DAILY NEWS
Thousands stand up, labor mural, get out your brain hat…
Thursday, April 20, 2017
THIS WASHINGTON
► In today’s Olympian — Thousands of state workers rally to urge lawmakers to support new labor contracts — Thousands of public employees held rallies throughout the state Wednesday to urge Washington lawmakers to approve new labor contracts for state workers. During the demonstrations, which organizers said took place at 150 workplaces, employees stressed the importance of including money for the labor contracts in the state’s new two-year budget.
► From WFSE — State workers ask lawmakers to ‘do their jobs’ (KGY interview with WFSE’s Tim Welch)
► From KNKX — Republicans sling dirt over lawn care at Washington Capitol — It was supposed to be a hearing on a proposal to give the legislature more say over how Washington’s Capitol Campus is managed. But it turned into a dressing down of the agency whose job it is to maintain the Capitol buildings and grounds.
► In the P.S. Business Journal — State Senate budget calls for ‘unprecedented’ economic development cuts (subscription req’d) — “We’ve never seen anything like this,” Department of Commerce spokeswoman Penny Thomas said.
► In today’s Seattle Times — A student’s ZIP code shouldn’t dictate her academic success (by Pat Hunter Elaine Woo) — As former principals who have worked with diverse Washington families, we urge our legislators to insist on funding policies that give each of our students an equitable and high-quality education that prepares them for school and beyond.
► In today’s (Everett) Herald — There’s plenty of blame to go around for special session — It’s kind of our fault: Nearly every one of the 147 men and women serving in the Legislature are there by the choice of voters. None ran on a platform of compromise, concession and voting on whatever gets the Legislature out on time.
EDITOR’S NOTE — Similar legislation was introduced in Olympia this year and passed the House, but alas — as described above — it was blocked by Senate Phar-publicans. (Read all about it.)
LOCAL
► In today’s Seattle Times — Massive mural to celebrate local and state labor history —
ALSO at The Stand — Jackson Street Workers Mural party is April 30
► In today’s Tri-City Herald — Investigation planned after Hanford worker injured — The Department of Energy’s Office of Enforcement plans to investigate an accident that injured a Hanford worker in November.
► In today’s Columbian — Letter carriers food drive seeks volunteers — The 25th annual Letter Carriers Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive is more than three weeks away, but it’s not too early to commit to volunteering.
► In today’s Bellingham Herald — Who employs the most workers locally? It’s an interesting mix — St. Joseph hospital, with an estimated 2,126 full-time equivalent workers, tops the list, followed by Lummi Nation (1,780), WWU (1,499) and Bellingham Public Schools (987). The largest private sector company was BP’s Cherry Point refinery (820), followed by Fred Meyer (778), Haggen (751) and Zodiac Aerospace (607).
TRUMPCARE
► From The Hill — Moderate, conservative GOP leaders say they are nearing healthcare deal — Two Republican lawmakers say they are nearing a deal on changes to the ObamaCare replacement bill that could move the measure closer to passage, though doubts remain. Under the deal, states would reportedly have the option to apply for waivers to allow them to repeal one of ObamaCare’s core protections for people with pre-existing conditions, called community rating.
► From The Hill — GOP rep booed at town hall for saying healthcare isn’t a ‘basic right’ — Rep. Raul Labrador (R-Idaho) faced boos from a town hall audience while defending his views that healthcare is not a “basic human right.”
► In today’s Yakima H-R — Newhouse cancels town hall session due to wife’s illness
THAT WASHINGTON
► From Politico — 5 reasons the government might shut down — With just five workdays left until government funding expires, lawmakers return next week to all the same sticking points that have made full-year funding so elusive and now threaten a government shutdown: the border wall, “sanctuary cities,” Pentagon boost, Obamacare subsidies, and coal miners’ benefits.
ALSO at The Stand — Time running out for Congress to act on mine workers’ benefits
► From The Hill — Chaffetz decision stuns Washington — Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah), the chairman of the House Oversight Committee, shocked Washington on Wednesday by announcing he is leaving Congress after his term ends.
► From The Onion — Cackling Trump reveals to dinner guests they’ve all just eaten single piece of his tax returns — “Now that you’re done dining, let me ask: Did you notice anything, shall we say, interesting about your entrées?” said the president.
NATIONAL
► In today’s Seattle Times — Why tens of thousands could turn out Saturday for Seattle’s March for Science
► In today’s Washington Post — Bill O’Reilly’s downfall has a good lesson for working women — Gretchen Carlson and Megyn Kelly — whose accusations sped the undoing of two of the most powerful men in media — prove there’s strength in numbers when fighting harassment.
► From The Hill — Report: O’Reilly getting tens of millions in Fox severance
► From Huffington Post — O’Reilly replacement, Tucker Carlson, once said Democrats ‘made up the concept of sexual harassment’
TODAY’S MUST-READ
The Stand posts links to Washington state and national news of interest every weekday morning by 10 a.m.