MONDAY, APRIL 23  ▪  Baird renews effort to strengthen Buy America Act, protect jobs -- His legislation aims to stimulate job creation and strengthen domestic steel production.
▪  From AP -- One in six factory jobs have disappeared since 2000 -- Some economists say the U.S. is experiencing a normal economic evolution from farms to factories and now to service jobs. But others note that the loss in manufacturing jobs has been accelerating in recent years as the trade deficit has grown and America imports more products that used to be made here.

Legislative news:  ▪  Family Leave Insurance passes! -- The Senate approves the House-amended version, 26-21. Although it was significantly weakened by the House, this legislation will be truly historic, making Washington the second state to establish paid Family Leave Insurance.
▪  In today's Olympian -- Paid family leave awaits Gregoire's signature -- The Legislature authorizes a paid family-leave program for Washington workers with newborns and adopted kids. The Senate narrowly endorsed a bill to give workers paid leave of up to $250 per week for five weeks effective in 2009. But Democratic lawmakers left it to a task force to recommend how to fund it.
▪  In today's Seattle P-I -- Health, environment and education win big -- Lawmakers wrapped up the session with a last-hour compromise on family leave. The new bill establishing a five-week paid leave is perhaps the Democrats' most notable legislation this year.
▪  In today's Olympian -- Final budget would raise state paychecks, add 3,000 workers 
▪  In today's Olympian -- House vote portends end of "gain sharing" -- In exchange for ending the program, they plan to lower state workers’ retirement age by three years. The Republican minority led a charge against the bill in one of the closer votes of the year, 52-45. 
▪  Today from AP -- Health care bill goes to governor -- The bill, based on recommendations of the governor’s Blue Ribbon Commission on Health Care Costs and Access, “will take Washington state forward to be a national leader on health care policy,” says Sen. Karen Keiser.

Local news:
▪  In today's Seattle P-I -- John Edwards plans busy May Day stop in Seattle -- The presidential candidate will speak to as many as 1,000 AFL-CIO members at a town hall-style meeting at the Aerospace Machinists Hall in Seattle at noon. Learn more about how YOU can attend.
▪  In today's Everett Herald -- Boeing dialing in its workforce -- Between the Dreamliner and increased production on Boeing's other plane lines, Boeing has added more than 15,000 employees in the state in the 39 months since it announced its decision to assemble the 787 in Everett.
▪  In today's Spokesman-Review -- Spokane city job cuts recommended -- Consulting firm says city should eliminate 10 to 29 firefighters and 10 police officers, but proposed job cuts in the street and wastewater departments have been reduced from a previous version of the report.
▪  In The Columbian -- Cowlitz, La Center about to cut deal -- The city appears to be inching toward making peace with the Cowlitz Tribe and accepting the tribe's plans to build a huge casino.
▪  In The Oregonian -- Longview Fibre ends its days as a family firm -- After 80 years as a family-run company, it succumbs to a buyout from a Canadian private equity firm that will break it in two.
▪  In today's Everett Herald -- Wage laws force restaurants to reduce staff (column) -- (A restaurant association lobbyist is invited to make his case against the state minimum wage law without any critical challenge of his claims or statistics. That's why it's called the Business section.)

National news:
▪  In today's LA Times -- Southern California grocery conflict rooted in previous strike -- The wage deal of three years ago still rankles workers, and greater competition is squeezing the stores.
▪  In today's Washington Post -- FAA has some unhappy controllers -- An internal survey finds that only 9.3 percent of the air traffic employees said they trusted FAA management.
▪  In today's Seattle Times -- Gender pay gap emerges early, study finds -- A dramatic pay gap emerges the year after women graduate from college and widens over the ensuing decade.
▪  In the NW Labor Press -- U.S. labor backs effort to stop ratification of CAFTA in Costa Rica (op-ed) 

Not Exactly "Man Bites Dog" news:
▪  Today from AP -- Analysis: Executive branch staff falls short on integrity -- Whatever happened to Bush's campaign oath to "restore honor and integrity" to the White House? Says one observer, "From the very beginning, this administration emphasized loyalty over competence. And at some point, that catches up with you."