Quote of the Day
“Sen. Hobbs stood up for what he believes in – women’s reproductive health, educational opportunities for all children – and now he no longer serves as Chair of a committee that he has led with distinction for several years. I am alarmed by the increasing levels of partisanship from the Republican Majority.” –Sen. Sharon Nelson
Aberdeen Daily World
19th District legislators to host telephone town hall (Hatfield, Takko, Blake)
Associated Press
Giffords testifying in Olympia on gun initiative
Machine digging Seattle highway tunnel to restart
6 charter proposals advance to a vote in Wash.
Day laborers helped by groups in NY, elsewhere
House advances minority voting bill (Moscoso)
Kitzhaber: Bridge plan dead unless lawmakers act
GOP-majority coalition demotes Democratic chairman (Hobbs, Hatfield, Eide)
Energy names new head of BPA after hiring scandal
States consider reviving old-fashioned executions
Bills seek moratorium on destroying DNA evidence (Orwall, Darneille)
Lawmakers push back against Washington high court
AP-GfK Poll: Negative view of health rollout eases
Taking a deeper look into the wealth gap
Bainbridge Island Review
Rep. Condotta responds to concerned fisheries with revamped GMO bill
Work starts on $4.7 million makeover of Bainbridge Island ferry terminal
Ballard News Tribune
One Night Count reveals 14% growth in King County homelessness
Bellingham Herald
U.S. Rep. Larsen visits Herald, talks minimum wage, immigration, TPP
Columbian
Railroad safety woes date back decades before crude oil concerns
Bills take aim at safety of oil transport (Wylie, Farrell)
The Daily News
State Sen. Hatfield sponsoring bill to declare state oyster (Hatfield)
Washington lawmakers question safety of crude-oil trains (Farrell, Rolfes)
Sign-ups for ACA in Clark County, state rise
Legislative Roll Call Report (Jan. 27) (Blake, Takko)
Everett Herald
State faulted for abuse at Marysville day care
Gabby Giffords to testify on measure for background checks
Hobbs demoted, says Republicans playing politics (Hobbs, Hatfield)
Robinson: Listen to the science
Kitsap Sun (subscription required)
Education spotlight: Hour requirement up for debate (Rolfes)
News Tribune (subscription required)
Denver fair welcomes marijuana competitions; Washington fairs do not
Two Tacoma charter schools win expert endorsement; two don’t
Parents seek stronger commitment laws for mentally ill
Pay for support staff for the developmentally disabled never rebounded after cuts in ’09, ’11 (Kagi, Hunter)
Devote sales tax on road projects to roads?
Legislature seeks to track dropout rate among homeless students
Op-ed: Peter Callaghan: Defanging campaign cash watchdog is politics, not policy
North Kitsap Herald
Proposed bill would give social media users a digital eraser button (Morris)
Olympian (subscription required)
After tragedy, parents seek stronger commitment laws
Editorial: Improved bill would save Olympic wilderness
Op-ed: Speaker Chopp protects public’s right to know (Pollet)
Blog: Pay for support staff for the developmentally disabled never rebounded after cuts in ’09, ’11 (Kagi, Hunter)
Blog: Devote sales tax on road projects to roads?
Blog: New Dream Act bill in House would include tuition help for veterans (Hudgins, Shinn)
Blog: Gabby Giffords to testify in Olympia for background checks initiative
Blog: Legislature seeks to track dropout rate among homeless students
Puget Sound Business Journal
Bertha expected to start tunneling this week
Transplant patients must wait 90 days under some exchange plans
Seattle Times (subscription required)
$15 an hour will cost city $1 million a year
Bertha to get moving again this week
GOP-led Senate demotes Sen. Hobbs to co-chairman of committee (Hobbs, Hatfield, Eide)
House GOP blasts state Supreme Court over contempt threat
Gabrielle Giffords to testify in Olympia on gun initiative
Guest: How colleges can better serve veteran students
Editorial: Seattle, Tacoma port collaboration a good move for the future
Editorial: Water over dams saves salmon
Spokesman Review
Program guides high school students into higher education
Liberty Lake won’t allow marijuana sales at first
Spokane City Council says barista attire vote should be by initiative
Editorial: Red-light cameras, driving habits intersecting
Blog: Senate majority flexes muscle (Hobbs, Nelson)
Blog: Panel OKs tougher DUI laws (Kline)
Blog: Giffords to testify at gun initiative hearing
Blog: Congressional delegation bets on Super Bowl
West Seattle Herald
Jim Whittaker, legendary environmentalist and mountaineer, lends his name to new West Seattle mixed-use project
Whidbey News-Times
Op-ed: Lawmakers need to know business to make regulations
BROADCAST
KING 5 TV (NBC)
Dueling gun initiatives receive national attention in Olympia
Pierce Co. pistol license applications, sales increase
KIRO 7 TV (CBS)
Bertha to re-start digging; little said about problem-causing pipe
Is it time for state lawmakers to give up their pensions?
KOMO 4 TV (ABC)
WSDOT: Bertha could resume digging this week
KPLU FM
Glitch Leaves Nearly A Thousand On The Hook For Promised Subsidies
Wash. State Slaps Fine For Mishandled Waste At Hanford
KUOW FM
Banks Remain Cautious, Washington Pot Entrepreneurs Turn To Cash, Bitcoin
After The Machinists Vote, Labor Seeks New Directions
Washington Lawmakers Want To Crack Down On Distracted Driving, Again (Eide)
MyNorthwest.com (KIRO FM)
A prediction for tonight’s State of the Union address
College textbook industry is criminal
Condo manager says 520 construction is cracking their walls
NW Public Radio
Oregon Governor Issues Ultimatum For I-5 Bridge Project
Washington Considers Private Investment Bonds To Address Social Problems
Q13 TV (FOX)
WSDOT: Bertha will restart tunneling this week
WEB
Capitol Record
Drone bill attempts to address privacy concerns
Providers for disabled rally for higher wages
Jan Angel to co-chair committee over Democrat objections (Hobbs, Hatfield, Nelson, Eide)
Crosscut
Senate Republicans flex their muscles against a Democratic friend (Hobbs, Hatfield, Eide)
GOP Senator has Washington’s Insurance Commissioner in her sights
Daily Troll: Gabbie Giffords joins WA gun debate. The Macklemore Grammy dilemma. (Pedersen, Liias)
Seattle’s tunnel: No boring way it’ll be done on time
Video: Olympia question: Who needs a new budget?
HDC Advance
Corrections spending soars, so does uneven imprisonment
Washington among top states for safe driving regulations
Are we in a second Gilded Age?
Horsesass.org
Will Of The Peopzzzzzzz
Mountlake Terrace News
Moscoso says Voting Rights Act ensures democracy for all citizens (Moscoso)
Publicola
Jolt: Voting rights and ad restrictions (Moscoso, Hudgins, Bergquist)
Ousted as chair, Hobbs says moderates have lost control of MCC (Hobbs, Hatfield, Nelson)
Fizz: Sticking point status (Farrell)
Schmudget
A Minimum Wage Increase Would Benefit Over Half a Million Workers in Washington State
Seattle PI
Blog: Former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords to speak in Olympia for gun background checks
Slog
The Rent Is Too Damn High: Tenants Rights Bills Introduced in State Senate (Frockt, Kohl-Welles)
How Far Behind Schedule Is the Deep-Bore Tunnel?
Rand Paul and Mitch McConnell Stole Hundreds of Millions of Dollars from Pacific Northwest Ratepayers to Prop Up Jobs in Kentucky
The Stand
Senate Republicans take a hard right turn
West Seattle Blog
Highway 99 tunnel machine resuming work this week, WSDOT says
Washington State Wire
Hobbs Loses Half a Gavel – Senate Majority Coalition Forces Co-Chairmanship and Triggers Uproar on Senate Floor (Hobbs, Hatfield, Nelson)