Legislative session redux:

►  Today from AP -- Analysis: Scorecard for the 2009 Legislature -- Organized labor, the Democratic Party's foot soldiers, felt like they got stepped on. Bad blood still boils: This week, the State Labor Council's legislative wrap-up pined for the time "when Democrats were Democrats." Meanwhile, Boeing got its way as Democratic leaders killed labor's top bill (the Worker Privacy Act). Breakaway House Democrats failed to stick benefit increases into a Boeing-backed bill that reformed and reduced unemployment taxes. In both cases, the airplane guys apparently had a trump card in Gov. Chris Gregoire. The newly re-elected Democrat said, after the fact, that she would have vetoed the Worker Privacy Act and called a special session to ensure the unemployment reforms were approved.

►  In today's Everett Herald -- Gregoire will take Boeing matters into her own hands -- Legislators didn't create the aerospace advisory council that Gov. Gregoire wanted. Nor did they launch a new institute for training workers and developing new technologies in the industry. So, she plans to pursue both tasks through an executive order to be issued in the near future. Legislation for the council died in the House when Republicans vowed to amend it with several reforms specifically sought by the business community and Boeing.

►  In today's Spokesman-Review -- Session about more than budget woes -- After a months-long round of brinkmanship with labor, businesses won an 11th-hour victory when lawmakers OK'd permanent changes cutting unemployment insurance taxes by hundreds of millions of dollars. Unions won some temporary increases in benefits, but failed to win permanent changes.

All-cuts budget fallout:
 

 
►  In today's Everett Herald -- Schools at all levels prepare for cuts -- School boards have begun approving plans to cut jobs, textbooks, training and other costs as the sour economy seeps into the classroom. UW is mulling record cuts and steep tuition hikes. Closer to home, Everett and Edmonds community colleges also plan to chop services and raise tuition.

►  From KOMO News -- Union: 6,000 teachers will lose their jobs statewide -- The Washington Education Association believes that many will be laid off, with first- and second-year teachers being the first to go. Districts must notify teachers and staff members of layoffs by May 15.

►  In today's Seattle Times -- Education cuts mean layoffs of Washington's newest teachers -- Most school districts are still crunching numbers and don't yet know how many jobs may be lost. But one thing is sure: The axing of $800 million from public-school funding will have the biggest impact on teachers with the least experience, at a time when jobs are scarce around the state. For parents and students, fewer teachers will translate into larger class sizes next year.

Please watch this... please:

Local news:

►  In today's Yakima H-R -- Turning point in immigrant march -- On Friday, supporters of immigrants' rights will join others taking to the streets here and across the nation in similar marches. While the national debate on immigration policy has quieted, it remains very much an issue in the Yakima Valley, where a majority of agricultural workers are in this country illegally. (In Seattle, the 9th Annual May 1st Immigrant Rights March will be this Friday starting at 3:30 p.m. at S Dearborn St & 20th Pl S, at the NW Entrance to Judkins Park .)

►  In today's Bellingham Herald -- Whatcom Co. faces $5 million reserve shortfall, layoffs possible -- Councilwoman Laurie Caskey-Schreiber expresses concerned about layoffs and suggested furloughs for employees or asking bargaining units to forgo pay raises to help with the budget.

►  In today's News Tribune -- Tacoma City Council gets hard budget facts -- Revenue is $4 million lower than projected through the first quarter, and expenditures are some $734,000 higher.

►  In today's News Tribune -- Tacoma police bosses get 6.2% raise -- Police managers will get the same wage hike given to the city’s rank-and-file officers and to members of the IAFF Local 31.

►  At SeattlePI.com -- Rep. Ross Hunter joins crowded King Co. executive field -- He is the second Eastside legislator to announce. The other is Sen. Fred Jarrett of Mercer Island. One other eastsider is also running, former KIRO news anchor Susan Hutchison, a Republican. Two veteran King County Councilmembers, Dow Constantine and Larry Phillips, were early entrants.

►  At SeattlePI.com -- Almost half of us worry about losing our jobs -- Two out of every five Washington residents are worried about losing their jobs, according to a new survey. 

Specter switch news:

►  In today's NY Times -- Specter switches parties; more heft for Democrats -- In an unexpected turnabout in political loyalties, Senator Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania announces he is leaving the Republican Party to become a Democrat, bolstering President Obama at a pivotal moment for his policy agenda and further marginalizing Republicans on Capitol Hill.

►  Today at Politico -- New hope for Employee Free Choice Act -- In discussing the party flip Tuesday, Specter highlighted his opposition to the labor organizing bill as evidence that he would not abandon his old principles and positions to conform to Democratic Party ideology. But he left himself some wiggle room when he announced his opposition to the bill in March by outlining revisions he says could improve it and gain his support. Since then, labor leaders have been trying to hammer out a compromise. And now, their jobs -- and Specter’s situation -- just got a lot less complicated, since his future is tied closer to labor than to the business.

►  In today's NY Times -- We didn't have to lose Arlen Specter (op-ed by GOP Sen. Olympia Snowe) -- Republicans have failed to undertake a re-evaluation of the inclusiveness as a party that could have forestalled losing the party’s moderates. It is truly a dangerous signal that a Republican senator of nearly three decades no longer felt able to remain in the party.

America's Bank:

►  In today's NY Times -- CalPERS to oppose re-election of Bank of America board -- The pension fund said it was voting against the bank’s entire board, including CEO Kenneth Lewis, because they failed to disclose the billions of dollars in losses at Merrill Lynch before Bank of America acquired the firm and then made the undisclosed payment of billions of dollars in bonuses to Merrill Lynch executives before the takeover was completed.

►  From AP -- Bank of America shareholders gather for annual meeting -- Amid tight security and a growing number of protesters, executives brace for a contentious annual meeting in Charlotte.

►  From AP -- Stress tests show BofA, Citi need more capital -- The banks will need to raise more capital unless they succeed in appealing the findings of the government-run stress tests.