Legislative news:

►  In Sunday's (Everett) Herald -- Democrats favor raising the Washington state sales tax -- As Gov. Chris Gregoire tries to steer them toward taxing candy, soda pop and bottled water, many in the Legislature's majority party prefer increasing the state sales tax for a while to help balance the budget. Democrats in both chambers are warming to the idea of boosting the state sales tax for three years.

►  In the Spokesman-Review -- State needs more revenue (Sen. Lisa Brown column) -- The Senate budget, which will be released in a few days, will call for closure of tax loopholes and raising revenues. Because our current tax structure is unfair, we will propose providing relief for small businesses and we will not support increases in sales taxes unless rebates are provided to low- and moderate-income families. Now more than ever, we need our public systems to respond, to provide support and protection to those hardest hit by the recession and to pave the way for a robust recovery.

►  At SeattlePI.com -- The case for taxes (Rep. Brendan Williams column) -- By closing tax loopholes, and working to bring more balance to an imbalanced tax system, Democrats can help relieve a burden that has fallen too hard on the middle class and poor while allowing special interests to escape paying their fair share. If we correct these imbalances, our state will be stronger upon recovery and in the years to come.

►  In Sunday's Kitsap Sun -- It's time to raise taxes, two Kitsap legislators say -- The state has already cut too deeply into programs that help children, the sick and the elderly, say Reps. Appleton and Rolfes. The Bainbridge crowd applauds them for backing suspension of I- 960. 

►  In the Spokesman-Review -- State's health fund shrinks -- The fund that covers state workers’ health care is strapped for cash because the state cut its premium payments by hundreds of millions of dollars, while the insurance fund spent down a large surplus. The figures were so bad that if the authority’s fund were a private insurer that he regulated, Mike Kreidler said he might order it into receivership.

►  In the Olympian -- Bills would move or kill state's print shop -- House Democrats are poised to move the Dept. of Printing into the Dept. of Information Services, but the Senate aims to kill it off entirely. Sen. Rodney Tom (D-Medina) wants to abolish the 100-worker shop because agencies can use desktop printers for small materials and private firms for bigger jobs.

►  In Sunday's (Everett) Herald -- Rising from the middle of the road (editorial) -- After failing to broker a compromise between business and labor, the Roadkill Caucus stopped two bills on unemployment insurance. Now, the group's priorities are closing the Department of Printing; privatizing state liquor stores; and providing more targeted worker training opportunities.

►  In Sunday's (Everett) Herald -- Initiative process needs changes to protect integrity (guest column by Kristina Logsdon and Lew Granofsky) -- A bill being considered by the Legislature would enact measures to prevent abuse. The bill would require signature gatherers -- paid and volunteer -- to sign the back of petitions attesting they collected signatures lawfully. Additionally, paid signature gatherers would register with the state -- a key to stopping individuals convicted of abusing the system from working in Washington. Legislators should honor that intention and preserve the system's integrity and the voters' trust by voting yes on SB 6449.

►  In today's Seattle Times -- State House must move on college tuition (editorial) -- Rep. Deb Wallace, chair of the state House Higher Education Committee, belatedly scheduled for Tuesday a hearing on a bill granting public universities tuition-setting authority. That also happens to be the last day policy measures can be taken up and voted upon. It isn't unheard of for a committee to take up a measure and vote on it in one fell swoop. But the clock is ticking.

Health care news:

►  In today's NY Times -- Obama details plan to expand health care to uninsured -- Today, the president laid out for the first time a detailed proposal for overhauling health care, largely sticking with the approach passed by the Senate with unified Democratic support but making concessions to the House version as well. His proposal is the opening act to a week of high drama around health care that will culminate on Thursday, when he convenes Democrats and Republicans at an all-day televised health care “summit.” while the president adopts the Senate’s proposed excise tax on high-cost, employer sponsored insurance plans, Mr. Obama makes some crucial adjustments based on an agreement reached in January with organized labor leaders, while also trying to avoid the appearance of special treatment for unions. Most crucially, the president would delay imposing the tax until 2018 for all taxpayers, not just for health benefits provided through collectively-bargained union contracts.

►  In today's Washington Post -- 'Cadillac tax' on health plans would hit union, nonunion jobs equally -- Republicans have attacked the White House deal as a carve-out for labor, but according to a new analysis, the revisions would also benefit many nonunion workers. If employers remain with their current plans, researchers estimate that 23% of plans would be subject to the tax by 2019 in the Senate version, while 14% of plans would be hit under the revised deal.

►  In today's NY Times -- Obama to urge oversight of insurers' rate increases -- The president will propose giving the federal government new power to block excessive rate increases by health insurers, as he rolls out comprehensive legislation to revamp the nation’s health care system.

►  In today's Washington Post -- The elephant at the health-care summit (E.J. Dionne column) -- Obama's saying: Please, establishment media, look honestly at what the Republicans are doing. Instead of offering lectures about bipartisanship or nostalgia for some peaceable Washington kingdom, look at the substance of our respective proposals and how they match up against the problems we're trying to solve. Oh, and there's also this: He's telling Democrats they can get things done, or they can crawl away timidly into the darkness of self-defeat.

Boeing news:

►  From AP -- Boeing sends more than 1,000 layoff notices -- Boeing sent layoff notices Friday to more than 1,000 people, most of them technology workers in Washington state and California. The notices mean the workers are at risk of being laid off April 23.

►  In today's Olympian -- End to tanker saga may be inching closer -- or not -- When the Air Force formally requests bids as early as this week for a $35 billion contract for new refueling tankers, it may be the beginning of the end in the nearly decade-long effort to replace the current fleet of Cold War-era planes. Then again, it may not. When it comes to tankers, nothing is certain.

►  From AP -- Gregoire rallies governors for Boeing tanker -- She is speaking this afternoon at the National Press Club with governors from states who stand to gain jobs from a Boeing tanker.

►  At SeattlePI.com -- Loss of thrust forces 787 to land in Moses Lake -- Boeing's first test-flight 787 made an unscheduled landing Friday after test pilots lost thrust in one engine.

Local news:

►  In today's Spokesman-review -- Corridor ceremony highlights grant, politics behind it -- One person was noticeably absent from last week’s gathering to celebrate the announcement of a $35 million federal stimulus grant for the North Spokane Corridor. U.S. Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-8th) was not invited to the party. The Eastern Washington congresswoman had voted against the $787 billion American Recovery and Reinvestment Act that made the money available.

►  In the Columbian -- Rep. Deb Wallace opts out of 3rd congressional race -- And she will not defend her seat in the state House, saying she is endorsing Democrat Monica Stonier, a schoolteacher. Republican businessman Paul Harris also is running for the position.

►  In today's Olympian -- Heck makes case for seat in Congress -- The Democrat emphasizes the sorry state of the U.S. economy and the need to create jobs: “This is not an abstraction. People need help. Getting people back to work is more than a paycheck; it’s about dignity.” 

National news:

►  In the Washington Post -- Five myths about the labor movement (column) --  1. Labor is in decline. (Not exactly.) 2. Unions are bad for economic growth. (Economists disagree.) 3. Labor laws are not the issue -- economics are. (Far from it.) 4. The EFCA would radically reshape the job market. (Not really.) 5. Unions have the Democrats in their pocket. (They wish.)

►  In today's Washington Post -- In the Senate, a test for Democrats' scaled-back jobs bill -- Democrats' renewed focus on bolstering the economy faces a test today, with the Senate expected to hold a procedural vote on what they hope is the first of several job-creation bills.

►  In today's NY Times --With the Senate set to vote on jobs bill, governors say they still need help -- Governors were sharply divided on the merits of the $787 billion economic stimulus bill adopted by Congress last year with strong support from President Obama. And their differences colored their views on proposals for another round of job-creating legislation.

►  At AFL-CIO Now -- Fast-acting IUPAT member rescues five at IRS plane crash attack -- On his way to work, he witnesses the attack and: "I immediately drove my truck over there, got the ladder off, went up to the side of the building and I saw people up on the second floor with their heads out the window for air because the room was filled with smoke."

►  In the NY Times -- Steelworkers say reactors will create overseas jobs -- The United Steelworkers union has complained that a government-backed plan to build two nuclear reactors in Georgia will create jobs overseas that should go to American workers.

National political news:

►  In today's LA Times -- Only 15% think Washington is working -- After months of what sure looks like political gridlock in the nation's capitol despite voters having handed majority control of all three political institutions to Democrats back in 2008, almost three-out-of-four Americans today say "Washington right now is broken." Polls find that Americans' dissatisfaction with capitol politics is the highest since 1994, when distaste for Bill Clinton's first two liberal years (and a national healthcare proposal) produced the so-called Republican Revolution... But 60% of voters now believe neither the Republican nor Democratic leaders know what to do.

►  In today's Columbian -- Sen. Patty Murrray: Anger comes from fear of economic shift -- The anger and divisiveness she has witnessed this election year -- inside the Senate and out -- is new and disturbing, she says. It flared in eastern Washington when the organizer of a tea party rally drew applause for saying Murray should be hanged. Sen. Murray placed much of the blame for voter frustration on the recession and stubborn high unemployment. 

►  In today's LA Times -- Conservatives draw up a new "Contract" -- A series of manifestoes, from Republicans and "tea party" activists, harks back to the GOP's 1994 "Contract with America." 

►  In today's NY Times -- The bankruptcy boys (Paul Krugman column) -- Republicans are opposed to reducing the deficit with tax hikes, but they don’t have any other plan, except to regain power.