Governor
Husband of Gov. Gregoire has colon cancer surgery
OLYMPIA -- The husband of Gov. Chris Gregoire is recovering from surgery to remove recently discovered cancer in his colon.
Date: 05/30/2012 | Northwest
Man accused of threatening governor called ‘delusional’
EVERETT -- An Everett man accused of sending threatening emails to Gov. Chris Gregoire earlier this month might have mental health issues, according to the Washington State Patrol.
Date: 05/29/2012 | Local News
Date set for governor's aerospace summit
The date has been announced for Gov. Chris Gregoire's last aerospace summit.The governor's seventh annual state aerospace summit will be held Sept. 12 and 13 in Spokane.
Date: 05/29/2012 | Aerospace Blog
McKenna faces 2 ethics complaints over county work
SEATTLE -- A lawyer and a citizen have each filed ethics complaints against Republican gubernatorial candidate Rob McKenna.
Date: 05/24/2012 | Northwest
Gregoire signs budget saying tax hike needed
OLYMPIA -- Gov. Chris Gregoire signed what she hoped will be her last budget on Wednesday, breathed a sigh of relief then said her successor must come up with as much as $1 billion in new revenue for public schools.
Date: 05/03/2012 | Local News
Everett governor candidate shut out of debate
What does a guy running for governor have to do to get an invitation to the election's first big debate next month?
Date: 05/03/2012 | Local News
Inslee a meticulous manager of campaign cash
OLYMPIA -- Three months after his first quest for governor came to an end in 1996, Jay Inslee began draining the $6,000 surplus in his campaign account by sending out a refund of $1,000 -- to himself.
Date: 04/25/2012 | Northwest
Gregoire signs $1B stimulus plan
OLYMPIA -- Gov. Chris Gregoire has approved a $1 billion stimulus plan that seeks to get construction workers back on the job.
Date: 04/23/2012 | Northwest
Gregoire draws the line on Calif. wine
TACOMA -- Gov. Chris Gregoire is drawing the line on wine.Gregoire said Monday that no other state can compete with Washington's quality. She recalled a trade mission to Europe in which someone asked her about California wine. Her response was: "They make jug wine. We make fine wine."
Date: 04/23/2012 | Northwest
Gregoire deems legislative session her most difficult
OLYMPIA -- Gov. Chris Gregoire said Thursday the recently concluded legislative session was her most difficult, but she was happy with the bipartisan budget that lawmakers approved.
Date: 04/12/2012 | Northwest
Legislators wrap things up after lively year
They needed an extra 30 days and seven and a half hours but state lawmakers concluded their work for 2012 early Wednesday then headed home for rest, relaxation and, for some, a re-election campaign.
Date: 04/12/2012 | Local News
Inslee raises $550k, but now McKenna can fundraise
The Legislature's adjournment is good news for Republican Attorney General Rob McKenna's gubernatorial campaign coffers. McKenna now can start fundraising again and try to close the gap between him and Democratic candidate Jay Inslee in the race for the governor's office.
Date: 04/11/2012 | Northwest
Lawmakers spend one last night together before leaving Olympia
They needed an extra 30 days and seven-and-a-half hours but state lawmakers concluded their work for 2012 early Wednesday then headed home for rest, relaxation and,...
Date: 04/11/2012 | The Petri Dish
Lawmakers work all night after Gregoire calls another special session
As expected, Gov. Chris Gregoire called lawmakers back into special session this morning to pass a revised budget and reform bills aimed at stabilizing state finances in the years ahead.
Date: 04/11/2012 | The Petri Dish
Lawmakers may have budget deal at the buzzer
OLYMPIA -- Exhausted state lawmakers worked feverishly Tuesday night to pass a new state budget and a spate of government reforms before time expired on their special session.
Date: 04/10/2012 | Local News
Signs of progress, but no firm budget deal
OLYMPIA -- Gov. Chris Gregoire and Democratic and Republican lawmakers negotiated for hours Monday in hopes of reaching agreement on a balanced budget and government reforms before time runs out in the special session.
Date: 04/09/2012 | Local News
Gregoire signs political advertising bill into law
OLYMPIA -- Political advertisements for and against ballot initiatives will have to name the top five donors to the political committee putting out the ad thanks to a bill signed into law Friday by Gov. Chris Gregoire.
Date: 03/30/2012 | Northwest
Gov. Gregoire says budget negotiations are 'tenuous'
OLYMPIA -- Gov. Chris Gregoire said Friday that she's in the process of finishing a compromise proposal for lawmakers to consider as part of their budget negotiation, and says that while talks are improving, they are "tenuous."
Date: 03/30/2012 | Northwest
State goes back to the future on film incentives
OLYMPIA -- Washington state is going back to the future, reviving its tax incentive program for movie production.
Date: 03/30/2012 | Northwest
Gregoire signs bill insisting sex ad sellers check ID
OLYMPIA -- Gov. Chris Gregoire signed a bill into law Thursday that goes after classified advertising companies that don't demand ID to verify the age of people in sex-related ads published in print or online.
Date: 03/29/2012 | Northwest
Governor plans marathon session of bill signing
Gov. Chris Gregoire intends to spend several hours Thursday signing bills into law.
Date: 03/28/2012 | The Petri Dish
Gregoire seeks sales tax deduction extension
OLYMPIA -- Gov. Chris Gregoire and six other governors have sent a letter to leadership in the U.S. House and Senate asking for an extension of the state and local sales tax deduction.
Date: 03/27/2012 | Northwest
McKenna challenges Inslee to 15 debates
OLYMPIA -- Republican gubernatorial candidate Rob McKenna has challenged his Democratic opponent Jay Inslee to 15 debates in the coming months, and Inslee's campaign said Monday that they had agreed to three so far.
Date: 03/26/2012 | Northwest
No budget deal, but some lawmakers taking pay
This is the 11th day of the special session, and lawmakers still have no deal for plugging a $500 million hole in the budget.In case you're wondering, you didn't miss much in those first 10 days aside from a bit of posing, posturing and pointing fingers.
Date: 03/22/2012 | Local News
Governor's NCAA bracket takes an early beating
And now for something completely different: Gov. Chris Gregoire's brackets for the NCAA Tournament.Or at least what's left of them.
Date: 03/16/2012 | The Petri Dish
Blue Alerts will alert public when officer is injured, killed
OLYMPIA -- Washington will soon join the growing number of states that let the public know when a law enforcement officer is injured or killed and the suspected offender is on the loose.
Date: 03/16/2012 | Local News
Gregoire: No budget, no bills
A fuming Gov. Chris Gregoire vowed today to begin vetoing bills unless lawmakers settle their differences and deliver her a supplemental budget.
Date: 03/15/2012 | The Petri Dish
The other candidate
Snohomish's Shahram Hadian is running for governor
Date: 03/15/2012 | Local News
Gregoire: Special session to begin Monday
A special session to deal with a state budget deficit will begin at noon Monday.
Date: 03/09/2012 | The Petri Dish
As expected, Legislature's work isn't done
OLYMPIA -- Lawmakers arrived in January knowing they needed to balance the budget and they were going home Thursday without having done the job.That means they'll be back soon for a special session.
Date: 03/09/2012 | Local News
Democrats preparing a final run to pass a budget
As I reported today, Democratic leaders in the House and Senate are lining up to make one final play at pushing through a budget.
Date: 03/08/2012 | The Petri Dish
The Cappy Awards: 60 days of making law
The 2012 session of the Legislature officially ends at midnight.
Date: 03/08/2012 | Local News
Democratic plan may avoid special session
OLYMPIA -- Democratic lawmakers today may make a last-ditch effort to pass a budget by midnight when time runs out on the 2012 regular session.
Date: 03/07/2012 | Local News
Gregoire's prodding doesn't lead to deal on budget
OLYMPIA -- Gov. Chris Gregoire wasn't ready Tuesday to give up on the idea of lawmakers reaching agreement on a budget in time to adjourn on schedule.But today she may be faced with the reality that a special session is inevitable.
Date: 03/07/2012 | Local News
Gregoire still sees chance to avoid special session
Gov. Chris Gregoire said today she's not giving up on lawmakers reaching agreement on a budget in time to adjourn on schedule Thursday.
Date: 03/06/2012 | The Petri Dish
Democrats don't have budget deal to offer GOP
b>Updated at 3:15 p.m.Turns out Democrats in the House and Senate have not reached any budget deals as I reported earlier.Sen. Ed Murray, D-Seattle, whom I attributed the information, told me that I missed a nuance in his comments.
Date: 03/05/2012 | The Petri Dish
Everett man arrested in threats against Gregoire
EVERETT -- An Everett man who claimed aliens were telling him to assassinate the governor is behind bars.The man, 50, was arrested late last week for investigation of making threats to Gov. Chris Gregoire.
Date: 03/05/2012 | Local News
Budget drama in state Senate incites strong reactions among Democratic lawmakers
Here are excerpts of statements issued by Democratic lawmakers as the political drama unfolded Friday. Republican lawmakers planned to put out statements when all the votes had...
Date: 03/02/2012 | The Petri Dish
Marysville teachers protest
Many use furlough day to protest state budget cuts
Date: 02/16/2012 | Local News
State budget problem won't be solved mathematically
A new forecast of state tax collections is coming out this morning.Once it arrives, lawmakers will have all the pieces in hand needed to assemble a balanced budget.
Date: 02/16/2012 | Local News
Governor's plan to pay for roads, ferries finds little support in Legislature
OLYMPIA -- The wheels are coming off Gov. Chris Gregoire's $3.6 billion transportation plan, and there doesn't appear to be anything she can do to prevent it.
Date: 02/11/2012 | Local News
Gregoire to sign same-sex marriage bill Monday
A bill legalizing marriage for gay and lesbian couples will be signed into law Monday morning, the governor's office announced Thursday.
Date: 02/10/2012 | Local News
Same sex marriage vote - the reactions
Below is a sample of the statements issued tonight before, during and after the debate. Gov. Chris Gregoire, who watched the proceedings in the wings on the Democratic side:
Date: 02/01/2012 | The Petri Dish
Governor seeks aerospace chief to lead industry policy for state
Wanted: an aerospace guru to chart industry policy for the state of Washington.Gov. Chris Gregoire is seeking a director to organize and manage the newly created Governor's Aerospace Office.
Date: 01/30/2012 | Business
Critics blast governor’s transportation plan as tax increase
OLYMPIA -- Gov. Chris Gregoire's $3.7 billion transportation package got a bumpy reception in initial public hearings Tuesday, criticized as taxing oil refiners and motorists too much while providing cities, counties, bus...
Date: 01/25/2012 | Local News
Lawmakers likely to reject prisoners’ early release as money-saver
OLYMPIA -- With lawmakers showing little interest in letting hundreds of prisoners out early to save money, Washington State Reformatory's future as a medium security prison appears less in doubt.
Date: 01/14/2012 | Local News
Governor unveils $3.6 billion plan to pay for state roads, ferries, bridges
OLYMPIA -- Gov. Chris Gregoire on Tuesday unveiled a plan to raise $3.6 billion for the upkeep of roads, bridges and ferries and pay the bulk of it with a new fee on the state's oil refineries.
Date: 01/10/2012 | Local News
Legacy wounded by recession
Gregoire prepares her agenda for final legislative session
Date: 01/08/2012 | Local News
Governor proposes centralizing B&O tax collection, business licensing
The governor yesterday announced steps to streamline payment of state business-and-occupation (B&O) taxes and to obtain business licenses by centralizing the system at the state level. Today, local governments collect those taxes and issue licenses.
Date: 01/06/2012 | Bizblog
Gov. Gregoire says she’ll back same-sex marriage bill
OLYMPIA -- Gov. Chris Gregoire publicly supported legalizing same-sex marriage in Washington state, saying Wednesday that she came to the decision after several years of battling her own uncertainty on the issue.
Date: 01/05/2012 | Local News
Governor expected to call for legalizing same-sex marriage
Gov. Chris Gregoire is expected Wednesday to support legalizing marriage for same-sex couples in Washington in 2012.Gregoire has called a news conference at 11 a.m. Wednesday to discuss the issue.
Date: 01/03/2012 | The Petri Dish
New programs help boost available aerospace workers
Gov. Chris Gregoire sent a message Thursday to the Boeing Co. and the Legislature: The state is serious about doing its part to keep the company and the aerospace industry here.
Date: 12/09/2011 | Business
Jay Inslee calls for 6 governor debates with Rob McKenna
Democratic U.S. Rep. Jay Inslee on Monday called for six debates with Republican Attorney General Rob McKenna to help voters decide which of them should be elected the state's next governor.
Date: 12/06/2011 | Local News
Janice Ellis named Snohomish County Superior Court judge
EVERETT -- Former Snohomish County prosecutor Janice Ellis soon will serve as the county's newest Superior Court judge.Gov. Chris Gregoire announced the appointment on Monday.
Date: 12/05/2011 | Local News
Gregoire asks DEA to reclassify marijuana
OLYMPIA -- Washington Gov. Chris Gregoire and Rhode Island Gov. Lincoln Chafee have filed a petition with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration asking the agency to reclassify marijuana so doctors can prescribe it and pharmacists can fill the prescription.
Date: 11/30/2011 | Northwest
Special session quiets down, but at least 11 protesters arrested
OLYMPIA -- Shouting protesters disrupted a public hearing on proposed budget cuts Tuesday afternoon and several had to be forcibly removed by state troopers.
Date: 11/29/2011 | Local News
Suggestion to cut length of school year gaining grudging support
It's an idea that's gaining traction: shortening the 180-day school year to save the state money.
Date: 11/23/2011 | Local News
Gregoire wants to ask voters for half-cent sales tax increase
OLYMPIA -- Gov. Chris Gregoire on Monday proposed asking voters to temporarily increase the sales tax by a half-cent to help balance the state budget and avoid cuts that would shorten the school year, reduce services for the disabled and let hundreds of convicted criminals out of prison...
Date: 11/21/2011 | Local News
Superintendents suggest shorter school year as a budget fix
OLYMPIA -- Facing another cut in state funding, school superintendents throughout Washington are pushing for a shorter school year even though they believe it could prove detrimental to students in the long run.
Date: 11/13/2011 | Local News
Gregoire softens her stance on tax hikes
SEATTLE -- Echoing President Barack Obama, Gov. Chris Gregoire said "this is what Wall Street has done to our state" when she proposed eliminating health insurance for the poor and reducing even further support for education and public safety.
Date: 10/29/2011 | Northwest
Gregoire budget starts with $2 billion in cuts, but will tax increase follow?
OLYMPIA -- Facing another crippling budget deficit, Gov. Chris Gregoire on Thursday outlined $2 billion in reductions in state spending she says will cut painfully "through the muscle and into the bone" of public services.
Date: 10/27/2011 | Local News
Gregoire to visit China, Japan on economy trip
OLYMPIA -- Washington Gov. Chris Gregoire is traveling to China and Japan next week for meetings on the economy.Gregoire said in a statement Wednesday that growing the U.S. economy will require close coordination with international partners.
Date: 10/12/2011 | Northwest
Former Gov. Al Rosellini dies at 101
OLYMPIA -- Al Rosellini, who blended old school charm with a progressive political agenda in his reign as Washington's governor from 1957-65, died Tuesday. He was 101.
Date: 10/11/2011 | Local News
Former state Gov. Albert Rosellini dies at age 101
OLYMPIA -- Former Washington Gov. Albert Rosellini, a son of Italian immigrants who became the oldest living former governor in America, died Monday. He was 101.The family said Rosellini's health had declined in recent weeks because of pneumonia.
Date: 10/10/2011 | Northwest
Gregoire gets refund for hotel room at Paris air show
OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) -- Gov. Chris Gregoire has received a refund for a hotel stay in France during a recent trade mission.
Date: 10/07/2011 | Northwest
Gov. Gregoire orders Lottery to halt plans for custom van
OLYMPIA -- Gov. Chris Gregoire hit the brakes Monday on plans for converting a Mercedes Benz van bought in Lynnwood into a roving outlet for sales of state lottery tickets.
Date: 10/04/2011 | Local News
State schools chief says it was his duty to refuse to identify cuts
OLYMPIA -- State schools chief Randy Dorn says he couldn't in good conscience answer Gov. Chris Gregoire's call for ideas on how to pare $97.3 million in education spending.
Date: 09/29/2011 | Local News
Schools chief might refuse governor's request on budget cuts
OLYMPIA -- State schools chief Randy Dorn may be positioning himself to fend off cuts in education funding in the special session later this year.
Date: 09/26/2011 | Local News
$2 billion hole will mean ‘brutal’ decisions for special session
OLYMPIA -- State lawmakers are in for a brutal special session this holiday season as they debate cuts to schools, social services and health care to close another multibillion-dollar budget shortfall.
Date: 09/22/2011 | Local News
Hole in state budget as bad as expected: $1.2 billion
OLYMPIA -- Gov. Chris Gregoire and state lawmakers got the bad economic news they've been expecting Thursday: tax collections will drop a whopping $1.4 billion and leave a gaping hole in the state budget.
Date: 09/15/2011 | Local News
Strong U.S. economy good for China, Locke says
BEIJING -- U.S. Ambassador to China Gary Locke said Friday a stronger U.S. economy is in China's interest and he will promote trade and human rights as the new envoy in Beijing.
Date: 09/10/2011 | Nation & World
Governor says state must brace for another $1.5 billion shortfall in revenue
OLYMPIA -- Gov. Chris Gregoire said Friday she's bracing for really bad news in next week's revenue forecast and is telling legislators a special session might be in the offing.
Date: 09/09/2011 | Local News
Summit to focus on jet jobs
The state's aerospace industry will take center stage during an event later this month.
Date: 09/06/2011 | Business
Big Olympic sporting event coming to Everett, but just which sport?
EVERETT -- It's big.So big, people across the world will watch it on television.Big enough that thousands of people are expected to flock from around the country and beyond to see it.And it's happening here.
Date: 08/31/2011 | Local News
Gregoire touts diversity but fails to model it with own cabinet
OLYMPIA -- Gov. Chris Gregoire has spent part of this summer reshuffling her leadership team, adding two new people to her inner circle, elevating another to chief of staff and naming a new cabinet secretary.All of them are white.
Date: 08/29/2011 | Northwest
Gregoire has been vacationing for 3 weeks in Idaho
OLYMPIA -- Gov. Chris Gregoire's summer vacation in Idaho has now lasted three full weeks.
Date: 08/25/2011 | Northwest
Everett pastor enters governor race
Republican Shahram Hadian of Everett, a Christian pastor and former Muslim who now lectures on the threat of radical Islam, has launched a campaign for governor.
Date: 08/09/2011 | Local News
Gregoire warns state agencies to be ready to cut up to 10 percent from budgets
OLYMPIA -- Gov. Chris Gregoire on Monday raised the specter of a special legislative session when she ordered state agency chiefs to prepare to slash another $1.7 billion in spending.
Date: 08/08/2011 | Local News
Gregoire names former state prisons director as new corrections chief
OLYMPIA -- Gov. Chris Gregoire has named former state prisons director Bernie Warner as the new secretary of corrections.
Date: 07/07/2011 | Northwest
Sonntag decides against run for governor in 2012
OLYMPIA -- State Auditor Brian Sonntag said he has decided not to run for governor in 2012.
Date: 07/05/2011 | Northwest
Road, transit measure brewing
OLYMPIA -- Wheels are starting to turn on an effort to drive a multibillion-dollar transportation measure onto the ballot in 2012.
Date: 07/03/2011 | Local News
Inslee will announce run for governor next week, source says
OLYMPIA -- U.S. Rep. Jay Inslee will launch a campaign for Washington governor early next week, wading back into state politics after more than a decade in Congress, a Democrat familiar with his plans said Thursday.
Date: 06/23/2011 | Northwest
Judge: Gregoire can claim 'executive privilege' to withhold public records
OLYMPIA -- Washington's governor can claim "executive privilege" as a reason to withhold records from the public even though it is not listed as a specific exemption under state law, a judge ruled Friday.
Date: 06/17/2011 | Northwest
Gregoire signs budget that slashes education, health
OLYMPIA -- With what she called a heavy heart, Gov. Chris Gregoire signed a new budget Wednesday that will slash state spending in public schools, colleges, health care and human services in the next two years.
Date: 06/16/2011 | Local News
What ex-governors did after leaving office
Gov. Chris Gregoire joked Monday that when she's done in office she'd like to take a little break -- "for a week or two" -- before deciding what to do next.Here's a little of what some other governors did after their tenures ended:
Date: 06/14/2011 | Local News
The first Republican governor in a generation?
Republican Gov. Rob McKenna.Better start getting used to it.When Washington's last Republican governor left office, Madonna's "Like a Virgin'' was the number one song in America.
Date: 06/12/2011 | Local News
Rob McKenna officially in the race for governor
BELLEVUE -- Attorney General Rob McKenna says he is the best person to become Washington's next governor, vowing to restore fiscal discipline in Olympia. McKenna officially launched his campaign Wednesday night at a Bellevue event attended by hundreds of supporters.
Date: 06/09/2011 | Northwest
Gregoire announces push to land 737 replacement
Gov. Chris Gregoire is trying to position Washington as the frontrunner for the Boeing Co.'s next all-new aircraft, launching an early effort on Wednesday to secure that jet line.
Date: 06/08/2011 | Local News
McKenna expected to announce run for governor Wednesday
OLYMPIA -- The wait is over.Tonight, Republican Attorney General Rob McKenna is expected to launch his campaign to become Washington's next governor in 2012.
Date: 06/07/2011 | Local News
Gregoire says she's made no decision on re-election campaign
SEATTLE -- Gov. Chris Gregoire says she hasn't made a decision about whether to run for re-election next year.Gregoire said Monday she will talk it over with her family before making that decision but is currently in the middle of signing bills from the Legislature's special session.
Date: 06/06/2011 | Northwest
Gov. Gregoire signs bill to allow colleges to increase college tuition by 11% to 16%
SEATTLE -- Washington state's six four-year colleges and universities will be able to set their own tuition, which had previously done by the Legislature, under a measure that Gov. Chris Gregoire signed into law Monday.
Date: 06/06/2011 | Northwest
Gregoire gives state Legislature an 'A' for special session
VANCOUVER, Wash. -- Gov. Chris Gregoire gives the Washington Legislature an `A' grade for its work in the recent special session.
Date: 06/03/2011 | Northwest
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