Updates: Gag Rule, Buy America, Health Care Costs, and I-1033

If this were Twitter, these would be retweets.

Kris Tefft writes at Olympia Business Watch that Oregon is now the first state to pass Employer Gag Rule legislation. The state now has the second worst unemployment rate in the nation, 12.4 percent. Perhaps they're going for No. 1.

Also at OBW, Don Brunell expands on why "Buy America" is bad public policy. Don also writes about a $3.5 trillion cost estimate for Congressional House Democrats proposal for health care reform. Here's the column.

And, back here in the real world, Spokesman-Review reporter Rich Roesler says Tim Eyman is close to qualifying Initiative 1033. Here's how Roesler summarizes the initiative.

I-1033 would cap the growth of state, city and county general-fund taxes, with any dollars over the cap devoted to reducing property taxes.

Good quick reads.