WEDNESDAY, JUNE 7  ■  WSLC welcomes gay civil rights law, failure of its opponents
■  In today's Seattle P-I -- Eyman fails to deliver -- After hijacking an anti-gay-rights referendum from its evangelical backers, Tim Eyman ran it into the ground. By a wide margin, he failed to gather enough signatures to force a vote on the state's new gay civil rights law. It takes effect today.
■  In today's Seattle P-I -- Voters reject bias (editorial) -- Dozens of mainline churches stood up in defense of the anti-discrimination legislation, but leaders of a handful of socially conservative congregations tried to take an active part in promoting the failed referendum, in stark contrast to the positive role God-loving people had in the civil rights movement of the 1960s.

Other Self-Inflicted Wedgie news:
■  This morning from AP -- Senate rejects gay marriage ban -- The 49-48 vote fell 11 short of the 60 required to advance the legislation. Murray and Cantwell both opposed the ban.
■  In today's Seattle P-I -- Gay marriage debate draws accusations of political pandering -- Murray and Cantwell sharply criticize Senates Republicans for taking three weeks from a tight schedule to debate constitutional amendments on gay marriage and flag burning... Cantwell opponent Mike McGavick says the issues are important and need to be addressed.
■  In today's NY Times -- Emphasis on ideology has some in GOP nervous -- Some say that voters are more concerned about the economy, health care and immigration (yuh think?), and that replaying the gay marriage debate in particular could do Republicans as much damage as good.

Meanwhile, on Planet Earth:
■  In today's Olympian -- Fort Lewis set to lay off up to 350 -- The U.S. Army's budget shortfall is forcing the layoff of hundreds of civilian federal employees. AFGE says the affected workers are responsible for facilities maintenance, water, sewer, power and public safety, and child care.
■  In today's News Tribune -- Army cinches its belt as Congress dithers (editorial) -- Republican leaders have all but abandoned their traditional emphasis on fiscal responsibility. But to find the Army literally running out of money because GOP leaders can’t settle a squabble over pork-barrel perquisites makes the record even worse.

What's More Important Than the U.S. Army news:
■  In today's NY Times -- Estate tax showdown is splitting GOP -- Senate Republicans are split about whether to push for a full repeal or seek a more cautious compromise with Democrats.
■  In today's NY Times -- A boon for the richest in estate tax repeal -- Over the last decade, 18 of the wealthiest families in the country (including the Waltons and Nordstroms) have spent more than $200 million lobbying to repeal the estate tax. With repeal, the estates of the 50,000 richest Americans who die in 2011 would save $40.4 billion in taxes.

Local news:
■  In today's Olympian -- State workers settle union suit -- The group, backed by the Right-to-Work Foundation, accepts a symbolic payment of $1 for each of the 5,000 affected. The WFSE says the suit's quick end shows it was more about scoring public opinion points than any intentional wrongdoing by the union. But the WFSE is pleased to focus instead on contract negotiations.
■  In today's Olympian -- Whistle-blower decision leaves workers gagged (editorial) -- Freedom-loving Americans should be outraged at the recent U.S. Supreme Court decision that scaled back protections for government workers who blow the whistle on official misconduct.
■  In today's News Tribune -- State's weekly unemployment benefit rises to at least $116 (brief)
■  In the Columbian -- Teachers' union, Vancouver school district spar over training days

Immigration news:
■  In today's Yakima H-R -- Rally shows support for ban on services for illegal immigrants -- About two dozen people attend a "rally" calling for an immigration policy locking down the country's borders, deporting illegal residents and punishing the employers who hire them.
■  A related story in the Columbian -- Strawberries are ripe, but pickers are missing -- Area strawberry growers report high-quality berries are in danger of growing moldy in the fields due to a picker shortage. The growers say the immigration debate has driven many pickers away because pickers fear deportation, if they are here illegally, or at least harassment by federal officials.

Boeing news:
■  In today's Seattle Times -- Continental fills up with Boeing -- Airline orders 34 jets with a list price of $3.2 billion. It adds 10 more 787s, doubling its previous orders and making it the largest U.S. buyer of Boeing's latest wide-body, which is scheduled to go into service in 2008.
■  In today's Everett Herald -- French 787 supplier to set up shop in Snohomish Co. -- Landing gear supplier plans a plant that will be fully operational by 2009. No word yet on its workforce size.
■  In today's Everett Herald -- FAA ruling could be a big plus for Boeing (Corliss column) -- The agency is expected to rule that airliners with two jet engines are just as safe as those with three or four, which would ease restrictions on twin-engined jets flying over oceans, deserts or the North Pole.
■  In today's Seattle P-I -- Boeing execs double up on retreats -- In a break with Boeing tradition, McNerney is holding the company's second executive retreat since January -- this time in Seattle. Some 260 of Boeing's top leaders will gather this morning at The Westin Seattle hotel.

Political news:
■  In today's Everett Herald -- Eyman's bark on tax bite is loud, but not credible (op-ed) -- "We live in the 4th highest taxed state in the nation," Eyman says. That's not true and he knows it, but you can't sell snake oil to healthy folks without spreading a little insecurity through the crowd.
■  In the Columbian -- GOP newcomer scrambles with petition drive in bid to unseat Rep. Baird
■  In today's LA Times -- GOP candidate leads in pivotal House race -- The contest to replace Rep. "Duke" Cunningham may be a sign of how scandals will influence voters this fall. 
■  In today's NY Times -- Block the vote, Ohio remix (editorial) -- If there was ever a sign of a ruling party in trouble, it is a game plan that calls for discouraging voting. It's happening again in Ohio. 

National news:
■  In today's LA Times -- Norway sells Wal-Mart holdings (brief) -- Norway said its more than $240-billion global pension fund would no longer invest in Wal-Mart Stores Inc. because of what the country called "serious and systematic" abuses of human and labor rights.
■  In the USA Today -- Northwest flight attendants reject pay cut; strike possible
■  Today from AP -- Workers allege that Washington Mutual failed to pay overtime, minimum wage 
■  In today's LA Times -- What would Jesus negotiate? (column) -- IATSE picket L.A.'s Forum after its owner, a local mega-church, cut members' wages, tossed the contract and locked them out.
■  Today from AP -- Ann Coulter lambasts some 9/11 widows -- Of the women who pushed for the commission to investigate the terrorist attacks, the right-wing blabbermouth says, "I've never seen people enjoying their husbands' deaths so much."