Sen. Ann Rivers (R-LaCenter) has said, “In terms of the education piece, we’re very close,” adding that she is “not even a little worried about a shutdown,” despite lawmakers heading into a second special session this week. Her statements were in response to Gov. Inslee saying the budget, “needs to get done in 30 days,” so we don’t head into a third special session.

“Levy equalization is the best state-level tax reform for Washington” , Rep. Jim Walsh (R-Aberdeen) wrote in an editorial for the TDN. “Levy equalization can fully fund K-12 education in this state, while giving homeowners in the area a break on their property taxes. It will make Washington’s overall tax structure flatter and fairer. Less regressive.” (Read more here)

Superintendent for public education, Chris Reykdal, has revealed a six-year plan to give our state, “a long-term strategic vision for our education system,” as he believes we do not have one at the moment. “We’ve become too content with the idea that our objective is to merely fund the basics.” (Read more of his suggestions here)

An income tax in Seattle would make an “unfavorable business climate,” says former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer. In an interview with KIRO, Ballmer said, “There would be fewer jobs here with an income tax than there would without an income tax,” and points to an income tax as how the city’s successful tech start-up culture would unravel.

Issaquah City Councilmember Tola Marts is challenging Rep. Dave Reichert (R-Auburn) for the 8^th Congressional seat next year, pointing to two free years of community college as one of his main platform points. “I want to make sure he has to take this race seriously and comes out to talk about his record,” said Marts.

Sound Transit and the City of Seattle are being sued by the family of someone who was killed in a bicyclist accident they say was caused because of streetcar trolley tracks. They are looking for $2 million in damages for each claim in the lawsuit. “Streetcar tracks are a known hazard… Seattle had many opportunities to fix this mess,” the lawyer for the family said.

The Department of Energy has investigated the Hanford nuclear reservation and has not found another leak, meaning the radioactive contamination found on a robotic crawler last week may have been from older contamination particles in the air between shells of tanks rather than from a new leak. The Department is looking into the cause of the contamination.

Congressional lawmakers from Washington are requesting a review of the Hanford Nuclear Reservation, and wrote a letter to the Government Accountability Office to investigate the cleanup and focus on what needs to be done to finish he enormous project. “What actions has DOE taken, or is planning to take… to ensure structural stability and better evaluate the potential for safety risks to workers, the public and the environment?”

Interim chief, Brian Shaeffer, was named Spokane Fire Chief by Mayor David Condon on Wednesday. Prior to becoming interim fire chief, Shaeffer was the deputy chief of the Yakima Fire Department.

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