a glance at the proposed legislation, from the story:

Interim Superintendent Art Jarvis wants new laws on these issues:

Boundary invasion: Require school districts to disclose cases of improper contact of a staff member with students when that staff member applies for a job in another school district. The law now requires only disclosure of sexual misconduct and stops short of cases like that of former teacher Jennifer Rice, who was charged last year with kidnapping, rape and child molestation. The proposal also would require school employees to report “boundary invasion misconduct” to an administrator.

Mandatory termination: Add felony offenses for which a school district employee can be terminated. They would include conviction of serious crimes against a person, including rape and assault. Current law generally speaks to crimes against minors, but not adults.

Mandatory leave: Allow only 30 days of paid leave to a certificated employee charged with a felony crime under the mandatory termination statute. If the issue isn’t resolved within 30 days, the employee would be moved to unpaid leave, with some special provisions.

Hold onto your wallets and your civil liberties - the Washington Legislature is set for the 2008 session.

The 60-day session opens Monday, and lawmakers have lots of ideas that could make your life better or worse, depending on your perspective.

Joe Turner assembled an online survey listing 60 issues of interest to folks around here. We want you to check 10 things you want the Legislature to do and 10 things you do not want the Legislature to do.

Most are questions about taxes, health care, education, public safety and the like. A few items - such as making Tim Eyman move to Idaho, Montana or Afghanistan - are there to gauge your mood.

Here's a link to the survey. Tell your friends.

We’ll report the results in about a week.

Former legislator Jim Clements of Selah (Eastern Washington) has been appointed to the Public Disclosure Commission by Gov. Chris Gregoire.

My favorite part: Clements said he accepted the five-year appointment because he knows the agency is "top gun."

Here's why:

Washington’s PDC topped all 50 other states for the fourth year in a row in a survey conducted by the Campaign Disclosure Project of the UCLA School of Law, the Center for Governmental Studies, and the California Voter Foundation. Washington had the nation’s best electronic filing program and accessibility of campaign finance data, according to the report.

Clements has served a term as a state senator and 12 years in the state House.

MSNBC.com, which first reported doubts about the Prometa drug-treatment program back in February, has followed up with an article about the Prometa controversy in Pierce County.

Today’s article (read it here) covers the county report questioning Prometa’s effectiveness, the council vote to suspend funding and the stock ownership of several officials who lobbied for public funding of the treatment program. It notes the value of Hythiam Inc.’s stock has plummeted in the wake of the Pierce County controversy.

Gov. Chris Gregoire has avoided committing to any of the Democrats running for president. Her explanation has been that she doesn't want to endorse while fellow Democratic governor Bill Ricahrdson of New Mexico was in the race.

It is a courtesy thing, she said. Out of respect for Richardson, most other Democratic governors are staying out of it too.

So now that Richardson is on the verge of dropping out – a victim of fourth-place finishes in Iowa and New Hampshire – will Gregoire announce her choice?

Well, no, according to press secretary Aaron Toso:

"I spoke with the Governor last evening and she indicated that she is not ready to endorse any candidate yet. She’d like to see more of them. We have some very unique issues in this Washington, like floating bridges, salmon recovery, ferry systems, Puget Sound and Hanford. Governor Gregoire would like to hear where the candidates stand on those issues and others that have direct impacts on our state."

Former state Rep. Jan Shabro says she’ll decide in the next week whether to run for Pierce County assessor-treasurer.

“I’ve been talking to lots of people and getting a lot of very positive feedback,” said Shabro, a Lake Tapps Republican. “You might say I’m testing the waters.”

Shabro said she assumed Terry Lee, the Republican chairman of the Pierce County Council, was running for assessor-treasurer. But Lee recently dropped out of the race.

Shabro lost her 31st Legislative District seat to Democrat Christopher Hurst in 2006. She also served on the Pierce County Council for eight years.

Incumbent Assessor-Treasurer Ken Madsen and County Councilman Barbara Gelman – both Democrats – also are weighing bids for the office.

Voters in November approved a county charter amendment making the assessor-treasurer a nonpartisan position.

We were surprised to learn today that the Fircrest City Council chose a new mayor last night. Dave Viafore has been mayor of the town of 6,000 residents for 14 years. He's been replaced by Kathy McVay.

Reporter Rob Tucker is working the phones to find out what happened. I sent a note to David Stemp, who lost a bid in November for the city council. During the campaign, he was critical of the city's secretive attempt to bring a Wal-Mart to the town. Here's what Stemp told me today:

I'm guessing that the city was ready for a change. I know Kathy McVay is the senior council member next to Dave, so she certainly seems the logical choice as New Mayor. I think that the latest election showed that Dave didn't have the full confidence of the city, he won his election by only 60 votes. It was a very brief election process last night - it almost seemed over before it started. I have to say Kathy McVay did a great job of presiding over the meeting after being handed the gavel.

UPDATE: Here's a link to Rob's initial story on our home page. That might be further updated tonight or tomorrow.

Let the fun begin: With about a month before Washington's caucuses and primaries, Barack Obama's campaign will be the first to officially open up shop in Washington.

Congressman Adam Smith will cut the ribbon at 11 a.m. this Saturday on the third floor of the Howard Building (614 First Ave., Seattle). They recommend that supporters show up at 10:30 (and detractors stay home, I assume).

What is now the office started last February as a grassroots effort through My.barackobama.com. Many of the candidates have taken similar inspiration from social networking sites (McCainSpace anyone?).

From the press release:

"Senator Obama is the best candidate in this race that can unite our country and bring real change for America" said U.S. Rep. Adam Smith.
"The momentum we have seen so far shows that Americans are excited about Obama's message of hope, and nowhere is that more true than in Washington state. We are very excited to see the beginning of this next phase of the campaign. Our volunteers are energized and ready to do their part to make sure Senator Obama wins Washington's upcoming primary." he continued.

Pierce County Council Chairman Terry Lee seems a safe bet to keep his post when the council elects new officers next week.

Lee, R-Gig Harbor, was first elected chairman of the seven-member council a year ago. He said he wants to keep the job, and other council members say he likely will.

“I think people are pretty happy with the way the (leadership) structure’s set,” said Councilman Shawn Bunney, R-Lake Tapps, who served two years as chairman before Lee.

Councilmen Roger Bush, R-Graham, and Tim Farrell, D-Tacoma, also said it’s likely Lee will keep the job.

One factor in Lee’s favor: he’s the only council member not running for office this year. The others are either seeking re-election or running for other offices.

Lee filed to run for county executive and assessor-treasurer, but ultimately bowed out of both races.

Republicans legislative candidates are pretty quick out of the blocks this election season. I can't remember the last time I received half a dozen announcements in the first week of January.

Randi Becker is taking on an established incumbent in Marilyn Rasmussen, D-Eatonville. Becker, 59, used to work at Puyallup Surgical Consultants.

Read her full announcement here:

=> Read more!

Gov. Chris Gregoire had to pick someone after Harold Clarke abruptly left for Massachusetts around Thanksgiving. Vail has been around awhile and reportedly gets along with the community corrections officers better than Clarke did.

The CCOs wanted a no confidence vote in Clarke, but delayed it long enough for Clarke to leave.

Prisons, ex-convicts, sex offenders, early release, GPS monitoring......all those things will be elements of Gregoire's reelection campaign, and of Republican Dino Rossi's challenge. So the Guv needs someone who won't embarrass her, or undermine state employee union support.

Vail will be around until the November election. Will he be here for any of the next four years?

Here's the governor's full news release:

=> Read more!

Pierce County Executive John Ladenburg said this morning he has hired campaign consultant Christian Sinderman and filed paperwork on Monday with the state Public Disclosure Committee to further explore a bid for statwide office.

He said he's calling around to see whether he'll be able to raise enough money to mount a serious challenge to first-term incumbent Rob McKenna, a Republican. Ladenburg is a Democrat.

Ladenburg said he'll still wait until the end of the month before making any official declaration. A lot will depend on what he hears at the other end of those phone calls, he said.

A three-member citizen's committee will take up the question of whether Tacoma City Council members should receive health insurance benefits the same as the mayor and other city employees.

Council members approved a resolution Tuesday calling for a committee to look into the issue. Outgoing Councilman Bill Evans introduced an ordinance last month that would have extended health benefits to the council. But the council postponed a vote until March 18.

The committee will consist of one city human resources professional, one former city council member (Bill Evans, perhaps?) and one city resident. The council's Appointments Committee will recommend the members.

UPDATE:

Councilman Jake Fey voted against the resolution to form the committee. Fey, who was ready to vote in favor of Evans' health benefits ordiance, said he doesn't see the need for a study of the issue.

If council members needed more information, city staff members could provide it, Fey said. And if council members were hoping to distance themselves from the issue, Fey doesn't believe they've succeeded. By dictating the types of people who will serve – and then naming the appointments – council members will have their hands all over the process, he said.

Former Washington Transportation Secretary Doug MacDonald is still on the transportation scene, but he took some time out over the holidays to get hitched.

MacDonald told me this morning he and Seattle Times reporter Lynda Mapes got married on Christmas Eve. The two of them met a few years ago when Mapes was writing about the Hood Canal bridge project and all of the problems that led to a doubling of costs for a project. It will now cost somewhere between $400 million and $500 million.

MacDonald was at the Port of Tacoma to attend a meeting of Pierce County leaders who have a keen interest in transportation. He and former wireless company executive John Stanton, chairman of the governor's task force on regional transportation governance, were trying to sell the locals on the importance of getting on board the governance bandwagon.

It's a hard sell.

Gov. Chris Gregoire wants it. Sen. Mary Margaret Haugen, D-Camano Island, chairwoman of the Senate Transportation Committee, wants it. But much of Pierce County's leadership is wary.

A regional transportation commission undoubtedly would be dominated by Seattle and King County, Sen. Jim Kastama, D-Puyallup, noted.

"It's very difficult to trust our economic development projects to King County," Kastama said.

Catherine Rudolph, government affairs director for the Tacoma-Pierce County Association of Realtors, took note of the $3 toll that locals are paying to build the new Narrows Bridge, and the fact that Pierce County's other gax tax dollars end up somewhere else.

"There's a reason we have a chip on our shoulder," she said.

More on this in our Sunday paper. I'm writing an advance for the legislative session that starts on Monday. Lawmakers will be talking a lot about transportation issues in the wake of the defeat of Proposition 1 in November. That $18 billion roads and transit tax plan left many regional projects with no or only partial funding.

The Tacoma City Council unanimously approved a settlement agreement Tuesday with the final private owner of property in the South Park Plaza.

Council members agreed to pay Kenneth Robblee $2.3 million for three parcels in the garage along Pacific Avenue, as well as air rights. Although the city owns the garage, it sold the property beneath the lowest parking decks after the structure was built. South Park Plaza was built more than 30 years ago along with a second garage as part of a federal urban renewal program.

The sum includes $200,000 for relocation benefits and $150,000 for attorney fees.

The council’s vote came over the objections of Robblee, who took the unusual step of testifying against the settlement he and his lawyers had already agreed to. He said the deal was reached in haste after a long mediation session, he had been ill and in fact did not approve of the terms.

In October, the city settled a similar condemnation case with the owners of Brodsky's Uniform & Equipment.

The city considers the garage an eyesore and is working with a private developer to rehabilitate it. The plan includes a face-lift, structural strengthening, adding 102 city-owned parking stalls, and adding 67,000 square feet of office space and 36,000 square feet of retail space.

The plan required the city to acquire property from five owners and then sell it to the developer, Pacific Plaza Development.

From education reporter Kris Sherman:

Telling Tacoma's School Board what you want in a new superintendent of
schools is as easy as click, click, click.

Sure, the board is holding a daylong listenathon on Wednesday to hear from parents, students, community members, business leaders and staff, but you don't have to show up or wait for tomorrow to be heard.

Just click here for the new superintendent survey.

You'll get a menu of 32 qualities you might find in a new schools chief. The survey asks you to mark your Top 10. It won't likely be as lively as David Letterman's list, but schools officials promise they'll consider your input.

You also get a chance at the bottom to write added thoughts.

The newest members of the Tacoma City Council attended their first official meetings of the year today. Marilyn Strickland and Lauren Walker started at the City Council's noon study session where the council discussed its long-term goals and priorities.

After that, the series of meetings continued with a 2 p.m. gathering called the Committee of the Whole. Among the topics were transportation planning and the region's response to last fall's failed Roads and Transit initiative, and committee assignments.

Mayor Bill Baarsma is responsible for recommending appointments to some 45 committees ranging from the Association of Washington Cities Board to the Zoo Trek Authority.

Strickland's committee assignments include the council's Government Performance and Finance, and Public Safety and Human Services.

Walker's assignments include the council's Environment and Public Works Committee and Neighborhoods and Housing Committee.

The meetings marathon will conclude with the evening council meeting where Strickland and Walker will be ceremonially sworn-in.

Looking for your fix of city government news on a lonely Tuesday night, but nowhere near a television? As long as you have a computer with Internet access, you can now log on to TV Tacoma live.

The connection will enable you to watch council meetings or whatever is on TV Tacoma, the city's 24-hour government information channel (Cable channel 12 in the city and channel 21 outside the city).

To watch, go to the TV Tacoma Web site and click on “Watch TV Tacoma live.” You'll be asked to select the appropriate connection speed.

Here's the final installment of today's dispatches from the Associated Press legislative preview.

Gov. Chris Gregoire was the last to speak. Here's just a bit of what she had to say (some of it may look familiar):

* Improve sex offender assessments.

* Set up DUI check points.

* Invest in healthcare. She said simply offering universal health insurance under the current system would overload it, causing further problems. Instead she wants quality and cost addressed before adding more people to the system. She didn't give specifics.

* Help homeowners weather the storm: "We've put together a package to make sure that some of the problems that caused (foreclosures) won't happen. Let's make sure that new home buyers can actually, with security and safety, feel good about buying a home today ... to those who are in the adjustable rates (mortgages), i don't want them to lose their homes."

* "The literal priority for the session is to come out fiscally responsible." That means no sneaking into the surplus.

* On the subject of former Gov. Booth Gardener's initiative to legalize assisted suicide that he'll announce tomorrow: "I love my friend Booth. My heart goes out to his condition (Parkinson's disease) ... I find it, on a personal level, very difficult to support assisted suicide."

Apparently there's a long-standing tradition here for Democrats and Republicans to pick a theme song before the session starts.

Lisa Brown picked "'Our House,' by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young."

Rep. Richard DeBolt (R-Chehalis) (and a Tacoma native) quipped "Isn't that by Madness?"

She amended her statement: "'Our House' as performed by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young." She said she picked it because of the housing security package of bills they hope to pass this year (see post below, and stay tuned).

As for DeBolt, he picked Credence Clearwater Revival's "Who'll Stop the Rain." There's been a lot of talk about the severe flooding his district experienced last year and what can be done to help the victims and prevent something similar from happening again.

Joe Turner and I are at the annual AP legislative forum today in Olympia. We'll get to hear leaders from both houses (and parties) discuss what's on their agenda for the 60-day session.

I'll be blogging as things catch my ear. Here's the first piece: Senate Majority Leader Lisa Brown (D-Spokane) just talked about "home security." Here's what she had to say:

We don't have the same housing crisis that is happening in other states. We don't have as many foreclosures, don't have as many people ... but it's happening. We want to be there with a range of issues, everything from consumer education to more scrutiny of lending practices to property tax relief."

Stay tuned. In the meantime, post any burning questions or speculation in the comments.

We don't want to give Eyman too many bites at the apple, as in "free publicity," but he did make a few changes that our Associated Press colleagues noted:

OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) — Initiative promoter Tim Eyman made revisions to his traffic jam measure Monday, pushing for a bigger slice of sales taxes and highway tolls along with oversight by the state auditor.

The "Reduce Traffic Congestion" measure also has a number: Initiative 984.

Eyman said the initiative, originally filed with the state last week, was amended after response from supporters and some elected officials. He pledged no more changes, and plans to start collecting voter signatures next month.

The Mukilteo resident's direct-democracy factory needs to get about 225,000 valid petition signatures by mid-July to get I-984 on the ballot. Professional campaigns often shoot for about 300,000 to be sure they've cleared the legal threshold.

The biggest change announced Monday is an increased share of vehicle sales taxes — 15 percent instead of 10 percent — diverted from the general fund into a new "Reduce Traffic Congestion Account." That's about $130 million annually if the measure becomes law, Eyman said.

Also destined for the traffic congestion account would be:

• Money the state collects from any new traffic-management tolls, like charging single drivers to use car pool lanes.

• Construction tolls that don't disappear after the project's bills are paid.

• The percentage of public works project spending currently earmarked for art purchases.

• Fees that local governments collect from red-light violation cameras.

Lawmakers would decide how to divide that money among three top priorities: opening up car pool lanes during off-peak travel times, synchronizing traffic lights on heavily traveled arterials and boosting roadside assistance crews.

Once those targets are met, the money would have to go to additional programs aimed at easing traffic jams, Eyman said.

In another change, state Auditor Brian Sonntag would be given oversight of the new account and its programs. Eyman's measure still seeks to open car pool lanes to all drivers outside of weekday rush hours.

Republicans have found a candidate to take on another Democratic incumbent in a swing district. Pat Lantz, D-Gig Harbor, has been in office 11 years, so she won't be easy to unseat.

Angel is 61 years old.

Here's Angel's announcement:

County Commissioner Jan Angel Announces for State Representative in 26th Dist.

Port Orchard, WA-Long time district resident, former commercial banker, former business owner and current Kitsap County Commissioner Jan Angel announces her candidacy for state representative in the 26th legislative district, position 1. The seat is now held by Democrat legislator Pat Lantz.

Angel will focus on education, public safety and controlling property taxes as her top priorities when elected to the legislature. “We have an achievement gap in our current education system, public safety is at risk with offenders being released early into our communities and people are being taxed out of their homes. This is simply unacceptable. We need people in Olympia who understand the issues and can offer positive solutions, not business as usual. My experience on the county commission and in the private sector prepared me well for this next step. I look forward to serving the people of the 26th District in the legislature”.

Jan served on the Executive Board of the regional Economic Development District, participated in a Friendship Delegation to China with Lt. Gov. Brad Owen, is a founding member of the Kitsap International Trade Council, serves on the board of the Kitsap Economic Development Alliance, the board of the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency and is past president of the Western District of the Washington State Association of Counties. She also serves on the Kitsap Regional Coordinating Council (past chair), the CENCOM 911 Policy Board (past chair), the County Emergency Management Board (past chair), Kitsap County Health District Board (2007 chair), Kitsap Transit, and will be serving as the 2008 chair of the Kitsap County Consolidated Housing Authority.

Jan has lived in South Kitsap for 25 years. She is married to Lynn Williams, has two adult daughters who are partners in local businesses, and is a grandmother of five. Jan attended Colorado State University and the University of Alaska, majoring in business administration. She received her Certified Public Official designation in 2003 and also is a 2003 graduate of the County Leadership Institute, Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service at New York University Wagner. She is a Paul Harris Rotarian and is a member of the State of Washington Farm Bureau, the Kitsap/Mason County Farm Bureau, the Washington Wildlife and Recreation Coalition and the Kitsap Audubon Society.

For Further Information Contact: Jan Angel @ (360)204-0776 or www.janangel.com</blockquote>

David Dooley is getting an early start to campaign season, trying to reclaim one of the House seats that Republicans routinely won in years past.

The 28th District used to lean Republican, but now it's clearly a swing district. Sen. Mike Carrell is a Republican, but both House members are Democrats: Tami Green and Troy Kelley.

Here's Dooley's announcement:

Dooley Announces for State Representative in 28th LD

Lakewood, WA-Long time district resident, former legislative staffer and current Dean of Students at Lakes High School, David Dooley announces his candidacy for state representative in the 28th legislative district (pos.1) as a Republican. Freshman Democrat legislator Troy Kelley now holds the seat.

Dooley, 36 of Lakewood is a graduate of Curtis HS, Brigham Young University and Fresno State University earning both a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree. In addition to his role as Dean of Students, Dooley is the varsity girls’ and boys’ swim coach at Lakes, works as a water polo official and serves as a youth leader and assistant scoutmaster at church.

He is married to his college sweetheart and fellow Curtis graduate, Daniela, daughter of Bob and Heather Call of University Place. Daniela (Dani) is a devoted mom to their four children, Heath 11, Kirkham 9, Afton 7 and Cora 5.

Citing a list of issues if elected, Dooley will focus on education, public safety and spending as his priorities. “We need to focus on bridging the achievement gap in our school systems along with making sure that students are held to a fair and practical advancement standard. Our communities need to be safer; we shouldn’t have to bear the burden of offenders that have been dumped in Pierce County. Government spending needs to be reduced and checked for efficiency. We’ve got to eliminate wasteful government spending practices and put our tax dollars to better use. We need to restore a balance in Olympia so that voters are not unfairly burdened by the unchecked decisions of current legislative power groups.”

For Further Information Contact:
Dave Dooley @ (253) 279-8126 or vote4dooley@yahoo.com

Yes, that was former Washington attorney general and U.S. Sen. Slade Gorton featured in Sunday's Doonesbury strip.

At least it was the back of his head.

In the strip, Duke is attending a Washington, D.C. cocktail party and is shown making the rounds – exchanging jokes and gibes with the other guests.

In addition to Slade, he slaps the backs of Sens. Daschle, Durenberger, Packwood, Garn, Talent among others.

The joke comes at the end, when Duke is asked if the reception was interesting.

"Nah, just a bunch of lobbyists."

You see, all are former senators who now lobby their former colleagues. Oh, just read it for yourself.

It looks as if the former governor has hired the Democrats' favorite consultant, Christian Sinderman, to help out with his initiative campaign.

ADVISORY

For Wednesday, January 9 2008
Contact: Christian Sinderman (206) 683-8380

Governor Booth Gardner and Coalition of Supporters to File Washington Death With Dignity Initiative


Measure would allow terminally ill, mentally competent adults ability to make end of life decisions

OLYMPIA— Former Governor Booth Gardner and a coalition of organizations and individuals will come to Olympia on Wednesday morning to file the Washington Death With Dignity Initiative. The initiative, if passed by voters in November, would allow mentally competent adults diagnosed as terminally ill with six months or less to live, the option of self-administering life ending medication.

The proposal is modeled after the successful Oregon law, which has withstood legal and political pressure since approved by voters more than a decade ago.

The campaign has been quietly building momentum for months, securing more than 500 volunteers ready to begin the process of gathering the roughly 225,000 signatures needed for qualifications. The campaign will supplement volunteer signature gathering with professional assistance.

Governor Gardner will file the measure shortly after 10 am, and a brief program will follow. Details:

WHEN: Wednesday, Jan 9 2008 10 am
WHERE: Secretary of State’s Office MAIN LOBBY IN THE LEGISLATIVE (CAPITOL) BUILDING
WHO: Speakers will include: Governor Gardner; Family members from Oregon and Washington with personal experience of helping a terminally ill loved one; Medical and Human Service professionals familiar with the Oregon experience and Washington proposal; Retired clergy.

A Bonney Lake reader sent us this question today regarding the Feb. 9 party caucuses and the Feb. 19 primary:

Is there anything stopping me from attending the Democratic Caucus and voting in the Republican Primary?

We kicked it around and came up with this answer, which was confirmed by the secretary of state's office:

Both caucuses will require you to sign a pledge that says you won't participate in the other party's process. If you do so anyway, you'll be breaking your word, but not a law. If you can live with such a stain on your conscience, then you can attend one party's caucus and vote in the other party's primary.

But we'd hate to think of what Dwight Pelz would do to you if he finds out.

Attorney General Rob McKenna released his 2008 legislative agenda today.

The package addresses community safety, consumer protection and government accountability.

Here's the list:

=> Read more!

Here are the agendas for two upcoming political club meetings:

PARKLAND: Pierce County Councilman Roger Bush will be the featured speaker at the Jan. 9 meeting of the 2nd & 29th Districts Republican Club. The meeting, which is open to the public, will be at 7 p.m. in the Dryer's Fellowship Hall, 220 134th St. S. For information, contact Bob Jewell at 360-893-1712 or bobjewell@hotmail.com.

PUYALLUP: Jason Mercier of the Washington Policy Center will be the keynote speaker at the Jan. 15 meeting of the 25th District Republican Club. Mercier will discuss the center's work regarding transparency in the state budget and use of the emergency clause in legislation. The meeting will be held at 7 p.m. at the Puyallup Public Library, 324 S Meridian Ave. For more information, contact Bob Neilson at 253-845-0038.

Remember Initiative 960? That's the Tim Eyman proposal to make it harder to raise taxes and fees. The main tool to discourage legislators from raising taxes is to "out" them and their proposed new or higher taxes or fees, right away.

The measure, passed by voters in November, requires the governor's budget office, officially known as the Office of Financial Management, to alert the public, reporters and legislators every time a bill that would hike taxes is introduced. OFM must "expeditiously determine its cost to taxpayers in the first 10 years of imposition" and "must post and maintain these (news) releases on its Web site."

Well, the guv's people are ready.

Today, they got that site up and running. If you want to be automatically notified via e-mail of any new tax and fee bills, here's the link for the LISTSERV that will let you sign up.

Says OFM spokesman Glenn Kuper, "The analysis will be published as part of the fiscal note for the bill after the bill is introduced, when a public hearing is scheduled, and when a bill is passed by a legislative committee or either house of the Legislature.

"Once published, email notification of the availability of the fiscal note, along with required information about sponsors, committee members and legislators' voting records, will be sent out through the tax-and-fee-proposal e-mail list."

Incidentally, Eyman was not the first to sign up. Two OFM staffers were first on the list. A reporter was 3rd.

Gov. Chris Gregoire has some fee increases in her budget proposal, but she'll have to get a legislator to actually sponsor the fee-increase or budget bills.

A bill to set the toll on the HOT lanes on Highway 167 in South King County is likely to be among the first tax-and-fee bills the Legislature deals with this upcoming session. Lawyers have told the state Transportation Commission the Legislature probably will have to approve the tolls that will be collected from motorists who want to buy their way into the carpool lanes.

The list of Washington legislators who won't be seeking re-election is getting longer.

Now, Rep. Bill Fromhold, D-Vancouver, says he won't be coming back. Fromhold was becoming a key player at the Capitol in recent years, put in charge of writing the state building budget and previously the No. 2 House budget writer behind Rep. Helen Sommers, D-Seattle. And rumor is Sommers might not run again either.

Read more in the Columbian newspaper.

Eric Williams, our NBA writer, had this item at the end of his Sonics story today.

By a unanimous vote, the Oklahoma City Council on Wednesday approved a measure that will allow the city’s residents to vote March 4 on whether to levy a 1-cent sales tax to pay for improvements to the Ford Center in hopes of luring an NBA team.

The vote will take place about six weeks before NBA owners meet to vote on an application by the Sonics to relocate to Oklahoma City.

The tax would last for 15 months, starting Jan. 1, 2009, the day after a current 1-cent sales tax used to fund school improvements expires, and would generate an estimated $121.6 million. It would also pay for an NBA practice facility.

Meanwhile, an effort to put forward a funding measure for a new arena in Seattle in the hopes of keeping the Sonics in town has not surfaced, with the state Legislature expected to convene in two weeks.

However, state auditor Brian Sonntag, a Sonics fan interested in helping keep the team in Seattle, said he plans to talk to House Speaker Frank Chopp next week to see if there is some willingness on his part to let a bill be presented this session.

“That doesn’t mean he’s going to jump on board,” Sonntag said. “But if he can be in at least a position of not killing it, and if something can get its own momentum to at least try to get through the House, I think that would be a fair position.”

The Washington Legislature's 60-day session ends March 13, nine days after the Oklahoma City vote.

Here's the full story from The Oklahoman.

Supporters of Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards of North Carolina will be holding a party tonight in downtown Seattle to see how their boy does in the Iowa caucuses.

The party will start at 5 p.m. at Spitfire, 2219 Fourth Ave., between Blanchard and Bell.

Edwards supporters also will be holding training for Washington's Democratic caucuses. The training is from 2 to 5 p.m. this Sunday at Renton Carpenters Hall, 231 Burnett Ave. N., Renton.

The caucuses will be held Feb. 9.

For more information, contact washingtonforedwards.com

This morning I joked about the complexity of the state Democrats' caucus/convention system and mentioned the chart on the party website as proof.

Want to see for yourself? The chart is down page.

The professional initiative promoter sent out an e-mail today to let reporters know he'll be back in action this year.

Eyman plans to file the Reduce Traffic Congestion Initiative at 11 a.m. this Friday, 10 days before the start of the upcoming 60-day legislative session. He said he hopes to start collecting signatures by mid-February.

Here's what it would do:

Open carpool lanes to everyone during non-peak hours, midday and evenings on weekdays and all day and all night on weekends, require cities and counties to synchronize traffic lights on heavily-traveled arterials and increase funding for emergency roadside assistance to clear out accidents faster.

Sounds like good stuff, doesn't it?

Here's the poison pill that will align almost all of officialdom against Eyman: He wants to divert existing state sales tax into a special anti-congestion account.

That, of course, means money that now goes to public schools and welfare moms and prison operations would be used to pay for traffic stuff. Most legislators and governors don't like that.

Eyman does propose a logical nexus. He wants 10 percent of sales tax on new and used vehicle sales dedicated to a special account. But it's still sales tax. He estimates $85 million a year from those taxes.

Eyman will have until early July to collect signatures of 224,880 registered voters to qualify for the Nov. 10 ballot.