DAILY NEWS
Getting what we pay for, sick leave success, just a start…
Wednesday, April 23, 2014
ELECTION
► In today’s News Tribune — Metro Parks Tacoma’s $198 million measure passing
► In today’s Spokesman-Review — Spokane County voters pass one library measure, not another
► In today’s Peninsula Daily News — Sequim voters reject $154 million school bond measure
► In today’s Olympian — Tenino again rejects $38 million school bond
► In today’s (Everett) Herald — In 2nd try, Everett school-bond measure in doubt again
► In today’s Walla Walla U-B — Walla Walla school bond defeated
► In today’s Walla Walla U-B — Dayton school bond overwhelmingly rejected
STATE GOVERNMENT
► In today’s Spokesman-Review — State finalizing health insurance plan rules — Washington state will soon adopt new rules for next year’s medical insurance plans that some believe will improve patient coverage, but others contend will create significant problems for insurance companies, hospitals and clinics.
► In today’s Seattle Times — Insurers, hospitals complain to Kreidler about new rules — A proposed new rule for the networks of hospitals and doctors assembled by insurers is drawing fire from both insurers and hospitals. State Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler says it will help consumers see which providers are in-network and ensure they get the coverage they have paid for.
LOCAL
► At PubliCola — Paid sick leave (mostly) a success — A new audit released by the city auditor of Seattle may be instructive for proponents of the $15 minimum wage: It concludes that employers are indeed implementing the paid sick leave law, and that it isn’t costing them nearly as much as they predicted when the city council was debating the proposal three years ago. Businesses opposed to the $15 minimum have claimed that the proposal will cause small businesses in particular to shut down, or will drive businesses out of the city; opponents of paid sick leave made similar claims about that proposal in 2011.
BOEING
IMMIGRATION REFORM
► In The Hill — DHS might cut back deportations, says report — The Obama administration is looking to curb the deportations of tens of thousands of illegal immigrants whose only crime is unlawful entry to the country, according to news reports. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) confirmed Tuesday that Secretary Jeh Johnson met with leaders in the business community, law enforcement, and religious groups, as he considers moving on immigration reform.
► At Politico — Moderate Dems resist Obama on deportations — Liberal Democrats are aggressively pushing President Barack Obama to take executive action to halt deportations of undocumented immigrants. But some moderate Democrats aren’t sure that’s such a good idea.
NATIONAL
► In today’s NY Times — JetBlue Airways’ pilots vote to join union — After twice rejecting bids to unionize since 2009, JetBlue Airways pilots overwhelmingly agreed to be represented by the Air Line Pilots Association, the union said on Tuesday. Most of JetBlue’s 2,529 pilots participated in the vote, and 71 percent of them voted to join A.L.P.A., the largest pilots’ union in the United States.
► In today’s NY Times — Lax oversight cited in deadly blast at Texas plant — Federal investigators have determined that a lack of oversight and regulations at the local, state and federal levels contributed to the deadly fertilizer plant explosion that devastated a rural Texas town last year.
► At Think Progress — Buffalo Bills cheerleaders allege minimum wage violations in lawsuit against team — The Bills are the third team to face a wage theft lawsuit from former cheerleaders.
TODAY’S MUST-READ
The Stand posts links to Washington state and national news of interest every weekday morning by 10 a.m.