Associated Press
Proposal to raise minimum wage to $15 qualifies for Tacoma ballot
Lawmakers claim $180,000 in daily payments for special session (Chase)
Gov. Inslee’s office says progress made in budget talks (Hunter)
Bainbridge Island Review
Op-Ed: Talk of a government shutdown gets things moving
Bellingham Herald (subscription required)
As Whatcom economy recovers, business startups return
Vapor product tax, raising smoking age still alive in Legislature (Carlyle, Pollet)
Central Kitsap Reporter
Sen. Cantwell visits CKHS to learn about STEM programs
Editorial: Close gap with capital gains tax
Columbian
Few states replenish education money cut during recession
In Our View: Bracing for New Normal
Gov skips graduation speech for budget talks
The Daily News
Editorial via Walla Walla Union-Bulletin: Future of GET program less important than cutting tuition
Everett Herald (subscription required)
Lawmakers claim $120 daily payments during special sessions (Ortiz-Self, Dunshee, Stanford, Moscoso, Ryu, Sells, Peterson, Kagi, Robinson, Chase, Hobbs, Liias, McCoy, McAuliffe)
Arlington STEM program giving students real world skills
Marysville jail tightens procedures after inmate’s easy escape
Op-ed: State must increase funding for treatment of mentally ill
Op-ed: Trade bill a boon to state’s businesses
Guest column: Tests, class sizes, mandates take joy out of teaching
Editorial: U.S. Open field trip permission slip for legislators
Editorial: Trade bills must pass Congress
Federal Way Mirror
Shutdown looms over state budget negotiations (Hunter)
News Tribune (subscription required)
Vapor product tax, raising smoking age still alive in Legislature (Carlyle, Pollet)
Washington moves toward covering surgery for transgender patients
Troy Kelley agrees to freeze money paid to lawyers
Washington lawmakers leave ‘No Child Left Behind’ fix to Congress (Reykdal)
Gov. Inslee’s office says negotiators reach tentative deal on size of state budget (Hunter)
New state data on student discipline sheds light on racial disparities
Editorial: A watery winter threatens Washington farms
Olympian (subscription required)
Editorial: WSP project looks hung up again (Dunshee
Peninsula Daily News
EYE ON OLYMPIA: Sen. Hargrove helps to hammer out state budget deal (Hargrove)
Renton Reporter
Out with the old, in with the new on SR 167 in Kent
Seattle Times (subscription required)
At WSU, superstar president has fourth-highest salary for nation’s public colleges
Fishery council chops halibut-discard limit by 25%
Mike Lowry’s visit to planned coal port upsets environmentalists
Budget writers in Olympia have tentative spending agreement (Hunter)
Editorial: Lawmakers get penalty stroke at Chambers Bay
Editorial: Wrap it up, state lawmakers; not much left to disagree on
Op-Ed: Make it safer and less onerous for homeless living in vehicles
Letter: State budget: Capital-gains tax would close funding gap
Westneat: What if signature gathering didn’t take $1 million?
Spokesman Review
WSU president’s pay second-highest among public institution chief executives
Officers get enhanced training in mental health, substance abuse issues
WSU President Elson Floyd battling cancer, will take leave
Washington State University builds wine science center on Tri-Cities campus
Spin Control: How legislators might get their job done – on time
Smart Bombs: State remains rigid on revenue
Tri-City Herald
Governor needs to stand up to EPA power-grab
Walla Walla Union Bulletin (subscription required)
Editorial: Presentation to lawmakers on US Open golf should be public
Yakima Herald Republic
State AG’s opinion on ACLU case could have wide reach
Editorial: Saving water is personal, institutional responsibility
BROADCAST
KIRO 7 TV (CBS)
Lawmakers propose 45 percent tax on e-cigarettes, liquid nicotine
Lawmakers take notice after Jesse looks into back billing from utility companies (Reykdal)
KUOW FM
The Clean Energy Governor And The Columbia River Oil Refinery
NW Public Radio
Emails Show Inslee Administration Discussions With Energy Company On Columbia River Oil Refinery
Drought Conditions Reach Unexpected Corners Of Northwest
Washington DSHS To Appeal 7-Day Competency Hearings
State Budget Logjam May Have Broken In Olympia
WEB
Civic Skunkworks
Tax-cut happy states aren’t booming
Crosscut
Progress in state budget talks (Hunter)
Horsesass.org
Danny Westneat Thinks Republicans Are “Moderate” (No, Really!)
Seattle P.I.
Mount Si, Snoqualmie Valley now official National Recreation Trails