Legislative news:

►  In today's Olympian -- State furloughs preferred over layoffs -- State agencies would be encouraged to require workers to take furloughs or to cut their hours before resorting to layoffs in the latest version of the two-year budget proposal. Also in it: more leeway to offer early retirement and suspension of the state board that advises lawmakers on pension funding.

►  At TheOlympian.com -- Proposed cut to state worker health care stopped -- Senate Republicans unsuccesfully proposed a 2% cut to the amount of money used to cover their health costs. WFSE expects more attempts to reduce funding for health insurance before the session ends.

►  In today's Seattle Times -- State set to take on more of cost of education -- The bill will be phased in as money becomes available over the next nine years. Opponents, including the WEA, have sharply questioned the value of overhauling the education-finance system during the biggest economic crisis in generations and when education already faces big budget cuts.

►  At Publicola.net -- Republicans line up with WEA -- The teachers union has adamantly opposed this education reform bill all session for the exact same reasons that Republicans do. As the Senate rejects GOP amendments that would stall the bill until a price tag is put on reforms, here’s the obvious story that’s emerging: The GOP is doing the bidding of the teachers’ union.

►  In today's Seattle Times -- Sen. Lisa Brown says fairness, not politics behind income-tax pitch -- The Senate Majority Leader -- who's contemplating running for governor in four years -- is talking about an income tax that would target people earning more than $250,000 a year. This raises lots of questions. Is she nuts? Is this a way for Brown to raise her profile and appeal to the Democratic Party's base? Or is she driven purely by the conviction that an income tax is the best way to make the state's tax system more fair? 

►  In today's Seattle Times -- Washington's Legislature hostile to business (fact-challenged op-ed by Sen. Mike Hewitt) -- The (Deloitte/Boeing) report found that Washington has the highest workers' compensation and Unemployment Insurance costs among the five states examined. (The report doesn't say that, because it's not true.) House Democrats dissolved the agreement on the UI bill and amended it to raise taxes on employers. (This is not true. With amendments, employers in the state will still receive a $224 million tax rebate and billions over time.)

►  In Real Change -- Senate should concur with House's balanced approach on jobless benefits (fact-ridden op-ed by the entire staff of WSLC Reports Today) -- In a year where the recession is forcing horrible cuts in public programs and safety nets for the most vulnerable people in our state, SSB 5693 represents a rare opportunity for state lawmakers to help struggling families, employers and the economy.

Local news:

►  In today's Yakima H-R -- Migrant worker lawsuit settled -- About 650 Yakima Valley farm workers who said they were displaced by Thai workers imported by Global Horizons will receive $350 to $500 to compensate their losses, a federal judge has ruled. The total amount is 13% of the $1.8 million a jury decided in 2007 the workers deserved. Global's CEO testified that he preferred Thai workers because they put more effort into the job. State labor regulators have barred Global from doing business in Washington. The company's appeal is still being argued.

►  In today's Everett Herald -- More Boeing layoffs today -- About 120 employees in the Puget Sound region will receive layoff notices today as Boeing slashes 6% of its workforce this year.

►  In today's Everett Herald -- Order gives Boeing a boost -- The company got a little spring back into its step Thursday, courtesy of a new 8-jet 787 order from Gulf Air.

►  From AP -- Murray tops $5 million for Senate race without foe -- No prominent Republican has announced plans to take on Murray, although some GOP leaders in Washington state and Washington, D.C., have encouraged Rep. Dave Reichert to consider the Senate race.

National news:

►  In today's LA Times -- Bailout money a "scarlet letter," says JP Morgan CEO -- CEO Jamie Dimon now says he regrets accepting $25 billion, calling the money "a scarlet letter" and renouncing further borrowing from the government. (OK, let's see. What word that begins with a scarlet "A" would describe a CEO who takes billions in taxpayer money while he pays himself about $30 million a year, builds himself and his fellow execs "the premier corporate jet hanger" on the East Coast, outsources Florida food-stamp assistance to India, and lays off more than 9,000 WaMu workers, including some 3,400 here in Seattle. Hmmm.)

►  In today's Wall St. Journal -- Union intensifies efforts to organize Wal-Mart workers -- The UFCW is ramping up organizing at Wal-Mart stores after a five-year lull, dovetailing with its efforts to win support in Congress for the EFCA. Since February, about 60 UFCW organizers have been dispatched to more than 100 Wal-Mart stores in 15 states to get workers to sign union-authorization cards. The cards are attached to flyers that feature a photograph of President Barack Obama and a quote from him: "I don't mind standing up for workers and letting Wal-Mart know they need to pay a decent wage and let folks organize." Wal-Mart says the increased organizing activity has prompted mandatory meetings to discuss unionization.

►  In today's Washington Post -- AFGE battles West Point over privatization of 300 jobs -- The union says it used a flawed bidding process in the decision to award the jobs to outside contractors.

►  At NationalJournal.com -- AFL-CIO touts recess work for EFCA -- The AFL-CIO will release a memo today summarizing activities held during the congressional recess to support the Employee Free Choice Act. (It all happened while the networks were focused on teabagging.)

►  In today's NY Times -- Jobs at issue as labor-enviro coalition stumps for climate bill -- The Apollo Alliance, a coalition of labor and environmental groups, is launching a media blitz aimed at promoting passage of legislation its members hope will boost domestic renewable energy and create "green" jobs and services.

►  At Huffington Post -- Injured war zone contractors fight to get care from AIG, other insurers -- Yet unlike wounded soldiers, who are offered healthcare, rehabilitation and support services by the military, the civilians have to battle a federally supervised insurance system marked by high costs and excessive delays.

►  In the NY Times -- Family secrets -- Commerce Secretary Gary Locke, the nation’s first Chinese-American governor, is widely known for his stirring family saga. Yet there would be no Lockes in America, no great story of the kid raised in public housing who went on to Yale and high office, no presidential kudos, if his grandfather had not lied to get into the country.