House Rejects Stopgap Bill & School Leaders Say 40% of Students Are Behind Grade Level

The House has overwhelmingly voted against the stopgap bill presented to the House floor Thursday evening by Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., after a last-minute scramble. When Gov. Jay Inslee took office in 2013 after stating in the 2012 election race that new taxes weren’t “the right direction," the state Legislature approved a $38.4 billion budget for the biennium. With less than a month before stepping down from office, Inslee is proposing a $78.8 billion operating budget that comes with $4 billion in new taxes to fund it, including a wealth tax. Federal officials said Tuesday that drones spotted along the East Coast over the past month do not pose a threat to national security or public safety. And more...