Key Washington State Gay Marriage Vote Today. The state Senate is set to vote on a measure to legalize gay marriage in Washington state. The Senate Rules Committee voted on Tuesday to move the bill to a Wednesday floor
vote after Lt. Gov. Brad Owen, president of the Senate, pulled the bill for advancement. The committee advanced the bill on a 14-7 vote, with six of the seven Republicans on the committee voting no. The bill is not expected to come up for a vote until late afternoon or early evening Wednesday. It is expected to pass in the Senate with at least 25 votes, the number needed for approval. If passed by the Senate, the measure moves to the House, which also has enough votes to pass the bill. AP
Washington State Bills Targeting Minimum Wage Die
Washington state lawmakers are shelving a series of bills that would lower wages at the bottom of the income scale in an effort to spur private-sector hiring. Five Republican-sponsored minimum wage bills failed to come up for a House committee vote Tuesday ahead of a key deadline. A tip-credit bill allowing restaurants to pay waiters less than the minimum wage inflamed passions on both sides of the debate, with restaurant owners telling of payroll-related job cuts and workers insisting that they not be targeted for cuts. Republican Rep. Cary Condotta of East Wenatchee says his goal in sponsoring the bills was to encourage employers to hire more workers. Washington has the highest minimum wage of any state. Effective Jan. 1, it rose 37 cents to $9.04. AP
WA Senate Eyes Curbs On Public Records Requests
State lawmakers are exploring a plan that could limit how governments respond to requests for public documents. A Senate panel heard arguments Tuesday on a plan that would permit agencies to get a court order if they can prove that a records request creates a "significant burden." The law would also allow governments to adopt policy limiting the amount of time devoted to responding to records requests. Some government leaders point to individuals who file onerous requests as a way to harass the agency. But open-government advocates say the proposal would also allow government officials to claim avoid the disclosure of records when someone is investigating wrongdoing. The bill is sponsored by Sens. Margarita Prentice of Renton, Dan Swecker of Rochester and Mary Margaret Haugen of Camano Island. AP
Capitol News Feb1
Wednesday, 01 February 2012 08:24
Key Washington State Gay Marriage Vote Today. The state Senate is set to vote on a measure to legalize gay marriage in Washington state. The Senate Rules Committee voted on Tuesday to move the bill to a Wednesday floor
vote after Lt. Gov. Brad Owen, president of the Senate, pulled the bill for advancement. The committee advanced the bill on a 14-7 vote, with six of the seven Republicans on the committee voting no. The bill is not expected to come up for a vote until late afternoon or early evening Wednesday. It is expected to pass in the Senate with at least 25 votes, the number needed for approval. If passed by the Senate, the measure moves to the House, which also has enough votes to pass the bill. APWashington State Bills Targeting Minimum Wage Die
Washington state lawmakers are shelving a series of bills that would lower wages at the bottom of the income scale in an effort to spur private-sector hiring. Five Republican-sponsored minimum wage bills failed to come up for a House committee vote Tuesday ahead of a key deadline. A tip-credit bill allowing restaurants to pay waiters less than the minimum wage inflamed passions on both sides of the debate, with restaurant owners telling of payroll-related job cuts and workers insisting that they not be targeted for cuts. Republican Rep. Cary Condotta of East Wenatchee says his goal in sponsoring the bills was to encourage employers to hire more workers. Washington has the highest minimum wage of any state. Effective Jan. 1, it rose 37 cents to $9.04. AP
WA Senate Eyes Curbs On Public Records Requests
State lawmakers are exploring a plan that could limit how governments respond to requests for public documents. A Senate panel heard arguments Tuesday on a plan that would permit agencies to get a court order if they can prove that a records request creates a "significant burden." The law would also allow governments to adopt policy limiting the amount of time devoted to responding to records requests. Some government leaders point to individuals who file onerous requests as a way to harass the agency. But open-government advocates say the proposal would also allow government officials to claim avoid the disclosure of records when someone is investigating wrongdoing. The bill is sponsored by Sens. Margarita Prentice of Renton, Dan Swecker of Rochester and Mary Margaret Haugen of Camano Island. AP
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