budget

**Democrats voiced strong objections to funding levels and legislative riders in the Interior/Environment spending bill, but saved amendments for this week when the full House Appropriations Committee will mark up the fiscal 2018 bill. At last week’s hearing, the bill was cleared for consideration by the full committee despite expressions of disappointment from some Democrats...

**House appropriators are rejecting President Trump’s proposals to slash spending on rural development, international food aid, research and other key areas of the Agriculture Department’s fiscal 2018 budget. But a draft appropriations bill would still require cuts in some programs, providing a total of $20 billion to the USDA, the Food and Drug Administration and the Commodity Futures Trading Com

**During a visit with Ag leaders in Cedar Rapids, Iowa last week, President Trump delivered an optimistic campaign-style speeches embracing farmers and ranchers as the “backbone of America.” The president has come under fire from rural Democrats for proposed cuts in his first budget outline and for lacking specifics about plans to deliver some of his ambitious plans...

OLYMPIA  (AP) — Washington lawmakers are nearing the end of their second special session, and with no signs that the Senate and House are any closer to agreement on education funding, the necessity of a third overtime session seems all but inevitable...

OLYMPIA (AP) — State Superintendent Chris Reykdal says lawmakers must expedite their work on satisfying a court mandate on putting more money toward basic education in Washington state. But he also wants them to start thinking about how to reshape the system in the coming years once that immediate work is done...

**63 people have been indicted for their role in the Brazilian meat scandal and corruption in the Ministry of Agriculture. Federal auditors are accused of taking bribes in exchange for fraudulent sanitary permits. The suspects are also charged with falsifying medical records and certificates, tampering with food products, conspiracy and corruption...

OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) — The Washington state Senate has passed a measure aiming to relieve concerns over the recent car-tab fee increase for Sound Transit 3, a nearly $54 billion transportation initiative voters approved in November. Numerous bills have been introduced in the House and Senate after widespread outrage over the formula used to calculate car-tab fees, which are based on a depreciation

OLYMPIA (AP) — Washington state senators passed a two-year construction budget that puts more money toward updating schools, mental health facilities and state water services. Senators unanimously approved the capital budget Thursday on a bipartisan vote...

**President Trump is proposing to slash the Agriculture Department’s field staff and also make deep reductions in research, rural development and international food aid. A 62-page budget summary released by the White House is skimpy on details but it calls for a $4...

OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) — Washington state lawmakers are facing a projected budget shortfall of nearly $500 million for the next two-year budget ending in mid-2019, not counting the expected financial obligation needed to increase funding for education as directed by the state Supreme Court...