WA Democrats Divided On Constitutional Amendment On Bail

A proposal to amend Washington’s constitution in response to the Lakewood police officer murders is running into rough legislative waters. Last week, the House passed a scaled back version of the legislation first proposed by the Governor. More >

Oregon Now Facing Budget Gap

Just two weeks after voters approved more than $700 million in higher taxes, Oregon lawmakers find themselves facing a budget shortfall. More >

Hanford Advisory Board: Dig It Up, Treat It And Dispose

A citizen panel that watchdogs the Hanford Nuclear Reservation finalized some advice to the state and federal governments Friday. The document from the Hanford Advisory Board focuses on the Central Plateau of the reservation. The panel tells officials in charge of Hanford to find out what’s really out there and cleanup waste to the greatest extent possible. More >

WA Senate Passes Bill To Increase Driving While Texting Penalties

The Washington state Senate passed a bill Friday that would make it a primary offense to text or hold a cell phone to your ear while driving. More >

Consumer Advocates Want Lenders To “Show Their Work”

Oregon lawmakers passed a bill last year designed to give financially-troubled homeowners more tools to stay in their homes. Now, consumer advocates are urging lenders to show their work. Chris Lehman explains. More >

CIA Ceremony Honors Northwest Man Killed at Khost, Afghanistan

A Northwest family was in the nation's capital Friday, at a ceremony remembering the late Dane Paresi, and others who died in the bombing of a CIA base in Khost, Afghanistan. Correspondent April Baer reports. More >

Hanford Advisory Board Says Too Many Sickened From Beryllium

Beryllium is making too many people sick at the Hanford Nuclear Reservation. That’s according to a group of stakeholders that advises the Department of Energy on how to manage the site. Anna King explains. More >

Washington Utility Asks Legislators For More Dam Compensation

A county in northeastern Washington is asking state lawmakers for help in getting more money from a Seattle utility. Seattle City Light operates Boundary Dam in Pend Oreille County. More >

OR Bill Would Allow Local Tobacco Taxes

Oregon lawmakers are considering a bill that would allow local governments to raise taxes on tobacco products. Right now Oregon counties and cities don’t have that option. More >

WSU Looking at Ways to Meet Proposed Budget Cuts

Even as university students hold rallies on Washington campuses this week to protest proposed cuts in state funding of higher education, the universities themselves are still grappling with how to meet those budget requirements. More >

Northwest Snowpack Well Below Normal

The El Nino weather pattern that has soaked the Southwest this winter has spared the Northwest. And it’s showing in the region’s mountains. Snowpack levels in many areas are well below normal. More >

WA House Passes Constitutional Amendment On Bail

The Washington State House has passed a constitutional amendment to make it easier for judges to deny bail. The vote comes in the wake of the shooting deaths of four Lakewood, Washington police officers last November. More >

Pacific Halibut Catch Rate Lowered, Less Than Expected

West Coast commercial halibut fishermen face significant reductions in the number of the bottom-dwelling flatfish they can legally catch. But a decision last week by an international regulatory panel means the cuts will not be as big as expected. More >

WSU President Floyd Fears WSU Research Dollars May Be Cut

WSU President Elson Floyd says there have even been inquiries from legislative staffers about the university’s research dollars. Glenn Mosley reports. More >

WA Environmentalists And Oil Companies Set To Battle Over Tax

Environmentalists and oil companies are about to go to war over a tax proposal in Olympia. At issue is a bill to triple Washington’s hazardous substance tax. More >

Oregon Senate Overrides Two Vetoes

Oregon lawmakers took the first step today to override a pair of bills vetoed by Governor Ted Kulongoski after last year’s session. More >

Bioenergy Plant Announced For Shelton, WA

Several big East Coast energy companies are moving into the business of making electricity out of logging leftovers. More >

Oregon Considers Partial BPA Ban

Oregon lawmakers are considering a ban on a chemical called BPA in certain products. Studies of Bisphenol A say it increases the risk of cancer, heart disease and diabetes, among other health problems. More >

Judge: WA State Not Providing Enough School Funding

The state of Washington is not providing sufficient funding for basic education. That’s the ruling today from a Superior Court Judge in King County. More >

WA Democrats Introduce Tax Bills

Majority Democrats in Olympia are moving ahead with a plan to raise taxes to rebalance the state budget. Austin Jenkins has details. More >

The Future of Haitian Adoptions

Adam Cotterell reports adopting children from Haiti has always been a difficult process, but it could get harder because of what happened to a group of Idahoans. More >

Number of Hungry in Idaho Up 59%

The down economy is making it difficult for many families to put food on the table and pay the bills. A new report released by the Idaho Food bank confirms the worst: There’s been a dramatic growth in Hunger in Idaho. Correspondent Don Wimberly reports. More >

WSU Students Worry About Tuition Costs

Students at Washington State University say they remain concerned about being able to afford college, especially as more cuts loom in the state’s budget for higher education. Glenn Mosley reports. More >

Learning to Butcher Your Own Meat

Some people are plunging — literally— into the meat of the matter by learning to butcher their own meat. Correspondent Guy Hand visits a class where every student wields a knife — and the desire to learn the fading art. More >

State Of Idaho To Build New School For Rural District

A school district in north Idaho will become the first to borrow money from the state to replace a crumbling school. Voters in the Plummer-Worley district Tuesday turned down a school bond issue for the fourth time. More >

Washington House Votes To Expand Mental Health Patient Notification

The Washington House voted unanimously today to require state mental health officials to notify more people when a mental patient walks away. More >

WA House Passes Crime Bills

The Washington House passed several bills today in response to the killing of six officers last year. More >

OR Bill Seeks Ban Of Job Applicant Credit Checks

Most employers would no longer be able to check the credit history of potential employees under a bill being considered in the Oregon Legislature. A Senate panel heard arguments on the measure today. More >

Pacific Halibut Catch Rate Lowered, But Not as Much as Expected

West Coast commercial halibut fishermen face significant reductions in the number of the bottom-dwelling flatfish they can legally catch. More >

Kids Camp, Archery Range & Church Got Dollars Meant For Timberland Owners

A Washington lawmaker is questioning payments to a church and other non-profit organizations out of an environmental protection fund. More >

How Will REI Eliminate Their Greenhouse Gases?

REI along with Nike and the Vancouver Olympics have promised to eliminate their impact on the climate by going 'carbon neutra.' John Ryan reports on how REI may go about that. More >

Gold Bullion Tax Loophole Unlikely To Be Closed Says Top Lawmaker

In the Washington legislature, majority Democrats are looking for tax loopholes to close to balance the budget. But they’re finding that’s easier said than done. Austin Jenkins reports. More >

Plastic Bag Ban in Oregon Debated

Oregon lawmakers are considering a proposal that would put an end to the age-old question: “Paper or plastic?” A Senate committee today heard arguments from both sides of the debate over a bill that would ban Oregon stores from using plastic bags. More >

Update: WA Data Center Fight Over

A follow-up now to a three-part series we brought you back in December on Washington and Oregon state data centers. These are high-tech facilities that house computer servers for state agencies. More >

Channeling Tea Party Turnout Into Political Activism

This week organizers are putting on a National Tea Party Convention in Nashville, Tennessee. Correspondent April Baer checks in on what's happening locally to channel Tea Party turnout into political activism. More >

President Obama’s Proposed Budget Gives Slight Boost To Hanford

President Obama’s freshly released budget proposes to increase spending at the Hanford Nuclear Reservation by about $39 million. More >

UW Facutly Unhappy with Provost Appointment to Nike Board

Faculty members said they were uncomfortable with UW Provost Phyllis Wise’s role and the compensation she’ll receive, but it’s not clear the group has any say over her decision. Correspodent Amy Radil reports. More >