5/17/12 – Long and grueling session(s) – Has the state-city partnership been altered permanently? In one of the most difficult legislative sessions in decades, lawmakers approved a supplemental operating...  [Read more]

4/12/12 – Last week’s Bulletin ran through issues impacting cities as legislators and Governor Gregoire worked to find common ground and adjourn. While city issues weren’t front and center in their ...  [Read more]

4/6/12 – While a few in leadership have been quietly negotiating in Olympia, most legislators stayed home during special session. Now they’re back in town for a couple of days, getting briefings from the...  [Read more]

3/30/12 – Since last week’s Bulletin, we have little to report other than ongoing behind-the-scenes discussions among legislative leaders and the Governor’s office. Governor Gregoire did sign over 1...  [Read more]

3/23/12 – When things get quiet in Olympia during a special session, it means either progress of some sort behind closed doors or a total lack of engagement. It appears that serious and potentially constructive...  [Read more]

3/16/12 – A legislative impasse over the budget escalated this week as a Senate coalition held a press conference with a new budget proposal that threatened to stymie the Senate Democratic Caucus a second time....  [Read more]

3/9/12 – After the 60-day session concluded and legislators failed to agree to adjustments for the rest of the state’s two-year operating budget, Governor Gregoire told them to come back Monday, March 12...  [Read more]

3/2/12 – We knew it was coming: state-shared revenue cuts to cities. The question remains how much, for how long, and with what if any help to mitigate the damage? Most of the puzzle pieces are on the table &n...  [Read more]

2/24/12 – The House Democrats' proposed operating budget was released the morning of February 21. A public hearing was held that afternoon and AWC Vice President and Sammamish Councilmember Don Gerend, along wi...  [Read more]

2/17/12 – The reports from Olympia are true. Yesterday’s revenue forecast gave us slightly better news than expected and the most vulnerable – education and social service safety net programs &ndash...  [Read more]

2/10/12 – Slightly more than half way through the 60-day session, attention now turns towards the real reason legislators are in town – crafting and passing an adjusted budget that finds hundreds of ways ...  [Read more]

2/3/12 – Deadlines hit for action on policy bills – a critical time to connect from home with your Legislators! Legislation that changes state statutes must go through a policy committee before being co...  [Read more]

1/27/12 – Olympia thaws as session heats up AWC Board meets In advance of 300+ city officials gathering for our annual City Legislative Action Conference, our Board of Directors met for a briefing and discuss...  [Read more]

1/23/12 – Snow and ice descend on Olympia – Legislative Bulletin delayed and Legislature hardly skips a beat An unusual legislative session got stranger still as the capital city was hit hard by several ...  [Read more]

1/13/12 – Reform proposals emerging The formal start of this legislative session was marked by the Governor’s State of the State address delivered to a combined audience of House and Senate members &ndas...  [Read more]

1/6/12 – The Legislature returns Monday, January 9, to complete work on state budget cuts begun during their pre-holiday special session. They made a “down payment” of sorts in cutting less than $5...  [Read more]