Lawmakers schedule LEAN work session

Whether it is at the forefront of the race for Governor or the focus of a recent 2-day state conference led by Governor Gregoire, LEAN is taking Washington by storm. Now it looks like the Legislature is getting in the mix. The House General Government Appropriations & Oversight Committee will hold a work session on state LEAN activities on November 29 . . . READ MORE

Moving away from "Bureaucratic Centered Health Care"

At her press conference this morning announcing state efforts to "breakdown the silos" between the state's dual eligible population for Medicaid and Medicare, Governor Gregoire said we need to move away from "Bureaucratic Centered Health Care" and instead focus our efforts on "Patient Centered Health Care." We couldn't agree more. In fact, that is the focus of a book written by WPC's Health Care Analyst Dr. Roger Stark titled "The Patient-Centered Solution: Our Health Care Crisis, How It Happened, and How We Can Fix It" . . . READ MORE

Polls point to weeks of waiting for election results

Thankfully for the sanity of Americans across the country, Washington isn't a battle ground state for the Presidency that could determine the outcome of the Electoral College. One can only imagine the conspiracy theories and wall to wall coverage of TV talking heads exploding as vote results from Washington trickled in little by little, first days and then weeks after Election Day as the country anxiously waits to learn who the next President would be . . . READ MORE

Gregoire kicks off state LEAN conference

Governor Gregoire this morning opened a 2-day state conference on LEAN and the impact this tool is having in Washington. The Governor spoke to an overflow crowd of state employees (I was among those standing in the back) imploring them to help Washington cement LEAN in state practice . . . READ MORE

2/3 for taxes more popular than Obama in Washington

Based on the results of a KCTS 9 Washington Poll, there is a force in Washington state more popular than the President is - a supermajority vote requirement for tax increases. According to the Poll . . . READ MORE

Gregoire on tax increases circa 2008

It is very likely that the subject of tax increases will come up at tonight's gubernatorial debate. Both candidates have strongly stated they do not support tax increases though they've come down on opposite sides of the state's 20 year old law requiring a supermajority vote for tax increases.
Not surprisingly the state's 2/3 vote requirement for tax increases was a topic of the last election for Governor in 2008. Here is an exchange from 2008 between radio host Dori Monson and Governor Gregoire on that issue . . . READ MORE

Time to truly settle debate on supermajority for taxes

In a few days, Washingtonians will start to vote by mail on Initiative 1185. The measure would reaffirm the nearly 20-year-old state law requiring that tax increases pass with a two-thirds vote in the Legislature or else receive direct voter approval . . . READ MORE

Updated legislative tax survey results

Last month the Washington Policy Center published the results of our legislative tax survey that asked legislators and candidates (including gubernatorial) the following question: "If Initiative 1185 is adopted, would you vote to allow the people of Washington to have the opportunity to vote on a state constitution amendment to require a supermajority vote in the legislature to raise taxes?" After the results were published we received requests from some that missed the deadline to be included in the totals. Also responding "Yes" after the deadline were five additional Republicans and three Democrats . . . READ MORE

Did Colorado voters run away from tax restriction requirement?

Perhaps by virtue of its inclusion in the 2012 Voters' Guide the following claim is making the rounds to argue against Initiative 1185: "Measures like 1185 may sound like a way to protect taxpayers, but Colorado passed a similar measure with disastrous results. It cut off funding for schools, roads, and immunizations for kids, and caused so many problems that Colorado’s Republican Governor proposed a measure to suspend it, which voters passed." So did Colorado's Republican Governor propose and voters adopt a suspension of the tax restriction? No . . . READ MORE

Bellevue Chamber of Commerce endorses I-1185

The endorsements for Initiative 1185 continue to roll in with the Bellevue Chamber of Commerce adding its voice in support. According to Lincoln Vander Veen, Public Affairs Manager for the Chamber, “The Bellevue Chamber voted last week to support I-1185 and has supported the two-thirds majority requirement since I-601 in 1993.” I had the opportunity to address the Chamber's policy committee on why it should support I-1185 . . . READ MORE