Ross Hunter

With less than a week to go in the special legislative session in Olympia, House Democrats made a new offer Wednesday that they hope will break the months-long budget impasse.  They say the changes represent a compromise. “These are a good-faith...

When you are dealing with billions of dollars, there are a lot of things that people can disagree on. But you can boil the recent state budget impasse down to two big items -- items that many are calling gimmicks. They will clearly be the focus when the...

At noon Monday the gavel sounded on the floor of the House of Representatives in Olympia. Just two lawmakers were present. Most of the rest stayed, waiting for budget writers to come up with a deal.  Indeed, most of Monday's action was behind closed...

State House Democrats unveiled their $30.7 billion supplemental spending proposal that aims to fix the state's budget shortfall, primarily by delaying funding for K-12 public schools. The delay in education funding into the 2013-15 biennium would account...

Better revenue forecasts and some unexpected cost savings means the state budget problem isn’t as big as was thought just a few weeks ago; the deficit is about $500 million smaller. As a result, many Democrats think they can fill the $1 billion...

Leaders of both parties in Olympia agreed Monday to nearly $500 million in state spending reductions -- only about a quarter of what they need to shore up the state’s $2 billion budget hole. But at least the lawmakers will have something to show...

A number of lawmakers are lining up behind a push to make coffee Washington's official state beverage. Here is a look at House Bill 1715 from Representatives Bailey, Wilcox, Buys, Zeiger, Haler, Fagan, Johnson, and Warnic: BE IT ENACTED BY THE...

Former TV news anchor Susan Hutchison appears headed for the November general election after finishing first in the primary. With about half of the vote counted, Hutchison had 37 percent of the vote in Tuesday's primary, ahead of County Councilman Dow...

Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels is facing seven challengers in his bid for a third term. Voters in Tuesday's primary are deciding the top two candidates to advance to the Nov. 3 general election. Nickels' opponents include city councilwoman Jan Drago, cell...

King County Council members voted Monday afternoon to allow Interim Executive Kurt Triplett to continue working in the county's top post. An advisory committee had recommended either former Seattle Mayor Charles Royer or Triplett. Ron Sims resigned to...

Sandra Dee, the blond all-American girl-next-door whose star turns as "Gidget" and "Tammy" made her a teen idol in the 1960s, a status reinforced by her Hollywood marriage to pop singer Bobby Darin, died Sunday. She was 62. Dee died at Los Robles...