Legislative news:

►  In today's Olympian -- Time for final push on tax plans -- House Democrats approved their $680 million tax package in the wee hours Tuesday morning. But time is running out and the House and the Senate are more than $200 million apart on a tax plan. House Speaker Frank Chopp said “something in between makes sense,” but he also said his caucus strongly opposes a general sales tax increase, which is a big piece of the Senate’s plan. Budget writers also have to resolve how to cut prison space, fund state health insurance and reform the assistance program of cash payments to out-of-work people with disabilities. They also must figure out how much to spend to keep the state employee health insurance fund solvent.

►  In today's Seattle Times -- Proposal to boost state's hazardous-substances tax gaining momentum -- The Senate Ways and Means Committee voted Tuesday in favor of a bill nearly doubling the tax, paid largely by oil refineries, to raise $80 million a year for stormwater cleanup projects across the state. Supporters say they're close to the 25 votes needed to pass the bill out of the full Senate and believe they have majority support in the House. Gov. Chris Gregoire also backs the idea.

►  In the Kitsap Sun -- Legislation aims to rein in labor costs for state ferries -- Among other things, the wide-ranging bill would eliminate the arbitration system used when the state and ferry unions reach an impasse. The ferry unions, though not eager to give up victories won in past bargaining, appear ready to accept it. They were the only unions that volunteered to forfeit pay raises last year to help Gregoire balance the state’s budget. They’re making “monstrous concessions,” said Gordon Baxter, a lobbyist for unions representing most ferry workers.

►  In today's Seattle Times -- Legislature votes $800 limit on local campaign donations -- Amid continuing concerns that some local offices can appear to be for sale, state lawmakers have approved new contribution ceilings. In agreement with the House, the Senate voted Tuesday to extend donation limits to elections for local positions

►  In today's Olympian -- School reform a session must, Gregoire says -- The governor says she’ll keep lawmakers in Olympia until they resolve the debate.

Boeing news:

►  In today's (Everett) Herald -- Boeing tanker deal may be expedited -- Just a day after Boeing rival Northrop Grumman and its partner EADS dropped out of the contest, Defense Department officials are reviewing whether they should speed up the tanker contract process.

►  In today's Seattle Times -- Boeing may lift jet output in 2011 -- With signs that airplane orders are beginning to bounce back from last year's low, Boeing is weighing an increase in production rates next year for both its Renton-built 737 and Everett-built 777 jets. It also plans to ramp up production of the new 787 Dreamliner, reaching a rate of five planes every two months by this August and 10 per month by 2013, says Boeing's commercial-jet unit chief Jim Albaugh.

►  From AP -- EADS falls deep into red on delays, overruns -- Airbus parent company EADS reported Tuesday that spiraling costs on its military-transport plane and its A380 superjumbo pushed it into the red and warned that both programs will be loss-making for years.

Local news:

►  In today's Spokesman-Review -- Gregoire says her state's best for business -- Gov. Chris Gregoire jabbed back at her Idaho counterpart Tuesday over whose state is better for business. Washington got a better rating in Forbes Magazine for being business-friendly and doesn’t have a personal or corporate income tax, said Gregoire. Idaho Gov. Butch Otter, a Republican, began this exercise in gubernatorial smack talk Monday, posting a “love letter” to businesses in Washington and Oregon. He invited them to move to his state to avoid taxes that voters raised in the latter and which the Legislature is likely to raise in the former. (For more info, see Washington: A business-friendly state.)

►  At SeattlePI.com -- Labor cautiously optimistic about Constantine's plan -- The county executive wants to establish a cabinet-level labor relations director. "On the face of it sounds good. It elevates the process of labor relations to an executive level," says MLKCLC's David Freiboth. "I see it as an opportunity, if used properly."

►  In the Daily News -- Port of Longview posts record revenue; commissioners decline pay reward -- The port broke the $25 million revenue mark for the first time last year, triggering a state law that boosts port commissioners' salaries. But, in light of port staffers' decision to forgo cost-of-living increases this year, port commissioners are saying "thanks, but no thanks."

►  In today's (Everett) Herald -- Community Transit cuts will hurt; just ask a rider like Crystal -- In June, Community Transit will suspend all Sunday and holiday service. “I don’t have any other option,” says Crystal Alcorn. “It’s unfair to everybody. How are people going to get to work?”

►  In today's Bellingham Herald -- Port defends city's NOAA bid against attack by Oregon's Wyden -- The Oregon Senator's accusations about environmental problems on the Bellingham waterfront are off the mark, says the Port of Bellingham's environmental director.

National news:

►  From wire services -- Job openings up sharply in January -- As many as 300,000 jobs may be added in March, a 4-year high, setting the stage for what some economists believe will be sustained employment gains. Job openings climbed sharply earlier this year, evidence that employers are ramping up. The number of openings in January rose about 7.6%, to 2.7 million, compared with December. That's the highest total since February 2009.

►  At Fox Business -- Unions to kick off major anti-bank, pro-jobs campaign Monday --  As labor unions wind down their fight for health care reform, they will announce details Monday of their next major campaign: an attack on the nation’s biggest banks for their role in the financial crisis and a push for a new transaction tax to raise $100 billion a year for a national jobs program.

►  In today's NY Times -- Saving the Post Office (editorial) -- The USPS must cut services, close offices and make sensible changes if it is going to survive the transition to the Internet age.

►  In today's Washington Post -- Congress running out of time to save USPS (editorial) -- Given the state of technology, privatization is probably the only long-term solution for the USPS. But it is so saddled with legacy costs that no investor would touch it.

►  At CNN.com -- Pity bonus: Executives who miss goals in bad economy still rewarded -- A number of corporate boards appear to have taken pity on executives last year. In some instances, they handed over millions of dollars in so-called discretionary bonuses to managers.