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Posts published in “Day: December 19, 2011”

The roadkill caucus and 2012

If the Washington state special session that just ended seemed to have ended with a whimper, and little major action, there's a reason ... that's pretty much what happened. As the highly popular saying goes, they "kicked the can down the road." To January, when they come back to town for a regular session.

(Might some of the Republicans calling for no regular session next year have had a point: That an inability to kick the can might have forced more action this year?)

Well. The new pressure seems to be coming from the conservative side of the Democratic side - the "roadkill caucus."

Recommended reading: A preview what the "roadkill caucus" may be up to in January, from Austin Jenkins of public radio.

"They call themselves the "Roadkill Caucus" because they've often felt run over by the left and the right. Now they're standing up," Jenkins reports. Their proposals: "Repeal two popular, but expense voter initiatives to reduce class size and increase teacher pay. Require state employees to pay more for their health care. Suspend the "1/2 of 1 percent for arts" program. Then there's the proposal to appoint an outside commission to recommend ways to shrink the footprint of state government. Senator Brian Hatfield, another "Roadkill Caucus" member, suggests putting that proposal on the ballot along with a tax hike."

Watch this closely.