The Economic and Revenue Forecast Council met today in Olympia to adopt the most recent forecast of state general fund revenue collections.  At the meeting, the Council approved the new forecast which calls for the state to collect an additional $484 million above what was predicted last March. Dr. Chang Mook Sohn, the state’s chief… Read More

Al Ralston, one of the most familiar figures in Olympia and a lobbyist for the Boeing Company for more than 20 years will step down later this summer to become president of the Washington Research Council.  Ralston replaces longtime president Dick Davis who left his post last year to take a position with the Association for Washington Business. … Read More

Several weeks ago we noted that Rep. John Lovick (D-Mill Creek) was planning a run for Snohomish County Sheriff this November.  Lovick is a retired Washington State Patrol officer and a familiar face to TVW watchers as he serves as President Pro Tempore of the House of Representatives and is therefore, often the chamber’s presiding officer. As Everett… Read More

Now that the future fiscal fortunes of the UW have been statutorily linked to the 60th percentile of per student funding in the Global Challenge States, it probably makes some sense to periodically peak in on how things are going for our higher education university brethren in California, Virginia, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Colorado, and… Read More

Yesterday I attended the annual Technology Alliance luncheon at the Washington Convention and Trade Center.  The luncheon is the Alliance’s major function each year and more than 1,000 folks from business, government and education were in attendance. The keynote address was given by Microsoft’s Steve Ballmer in a conversational discussion format lead by the UW’s… Read More

State and local transportation leaders held a press conference in Seattle yesterday to announce a comprehensive funding strategy to pay for the SR 520 bridge replacement project without the need to raise new “state” taxes.  The strategy was prepared as part of the Regional Transportation Improvement District (RTID) planning committee efforts to prepare a transportation… Read More

Like many of you, I was shocked to read the news of Norm Maleng’s passing in the morning papers.  For those of us in public service in Washington State, Norm was the epitome of professionalism and intergrity in a business that often fails to adequately reward either trait.  I just thought Norm would go on forever and… Read More

For the past several years, the city of Bellingham has been discussing the future of their waterfront.  Up until recently, the waterfront was underutilized and dominated by an old Georgia Pacific mill site that virtually sat at the apex of downtown Bellingham and the picturesque Bellingham Bay.  At the same time, student demand for access… Read More

Governor Gregoire signed an executive order today that creates the “P-20 Council” called for in the November 2006 Washington Learns final report.  The council will be primarily responsible for driving progress towards all of the ten-year education goals proposed in the report.  The council is also charged with improving student success and transitions within and… Read More

A persistent rumor that raced through the hallways of the state capitol during the last few weeks of the 2007 legislative session was the notion that Senate Majority Leader Lisa Brown (D-Spokane) might be contemplating a run for State Treasurer in 2008.  Mike Murphy, the incumbant State Treasurer has indicated he will not run again… Read More