Legislative news:

►  In today's Seattle Times -- Gregoire calls special session to begin Monday -- State lawmakers rushed to pass a backlog of bills on the last day of the regular legislative session but left the hard stuff -- closing a $2.8 billion budget shortfall -- for later. Gregoire urged lawmakers to finish up within seven days and keep their focus only on the budget and a jobs bill. One proposal pushed by House lawmakers would use $500 million or more in state bonds to pay for energy-efficiency upgrades to public schools -- with the idea of kick-starting construction jobs while saving money for schools on utility bills in the long run. But that plan bogged down in the Senate.

►  More Legislative OT coverage from the Olympian, (Everett) Herald, Associated Press and Spokesman-Review.

►  At TheOlympian.com -- IT savings: One man's reform, another's outsource nightmare -- Rep. Reuven Carlyle (D-Seattle) claimed a victory with the 94-3 vote to pass a bill he thinks will save $20 million in state information services outlays. But Rep. Brendan Williams believes the measure is a step toward outsourcing state IT jobs to firms based in India. 

►  From AP -- State Senate OKs schools to raise more levy money -- On a 29-19 vote, the Senate passed the measure lifting the levy lid that currently limits how much school districts can seek, and how often, from 2011 to 2017. House Bill 2893 passed the House last month, and now heads to Gov. Chris Gregoire for her expected signature.

►  At SeattlePI.com -- Poll: Income tax in Washington a good idea -- Of a proposal to create an income tax on high earners and lower the sales tax by a penny a dollar, a recent SurveyUSA poll found 53% think it's a good idea, 39% think it's a bad idea and 8% are unsure.

►  In today's (Everett) Herald -- Look beyond ferry workers (editorial) -- If the Legislature can authorize the governor to negotiate less generous benefits for ferry union workers, why stop there? Isn’t this be the time to examine other pre-recession benefits that now may be “too generous”?

►  In the (Longview) Daily News -- Home-care training program should be an easy cut for lawmakers (editorial) -- The SEIU has somehow persuaded a majority of Washington legislators to launch a $6.5 million home-care training program, even as they scramble to close a $2.8 billion budget gap. Initiative 1029, approved by a lopsided majority of voters in 2008, called for this program but initiating it makes little to no sense at this time. Indeed, a case can be made against launching this program at any time.

(Of course, conservative newspapers like the Daily News decried the suspension of I-960 as defying the will of voters. What hypocrites. If they fail to understand the urgency of this training program, perhaps they should go back and read the Seattle Times excellent series, "Seniors for Sale," which concluded that Medicaid recipients are being steered from nursing homes into little-regulated adult family homes, where in hundreds of cases, medically fragile adults are handed over to amateur caregivers who are inadequately trained to keep them safe.)

►  In today's Bellingham Herald -- Rep. Ericksen to seek retiring Brandland's Senate seat -- He joins two Democrats, Richard May and Pat Jerns, who have already announced their intention to seek the seat representing the north half of Whatcom County through Bellingham.

►  At HeraldNet.com -- PDC leader Vicki Rippie is stepping down -- Assistant Director Doug Ellis will be interim executive director effective April 1 while the PDC searches for her successor.

Health care news:

►  At AFL-CIO Now -- Premiums soar as new polls show Americans want reform -- A new survey shows 53% of respondents support changes proposed by the White House and another poll reports that 53% of Americans either support the current reform option or hope for an even stronger reform package. Meanwhile, a new study shows jaw-dropping insurance premium hikes -- up 97% for families and 90% for individuals between 2000 and 2008. Premiums rose two times faster than medical costs and more than three times faster than wages.

►  From AP -- Democrats pare differences over health bill -- President Obama put off the start of a scheduled Asian trip as the White House and senior Democrats reached for agreement on the long-stalled legislation they hope to push through Congress within days.

►  In today's NY Times -- Health reform myths (Paul Krugman column) -- Health reform is back from the dead. Many Democrats have realized that their electoral prospects will be better if they can point to a real accomplishment. Polling on reform -- which was never as negative as portrayed -- shows signs of improving. But a gantlet of misinformation and outright lies continues to bolster three big myths: that reform is a "government takeover" of one-sixth of the economy, that it does nothing to control costs, and that it is fiscally irresponsible. Though none of these myths are true, many people who consider themselves well-informed believe them. 

►  In the Christian Science Monitor -- Why Rush Limbaugh would go to Costa Rica if health reform passes -- The conservative talk-show host said he’d go to Costa Rica for medical treatment if Congress passes proposed reforms. That might sound like an unusual choice, since Costa Rica has one of the longest standing socialized healthcare systems on the planet. Everyone here pays into the government-run health system, whether they use it or not. But Limbaugh’s choice may also serve to advertise what many Americans traveling here for medical treatment already know: Costa Rica is a fabulous place for medical tourism.

Boeing news:

►  In today's Seattle Times -- SPEEA members pick new president -- Tom McCarty, 65, an electrical engineer at Boeing's defense unit in Kent, was elected as the new president of Boeing's white-collar union. He will serve a two-year term from March 24, succeeding Cynthia Cole, who was not eligible to run again after two terms as union president. 

►  In Daily Finance -- Will Boeing CEO repay America by hiring in China? -- Obama has chosen Jim McNerney to lead the President's Export Council, an advisory committee on international trade intended to showing America that the president is encouraging American companies to hire American workers. But McNerney's involvement may throw little wrench into the works. Some say McNerney would like to move more of Boeing's manufacturing and design to China.

Local news:

►  In today's Seattle Times -- Seattle schools cut 90 jobs -- Seattle Public Schools gave layoff notices to more than 90 central-office staff members Wednesday, one step in the district's effort to cut $18 million to $25 million in expenses for the 2010-11 school year.

►  In today's Bellingham Herald -- Bellingham School Board OKs proposed cuts -- The elementary strings musical program, PE teachers and librarians could be cut next school year. 

►  In today's SeatlePI.com -- "Everything's on the table" in budget crisis, says Seattle mayor -- Mayor Mike McGinn ordered a complete financial assessment of all city funds by the end of April. He said he will direct departments to look for efficiencies and reductions that could include staff reductions. He said it was too early to get into specifics about possible cuts.

►  At SeattlePI.com -- Metro replaces tunnel security firm after girl's beating -- Metro Transit has hired Securitas Security Services USA, a new private security firm. The Seattle Police Guild's president says he doesn't understand why Metro doesn't ask off-duty Seattle police to do it. (Maybe it's because the contractors pay their private security guards just $11 and $15 an hour. But, as always, you get what you pay for.)

►  In today's Columbian -- Port of Longview hits revenue record in 2009 -- The Port posted a $2.7 million profit in 2009 on record revenues of $25 million in 2009, up 7% from its previous record of $23.5 million in 2008. (Also, record-setting revenue at the Port of Grays Harbor.)

►  In the (Aberdeen) Daily World -- Judge orders release of report -- Though the county Planning & Building Division staff’s union disputes many findings in the report, the judge says citizens must have access to it to evaluate the operations and understand all sides of the debate.

►  In the (Aberdeen) Daily World -- Changes in the works at Montesano Public Works Department -- City staff members are taking on new positions in Montesano, though one council member voiced concerns about having a union member in charge of an entire department.