Health care news:

►  In today's Wash. Post -- White House nears deal on health care -- Gripped by a building sense that its window of opportunity could be closing, the White House broke the last major logjam blocking enactment of far-reaching health-care legislation, cutting a deal with organized labor on how to tax high-cost insurance policies.

►  In today's NY Times -- Accord reached for tax on costly insurance plans -- The changes would lessen and delay the impact of the tax on workers and would reduce the amount of revenue collected. The revenue would help finance coverage for millions of people who are uninsured. Labor leaders hailed the deal and said they were prepared to fight for passage.

►  In today's (Everett) Herald -- Labor raised the ante (David Broder column) -- The best thing about American labor leaders is that they don’t beat around the bush. Judging from the reports I’ve heard, the union leaders who met with Obama this week to air their concerns about the health care reform bill lived up to that reputation. They made their objections clear and they put them in a political context that no one could miss.

►  In today's Wash. Post -- Health-care reform should put an end to drug companies' pay-for-delay (editorial) -- Manufacturers of brand-name drugs can pay competitors to keep cheaper, generic versions off the market. If there's to be health reform this year, it ought to close that loophole.

►  At Huffington Post -- Massachusetts Senate race: Poll shows GOP candidate in lead -- A new poll shows a shift in favor of the Republican Party and a potential disaster for President Barack Obama and his Democratic political agenda in Tuesday's special election. It signals a possible death knell for the 60-vote Democratic supermajority the president has been relying upon to stop Republican filibusters in the Senate and pass not only his health care overhaul, but the rest of his legislative agenda heading into this fall's mid-term elections. (Wither EFCA?)

Legislative news:

►  In the (Aberdeen) Daily World -- Nearly $4 billion in state jobless benefits paid in 2009 -- On Grays Harbor, 6,534 claimants received more than $51.5 million in unemployment benefits. That works out to an average claim of $7,884 per applicant. (That means our state unemployment insurance system created more than $6.5 billion in purchasing power on Main Street, Washington. This money is not only helping struggling families who have lost their income through no fault of their own, it is saving jobs and businesses. That’s what it’s designed to do, and that’s what it’s doing every day. Learn more.) 

►  In today's Kitsap Sun -- Families, legislators working to save Frances Haddon Morgan Center -- The state-run home in Bremerton that houses severely mentally disabled children and adults has been targeted for closure by Gov. Gregoire, as well as the Rainier School in Buckley. One resident's father says stability is critical for people with severe autism, which many Morgan Center residents have. He worries that community-based homes run by for-profit companies would hire less experienced caretakers. He said a similar move in Oregon led to patient deaths. He’s skeptical of for-profit caretakers. “You can’t take care of people for profit.”

►  From AP -- Gregoire wants $15 million jobs package -- The governor says her plan could help spark 40,000 jobs. The 10-point plan, separate from her proposed supplemental budget, would cost about $15 million through mid-2011. The most expensive item: $10.7 million for a new, one-time $2,000 tax credit for each new full-time hire that lasts at least a year.

►  At AWB.com -- Governor's jobs plan shows promise -- The Governor's staff shared the plan with AWB in advance. It has some meat to it as well as some promise especially during these difficult budget times. (That "meat" is a fresh helping of tax breaks for business.)

►  At SeattlePI.com -- Bill would hinge tax breaks on pledge to state's well-being -- Aerospace companies would have to annually reaffirm their commitment to the economic well being of Washington in order to claim industry tax incentives under HB 2833. It would require a signed declaration among tax breaks' recipients that "expresses a commitment to the economic well-being of residents in the state of Washington." (The WSLC supports this.)

►  In today's Seattle Times -- Republican legislators push Tea Party 'sovereignty' bills -- Republican lawmakers are pushing a series of state "sovereignty" bills that aspire to beat back the power of the federal government. (These are the same Republicans who welcome and tout federal restrictions on changing state labor laws to help workers avoid employer harassment when they are considering unionization. They like their sovereignty, but only when it suits them.) 

►  In today's Tri-City Herald -- Freedom bills push state's rights -- Rep. Jeff Morris (D-Mount Vernon) said the GOP agenda divisive, dangerous and secessionist: "We want to lead the state out of recession. They want to lead the state out of the country.... The divisive, isolationist and economically harmful ideas this Republican/Tea Party package represents seeks to roll back the progress we've made in Washington and would only hurt our ranking as one of the best states to start and build a business. We have only 60 days to get us back on the path to economic recovery. We need constructive help from the minority party to find middle ground, not anti-American measures from the fringe of the political spectrum." (Word.)

►  In today's (Everett) Herald -- Tap private sector for help (editorial) -- The private sector can play a major role in solving the budget problem, if lawmakers let it. Letting go of the state’s monopoly on liquor sales -- hardly a core function of government -- is one example. Another would be contracting out more state services. (Oh, yeah. The private sector would like to tap that.)

►  In today's Walla Walla U-B -- Threats to most popular programs feel wrong (editorial) -- Times are tight, particularly for government. We understand that. But what we don't understand is why our elected leaders propose cutting the most popular and necessary programs as a way to balance the state budget (like) closing more than 20 trails, campgrounds and interpretive centers. It's obvious to us Gregoire and lawmakers are aiming to get the public riled so voters will support tax hikes and fee increases.

►  In today's (Longview) Daily News -- Job creation a good place to start (editorial) -- Gregoire couldn't be more right about the need to write a budget with incentives to spur job growth. (Read: more business tax cuts.) But lawmakers must remember this is exactly the wrong time to take money out of taxpayers' pockets or increase the cost of doing business.

Bender to speak at Longshore event in Tacoma

Tacoma-area union members and their families are invited to attend the 23rd Annual Longshore Spaghetti Extravaganza on Tuesday night, Jan. 19 at the monthly meeting of the Tacoma Propeller Club to be held at the ILWU Local 23 Hall, 1306 Alexander Avenue East if Fife. Rick Bender, President of the Washington State Labor Council, will be the special guest speaker. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. with a no-host bar, a pasta buffet ($15) will be served at 6:30 p.m. and the program starts at 7:15 p.m. Please RSVP to 253-627-0671 if you plan to attend.

►  In today's Seattle Times -- McGinn proposes $241M property-tax hike to replace sea wall -- The Seattle mayor says that six years is too long to wait to replace the city's crumbling sea wall. He wants to ask voters for a property-tax increase to replace it in four years.

►  In today's (Everett) Herald -- Swedish Hospital’s latest move: emergency clinic near Mill Creek -- Swedish Health Service plans to open a $30 million emergency room later this year south of Everett, the first of its kind in Snohomish County. It is expected to employ 130 people.

►  In today's News Tribune -- New storage facility ahead for Tacoma's Tideflats -- A Vancouver, B.C.-based cold storage company is building a 196,000-square-foot storage facility there that will will generate an estimated 100 jobs ranging from warehouse positions and local drivers.

►  In today's Walla Walla U-B -- Sykes to lay off more than 300 today -- The call-center company is the largest private employer in Milton-Freewater, Ore. (The company also a case study in how corporations aggressively seek tax breaks and then fail to meet promises on job creation.)

►  In today's NY Times -- AFL-CIO creates online college for union families -- The AFL-CIO announces it is joining with the National Labor College and the Princeton Review to create an online college for the federation’s 11.5 million members and their families. The new college will seek to “expand job opportunities for its members by providing education and retraining in a way that’s affordable and accessible,” the founders said.

►  In today's NY Times -- NLRB remains stalled by dispute on nominee -- For two years, the board has limped along with just two members, rather than five, leaving many cases unresolved because of a 1-to-1 deadlock. Moreover, a pending Supreme Court case could ultimately vacate 80 of the decisions that the board’s two members, a Democrat and a Republican, have agreed on since its membership fell to two on Jan. 1, 2008. Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) has blocked confirmation of a three-person package because he contends one nominee, Craig Becker, would deny employers their proper role in union elections. Meanwhile, the board's two-member status had meant years of delay for many aggrieved workers. For instance, workers at a home for the developmentally disabled in Brooklyn voted to unionize in June 2003, but they do not have a union because they are awaiting a decision from the board.

►  In today's Wash. Post -- U.S. unemployment rate for blacks projected to hit 25-year high -- Unemployment for African Americans is projected to reach a 25-year high this year, says a new study, with the national rate soaring to 17.2% and the rates in five states exceeding 20%.