Local news this week has been rightfully dominated by the down-to-the-wire state budget passed in Olympia. This week lawmakers worked fast and furious to pass a budget, ending the 30-day overtime in dramatic fashion. However, at the culmination of yet another extra session, most politicians and citizens seem much more relieved than excited about this week's proceedings. The budget itself includes billions in spending reductions and no tax increases. Plenty of public employees and social service programs will see funding decreases, most notably educators.

A particular lowlight of the new budget is a pay cut of 1.9 percent for all teachers and support staff and 3 percent cut for school administrative staff. Earlier this week Tacoma Superintendent Art Jarvis didn't hesitate to blast the cuts in an interview with Debbie Cafazzo of The News Tribune, calling the Legislature's approach "cavalier" and speculating that the cuts will cause even more friction at education labor bargaining tables across the street. Check out Cafazzo's full story with many more comments from Jarvis here.

Another legislative development of local note was the ultimately failed effort to fix the state's medical marijuana law, allowing for dispensaries (or some other legal avenue) for patients to actually obtain the pot their doctors have been able to legally recommend since 1998. Earlier this month Governor Gregoire rejected what appeared to be a very promising bill seeking to legally legitimize dispensaries and protect medical marijuana users. After the original bill was stripped of its clarity and force, only ambiguous remnants were passed into law, placing the burden of both policy making and policing to local governments once again. Mike Baker of the Associated Press explains what went wrong and what's next in his article published by the Seattle Times.

Facebook Me!

In a young era where celebrities and leaders are able to communicate directly with followers via social media Tacoma State Representative Laurie Jenkins took to Facebook throughout this year's session to share her experience as a freshman legislator and invite her supporters to share their policy opinions with her.

Jinkins posted four updates in this final week, including the legislature's formidable to due list on Monday: "Four big things to resolve in the next 2.5 days: operating budget, a constitutional amendment to decrease our capital budget, workers compensation reform and closing at least one egregious tax break (that's my bill:-)."

New Chamber CEO

News broke this week that the Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber of Commerce is hiring Tom Pierson as its new CEO. Pierson, currently the CEO of the City of Federal Way's Chamber of Commerce, will start working in Tacoma at the end of June. The Chamber's board voted unanimouslyto hire Pierson, who has achieved much success during his eight years leading Federal Way's Chamber.

County Redistricting

Last week I wrote about the redistricting process Pierce County is currently in the midst of. This week the county invited the public to the table, announcing a series of community meetings in all seven current Pierce County Districts. At the meetings Districting Master Steven Garrett will give a presentation explaining the map of proposed changes (available here). The schedule of meetings is available here.