Washington Liberals

Democrats’ plan for state budget is a gimmick, GOP leader says

King County Dems Legislative Action Newsletter has good info about bills moving and dying in the state legislature

On the topic of education, the Washington State Constitution is a highly progressive document. ARTICLE IX EDUCATION says: SECTION 1 PREAMBLE. It is the paramount duty of the state to make ample provision for the education of all children residing within its borders, without distinction or preference on account of race, color, caste, or sex.…

There’s no other way to say it: Health coverage for new employees is dismal in Washington. Barely half of Washington employers actually offer health coverage to full-time employees. Then there is the traditional waiting period until you qualify, the employee share of the health costs … and it’s probably best to not even calculate the…

Rep. Adam Smith spoke Thursday evening at Bellevue City Hall to an audience of about 25 people which included Bellevue Mayor  Conrad Lee, City Council member Claudia Balducci, and State Representative Marcie Maxwell. The small turnout was rather surprising, but it had the beneficial effect that it was easy to ask questions.  Rep. Smith spoke…

In an unusual alliance between progressives and conservatives, 50 doctors for single payer urge Supreme Court to strike down individual mandate “In a brief filed with the Court, the 50 doctors and two nonprofit groups said that the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act’s individual mandate is unconstitutional.”

Link: Occupy Activists From Across US And Abroad Converge in Olympia

Washington State Senator Steve Hobbs is a founding member of the Road Kill Caucus of centrists Democrats.  The Road Kill Democrats are known for often voting with Republicans on fiscal and labor issues. Hobbs recently voted against the Washington Investment Trust (state bank) that progressives had been passionately promoting. Despite his role in the Road…

http://www.opednews.com/articles/Occupy-the-Black-Bloc-Pres-by-Kirk-Oakes-120219-206.html “What I’m disillusioned with is what I perceive to be a relatively small group of people in disagreement with the Occupy Wall Street message, who would catalyze incidents that lead to overt violence, injury and ultimately death, and then leave the scene. Their sole stated purpose is to nullify the effectiveness of the actions…