Quote of the Day
“Fifty percent of the homeless have some kind of mental illness. The best way of responding to that is housing. It doesn’t have to be much. Just get them out of the rain, and out of the street.” -Speaker Frank Chopp, New York Times
Aberdeen Daily World
Paper mill reduced to a big tag sale
Community hospital considers public designation to solve financial woes
Oil transportation bill passes the House (Van De Wege, Tharinger, Takko, Blake, Rolfes, Hargrove)
Associated Press
Report: Millions to state from pot sales next year (Hunter)
‘Months’ before Bertha can tunnel again
$1 toll recommended for Seattle tunnel
Still much to do at Capitol with just 3 weeks remaining (Sullivan)
State cuts size, number of legal marijuana grows
State may ban sewage discharges from boats into Puget Sound
Washington Legislature: What’s alive, dead?
Bainbridge Island Review
Rolfes’ bill to help small food operations gets resounding ‘yes’ vote in Senate (Rolfes)
Bellingham Herald
State to issue marijuana licenses regardless of bans in Whatcom County, Lynden
Bothell Reporter
Liquor Control Board clarifies next steps in its preparation to issue marijuana licenses
Central Kitsap Reporter
Washington Transportation Secretary Lynn Peterson offers updates
Columbian
Boeing, politicians vow to heal rift with Machinists
Local lawmakers’ bills advance ahead of cutoff (Moeller, Stonier, Cleveland)
‘Big Marijuana’ in Washington? Concerns rise
The Daily News
Liquor board will not protest local marijuana laws
Boeing, politicians vow to heal rift with Machinists over 777X
Small cities lobby to be heard in Olympia (Stonier, Cleveland)
Editorial: Politicians a little hazy about pot
Everett Herald
It’s just talk, so far, in meeting school funding deadline
21st District town-hall meetings this Saturday (Ortiz-Self, Roberts, Liias)
Washington exports set record of $81.9 billion
Singletary: Yes, college is costly; not going is even costlier
The Inlander
The Myth of SIRTI – If Olympia votes to eliminate Innovate Washington, perhaps WSU can flourish even more in downtown Spokane
A Crime of Insanity – Dispelling myths surrounding the insanity defense
Life and Death, at 40 Cents an Hour – el Hall spent years on inmate work crews until a deadly incident this fall
Changing Course – In 2012, the city council took a stand against the Spokane Tribe’s proposed casino. Now it may be changing its mind
Liquor Control Board reduces marijuana growing limits
Health Exchange hopes fake rappers will make signing up for insurance cool
Kent Reporter
Suicide-prevention measure sponsored by Orwall heads to Senate (Orwall)
Kitsap Sun (subscription required)
Tugboat operators oppose ‘no-discharge zone’ in Puget Sound
Marysville Globe
Kendall urges legislators to support expansion of school breakfast program (Robinson, McCoy)
News Tribune (subscription required)
Liquor board will issue licenses in areas with pot bans
Editorial: Are weak teaching evaluations worth $44 million?
Op-ed: Peter Callaghan: On reforms to education, the political center crumbles
New York Times
Small World, Big Idea (Dunshee, Chopp, micro-housing)
Olympian (subscription required)
Washington sets export record in 2013
Liquor board will issue licenses in areas with pot bans
Under the Dome: Today is Thursday, Feb. 20th, the 39th day of the 60-day legislative session (Nelson, Van De Wege, Sawyer, Riccelli)
Editorial: Do more for bank access
Editorial: Tuition help for kids
Op-ed: Public wants Legislature to follow open meeting law
Letter: Farmers also will benefit from beekeeper tax removal
Puget Sound Business Journal
Washington moves up on state well-being index
Washington limits how much marijuana can be grown in the state
Group suggests $1.25 peak hour toll for Highway 99 tunnel
Redmond Reporter
Rep. Habib bill to aid entrepreneurs, create jobs wins House approval (Habib)
Seattle Times (subscription required)
State cuts licenses for pot growing
State using fake rappers, real patients in new health-insurance ad campaign
Editorial: Integrate mental health with primary care
Editorial: State still needs to invest in higher education after record UW fundraising
Opinion: Protecting foster kids from sex trafficking
Blog: Prevent Washington’s foster kids from running away
Skagit Valley Herald
Rep. Morris’ House ferry bill sets sail in Senate (Morris, Ranker)
Spokesman Review
Liquor board changes rules for marijuana grow license
In brief: Funds keep Spokane bioterrorism lab open for now (Riccelli)
Editorial: Legislature trying now to clean up liquor tax issues
Vancouver Business Journal
Regulators to study environmental impact of proposed coal terminal
Yakima Herald Republic
Open Mike: Dream/Real Hope Act passes the Legislature
Oil train safety emerges as hot issue in Legislature (interactive) (Farrell)
Editorial: A new focus on problem of human trafficking
BROADCAST
KING 5 TV (NBC)
Committee advises peak toll of $1.25 for SR-99 tunnel
KOMO 4 TV (ABC)
$1 toll recommended for new Seattle tunnel
KPLU FM
Volkswagen Vote Won’t Stop Machinists From Continuing Boeing South Carolina Effort
Boaters Beware: State Wants to Ban Sewage Dumping in Puget Sound
State Liquor Board Cuts Back How Much Legal Pot Producers Can Grow
KUOW FM
Boeing’s ‘Terrible Teens’ Cut Into Profit, Tax Revenue
MyNorthwest.com (KIRO FM)
State cuts marijuana production licenses, limits size of pot farms
Q13 TV (FOX)
Seattle Mayor joins fight for stronger gun laws
SIDS death in Seattle day care leads to 2 new bills in Legislature (Kagi)
WEB
Capitol Record
Marijuana could bring $51 million to 2015-17 general fund
On ‘Legislative Review:’ Highlights from the week’s cutoff floor action
Crosscut
Meet ‘The Funnel’: Will farmers, businesses suffer from more coal and oil trains?
State takes first stab at estimating pot revenue haul (Hunter)
Tunnel tolls will likely be no more than $1.25 for cars
The Daily Troll: New limits on pot profits. Burglars on film. Wyoming lawyers up to fight for coal port access.
Could the Bertha boondoggle be a local history boon?
HDC Advance
Washington is selling lots of stuff everywhere!
UW ranks among top well-rounded universities
Inlander
The Myth of SIRTI
North County Outlook
Meet your legislators Saturday morning (Robinson, Sells)
Publicola
On other blogs today: Fighting development, fighting the wage gap, and waiting for Bertha
Fizz: Floored (Carlyle, Hobbs)
Campaign finance disclosure bill fails in GOP Senate (Billig)
Schmudget
Reality Bites: Revenue Forecast Shows Economic Growth Won’t Fund Basic Education Reforms
Seattle PI
Report: Texting illegal, but drivers do it anyway
Two months to prevent deep Metro cuts
Blog: Business lobby ally to run for Hastings U.S. House seat
Blog: Pot growers will have to grow less pot
Slog
Flat Revenue Forecast Drives Home Fact That Washington State Cannot Fund K-12 Mandate Without New Taxes
Plummeting Viaduct Traffic Raises Questions About Need for Tunnel
One license per pot grower, state says
South Everett Beacon
Movement grows to expand school breakfast programs
The Stand
Citizen ‘lobbyists’ lane at Capitol for WSLC legislative event
Voice of the Valley
Motion urging State Legislative action on human trafficking unanimously passes County Council (Orwall)