Week 7: Let’s Review

Monday: The Senate Health and Long-Term Care Committee considered a controversial bill aimed at putting the Affordable Care Act into place — including implementing the healthcare exchange. On the show, we also looked at a bill that would make truck drivers who work at the state’s ports regular employees, rather than independent contractors. Dozens of truckers attended the hearing in support of the bill, saying they don’t have health insurance and often work in unsafe conditions.

Watch Monday’s Legislative Review.

Tuesday: House Democrats released a proposed supplemental budget that aims to close the budget gap though a combination of cuts, delaying some school payments into the next budget cycle, and asking local governments to pay more for services. More than 100 people testified later that afternoon about the budget proposal. Also, the Senate released its supplemental transportation budget.

Watch Tuesday’s Legislative Review.

Wednesday: On the show, we took a look at two bills spurred by high-profile crimes in Pierce County. In late 2009, Maurice Clemmons, who was out on bail, shot and killed four Lakewood police officers. One bill would make a number of administrative changes to the bail bond system: It would require bail bond agents to undergo a criminal background check. It would also add some additional sideboards to the bail bonds industry. Another bill would prohibit defense attorneys and defendants from viewing child pornography that’s part of the evidence in a criminal case. It stems from a case in Tacoma in which a man accused of sexually abusing dozens of boys acted as his own defense attorney — and was then able to watch hours of videos of the abuse without supervision.

Watch Wednesday’s Legislative Review.

Thursday: Chuck and Judy Cox, grandparents of the Powell boys, who were killed earlier this month by their father, Josh Powell, held a press conference in Olympia with Sen. Pam Roach, R-Auburn. They spoke abut flaws in Department of Social and Health Services system that they hope can be fixed by the Legislature. It was also Beef Day at the Capitol.

Watch Thursday’s Legislative Review.

Friday: A 1.3 billion dollar bond package that supporters say will create more than 20,000 jobs in Washington was voted out of the House capital budget committee in the morning. The bonds would be used to pay for a number of projects, such as public school construction and repairs, and toxic environmental cleanup. It would be paid back with revenue from the state’s lottery, as well as taxes on oil, utilities and solid waste. Also, presidential candidate Newt Gingrich visited Olympia and spoke about his campaign.

Friday’s edition of Legislative Review is a half-hour wrap up of the week’s top headlines. It airs at 6:30 and 11 p.m.

Tags: Budget, TVW