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A bipartisan bill passed by the state legislature and signed by the governor last month authorizes counties to establish juvenile gang courts, in a program similar to a successful one already in place in Yakima. But budget issues may derail the promising initiative before it even becomes a law.

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Attempting to find middle ground in what's perhaps understated as a contentious situation - closing a near half-billion dollar budget shortfall for the two-year state budget cycle ending June 2013 - Washington Gov. Chris Gregoire reached for a compromise Thursday. The Associated Press reports Gregoire's plan would, "encapsulate many of the Legislature's contentious proposals into one package."

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When Republicans cut money for education in a budget they pushed through the Senate late last week, the state Democratic Party sent out a blistering missive--aimed at Republican gubernatorial hopeful Rob McKenna. The Democrats have a point, but it's also evident that McKenna's savvy positioning of himself is making them nervous.

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Under state law, there is no limit to the amount tow truck companies can charge someone whose car is towed from private property, such as a business or residence. That could change if lawmakers in Olympia approve a bill introduced by Rep. Gerry Pollett. But not soon enough to save me from the massive bill I incurred recently when my car was stolen.

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A decade ago, thanks to a class action lawsuit, Microsoft learned the hard way that it could not treat "independent contractors" exactly like employees for all purposes but salaries and benefits. In recent years, a public defender has been trying to teach that same lesson to King County, alarming state legislators and leading to a much-debated bill that passed the House last week.

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A bill heard this week in the Legislature would radically restructure probation, mandating much shorter jail times should an offender misstep. Predictably, the budget crisis has led state officials to adopt this tack. Yet, the state Department of Corrections insists that's not the only reason.

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The state House, after two hours of debate that sometimes grew intense, voted 55-43 on Wednesday to make Washington the seventh state to legalize same-sex marriage. The legislation now goes to Gov. Chris Gregoire, who has promised to sign it into law. She watched the House debate from the wings. "This is truly a historic day in Washington state, and one where I couldn't be more proud," Gregoire said in a statement. Let's listen in on how our lawmakers reasoned this one out. The following excerpts are based on reports from The Seattle Times, Seattle PI.com, and the Tacoma News Tribune.

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A letter went out today to the federal government asking for marijuana to be reclassified as a drug so it can be prescribed by doctors and filled by pharmacists. Some 42 lawmakers in both the House and Senate -- including seven Republicans -- signed onto the letter to the Drug Enforcement Administration to make marijuana a Schedule II drug, meaning it could be used for medical treatment.

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Sen. Mary Margaret Haugen is the final key vote to make gay marriage the law of the land in Washington. She announced her support this morning for the controversial measure, which the National Organization of Marriage has vowed to spend $250,000 to defeat.

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State senators started today to mull over the possibility of working up legislation that would prevent businesses from having access to juvenile court records. If something like this were to become law, companies would not be able to take into account crimes the applicant may have committed in his or her younger days.

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