Tagged: senate

State Senator Ed Murray is the new majority leader of the Washington state senate.  But he faces some tough challenges, including a $900 million budget hole, a Supreme Court ruling that requires full funding for basic K-12 education and a possible rebellion by conservative Democrats.  David Hyde sits down with State Senator Ed Murray and asks, What's next? 

The US Senate just isn't what it used to be. Political insider Ira Shapiro longs for the 1960s and 1970s, where lawmakers passed landmark civil rights legislation, debated the Vietnam War and held Nixon accountable for Watergate. Shapiro's book, "The Last Great Senate," chronicles those golden years and provides a vision for the future. He spoke at Town Hall on September 24, 2012.
 

Although the governor’s race is receiving the most press coverage this year, it’s not the only battle for control of state government.  Republicans think they have a chance to win control of the state Senate for the first time in a decade. Democrats also hope to increase their majority. 

Chris Grygiel, the Washington state news editor for the Associated Press, joins us with an inside look at how the parties are stacking up.