State of the State news:  ▪  Our favorite excerpt from Gov. Chris Gregoire's speech last night: "Good family-wage jobs are those that pay well and provide affordable health insurance. For many people in Washington, they fear they are a diagnosis away from bankruptcy. I know that many of the solutions to the health care crisis facing our nation must involve the federal government. But we have to step forward and find innovative solutions for Washingtonians."
▪  Coverage of the Governor's education-focused State of the State speech -- Everett Herald -- Longview Daily News -- The Olympian -- Seattle P-I -- Seattle Times -- Spokane Spokesman-Review -- Tacoma News-Tribune -- Tri-City Herald -- Vancouver Columbian 
▪  In today's Yakima H-R -- Rep. Skinner gives Republican response to governor's speech -- "We reject the idea that the answer to every problem is an expensive government program."

Other legislative news:
▪  In today's Yakima H-R -- L&I drops farm labor licensing proposal -- Facing industry opposition, the department has dropped a legislative proposal to increase regulation of farm-labor contractors.
▪  In the Vancouver Columbian -- Pretzel politics (editorial) -- One must twist reason like a pretzel to make a case against at least letting voters decide about the supermajority rule for school levies.
▪  In today's Kitsap Sun -- Bremerton to explore annexing site of proposed NASCAR track -- Supporters of the track say the move may help the project's prospects in Olympia.
▪  In today's News Tribune -- Olympia push is on for pay hikes for legislators, judges

Health Care news:
▪  In today's Seattle Times -- Health coverage for children of illegal immigrants draws ire of GOP -- "They're not even citizens," said Cle Elum Republican Rep. Bill Hinkle.
▪  In today's SF Chronicle -- Labor, employers critical of CA health insurance mandate -- They agree on one thing -- the governor's 4% of payroll requirement isn't enough. Says one labor leader: "It's a sound concept if you don't lowball it... it could create a race to the bottom for employers who are now providing health care. Instead of giving you insurance, employers are going to follow the governor's standard and pay 4 percent of payroll into the state fund."
▪  In today's Seattle P-I -- U.S. health care puts profits over people (op-ed) -- It is incumbent upon us all to demonstrate the political will to fundamentally challenge the current system.

Local news:
▪  In yesterday's Aberdeen Daily World -- Offers surface for shuttered Weyco mill in Cosmopolis
▪  In yesterday's Aberdeen Daily World -- Grays Harbor county employees receive 2% pay increases -- Talks with the Teamsters union representing the sheriff’s deputies have not yet been completed.
▪  In today's Seattle P-I -- Paccar to build engines for its heavy-duty trucks -- Paccar plans to build a $400 million engine manufacturing and assembly plant somewhere in the Southeastern U.S.
▪  In today's Spokesman-Review -- Former employees file lawsuit over Tidyman's retirement funds
▪  In today's Kitsap Sun -- Port Orchard Council backs tax hike for expansion of private foot ferries
▪  In today's Oregonian -- Portland commission to decide today on prevailing wage issue -- Vote is  today on requiring projects with $1 million or more in city money to pay the prevailing wage.

National news:
▪  Today from AP -- New report watches CEO pay -- Investor anger has spread from union activists to buttoned-down mutual fund trustees. The AFL-CIO singled out Home Depot's CEO for loud criticism of his pay, but almost all mutual funds in the $308.1 billion T. Rowe Price Group more quietly withheld their votes for the majority of Home Depot's 11 directors at its May meeting.
▪  In today's NY Times -- Home Depot board faces new outcry -- Says AFSCME pension official: “We were told the G.E. crony group that brought in (CEO) Nardelli and paid him highly were going to start to move off of the board as they hit retirement age... Now that’s not happening.”
▪  In today's LA Times -- Congress urged to stop private tax collectors -- A report by the IRS's independent watchdog questions the efficiency and fairness to taxpayers of debt collection firms.

Last Throes update:
▪  In today's Seattle P-I -- Showdown on Bush's Iraq plan to send more troops -- Democrats from Washington are openly skeptical, but differ over how aggressively to challenge the White House.
▪  In today's Seattle Times --- Bush must lead us toward the exit (editorial) -- The commander in chief and his closest advisers have made arrogant and willfully ignorant choices. The nation is in no mood for stalling and rhetoric. As the president escalates the war, he must also be prepared to explain how his decisions move us toward the exit.
▪  In The Independent -- Iraq admits 23,000 civilians died in 2006 -- That figure is smaller than United Nations data claiming that some 28,000 civilians were killed in the first 10 months alone of 2006. Both estimates pale beside the one in The Lancet medical journal in October 2006, that some 600,000 people had died violently since the U.S.-led invasion of March 2003.
▪  Of the 3,015 U.S. troops killed in Iraq so far, 2,878 have died (see a list) since President Bush declared "Mission Accomplished" and an end to major combat operations on May 2003; 2,549 have died since Saddam's capture. More than 5 years after 9/11, Osama bin Laden is at large.
▪  The WSLC's affiliated unions have called for an end to the U.S. occupation of Iraq.
▪  In The Onion -- 800,000 privileged youth enlist to fight in Iraq -- Says one: "Whether I agree with the war or not, our president needs us, and I'll be damned if I'm going to let our least advantaged citizens bear the brunt of this awesome burden." Says another: "I didn't realize you could just sign up."