SEIU 925

Gov. Chris Gregoire should have done things differently in negotiating with state employee unions, but her decision to shelve new contracts with the unions stands, Thurston County Superior Court Judge Anne Hirsch said Wednesday.

Gov. Chris Gregoire pushed for more overhauls of state government today, asking business leaders for a plan to reform Washington’s main business tax and calling for consolidation of small public schools.

There’s a Hole in the Middle of the State by Kurt Guenther

There’s a hole in the middle of the state/There’s a hole in the middle of the state/Where compassion used to be/Like fighting poverty/And making sure our kids are doing great

The University of Washington says it will need to cut 600 jobs under the budget proposed by Gov. Chris Gregoire — a number that could rise to 800 if lawmakers make deeper cuts.

So this is what the Senate seems to be coming down to: keeping bridges and throwing students out the window. The effort to prune the stimulus package to make it more palatable to Republicans is focused on slashing money for education.