The Bellingham HeraldBy John StarkDecember 14, 2011A proposed constitutional amendment to curb corporate political activities would not apply to labor unions.This post from Tuesday, Dec. 13 noted that U.S. Rep. Rick Larsen has signed on to the amendment, prompting some discussion in this space about the scope of the amendment.I asked Bryan Thomas, a Larsen spokesman, for clarification, and he repl... Read more »

The Bellingham HeraldBy Jared PabenDecember 14, 2011The U.S. House and Senate have both passed a bill that tightens requirements for pipeline operators, a bill that Carl Weimer, executive director of the Pipeline Safety Trust and a Whatcom County Council member, said is step in the right direction but doesn’t go far enough.WeimerAmong other things, the bill requires pipeline operators to install a... Read more »

The Bellingham HeraldBy John StarkDecember 13, 2011Via a Facebook post, U.S. Rep. Rick Larsen has announced co-sponsorship of H.J. Res 90, which would roll back the wide-ranging political rights of corporations as recognized under the U.S. Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision.H.J. Res 90 would “expressly exclude for-profit corporations from the rights given to natural persons by the Constituti... Read more »

Seattle TimesBy Jim WerkhovenDecember 12, 2011Dairy farming gives a big boost to Washington's economy. Milk is the state's second most valuable farm crop, behind only apples. It is expected to generate a whopping $1.3 billion in 2011.Unfortunately, Washington's dairy farmers took a hard punch in the gut two years ago and many have yet to recover. As the Great Recession took hold, milk prices plumm... Read more »

Alaska DispatchBy Mia BennettDecember 10, 2011The U.S. Congressional Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation, part of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, held a hearing earlier this month on U.S. Coast Guard operations in the Arctic. The chief topic of concern was icebreakers. As I reported back in February, the U.S. will be without heavy icebreakers for at least two y... Read more »

Seattle TimesBy Lornet TurnbullDecember 10, 2011As his son moved through high school, Xiaohong Mu began researching the immigration policies of Western countries where he believed his boy would get the best education.The owner of a petroleum-engineering firm in the southwest Chinese city of Chengdu, Mu considered Australia and Canada before settling on the United States.America, he believes, will ... Read more »

Seattle TimesBy Lance DickieDecember 8, 2011The Cutter Polar Star is being prepared for reactivation. It is one of the nation's two Polar Class icebreakers.Dramatic climate change in the Arctic is rapidly diminishing the polar ice cover, exposing serious environmental, economic and security issues across the top of the world.Ecological upheaval is producing a long coveted Northwest Passage for shi... Read more »

Bellingham HeraldBy Jared PabenDecember 7, 2011In other news, U.S. Rep. Rick Larsen, D-Everett, has been appointed to a U.S. House-U.S. Senate conference committee to hammer out differences on a 2012 defense authorization bill, which sets policies and spending for the Department of Defense. Larson is a member of the House Armed Services Committee.“As a conferee on the defense authorization bill, I... Read more »

Everett HeraldBy Michelle DunlopDecember 7, 2011SEATTLE -- Boeing Co. Machinists have ratified a four-year contract extension with the jet maker, with about 74 percent of members voting Wednesday in favor of a deal that ensures the 737 MAX will be built in Renton."As a result of this vote, we have the strongest commitment to the future of aerospace jobs in Washington state that we've ever had," sa... Read more »

Seattle Timesby Brier DudleyDecember 5, 2011Washington state's getting into the venture capital business.The state's underwriting a new venture capital fund affiliated with the University of Washington, to provide early stage funding for startups based on research from the UW and other state schools.Called the W Fund, it's one of three business credit initiatives being funded with a $19.7 million ... Read more »