Viva La Cola!

Founded in January 2009, PubliCola is a blog about Seattle written by journalists who are dedicated to non-partisan, original daily reporting that prioritizes a balanced approach to news. Started by longtime local editor and award-winning reporter Josh Feit, PubliCola is the first online-only news site in state history to get media credentials to cover the state capitol.

PubliCola was off and running. In June 2009, PubliCola hired another award-winning journalist, super-sourced Seattle city hall reporter Erica C. Barnett.

People were afraid that blogging would change journalism. Instead, we believe journalism can change blogging. Twenty-first century journalism may look and feel different, and yes Erica isn't afraid to get cranky, but we're committed to making sure online news still delivers independent, reliable, even-keeled coverage. And most of all, we're committed to making sure the coverage sparks honest civic debate.

Bringing you cola for the people, PubliCola is named after Publius Valerius PubliCola, the alias for the authors of the Federalist Papers—the original bloggers.

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The first online-only news site in state history to get media credentials to cover the state capitol and Seattle city hall, PubliCola has been called a “must-read” by the Seattle Post Intelligencer and a hot “New Media Mover and Shaker” by Seattle Magazine—which also cited our own Erica C. Barnett as the city's No. 1 news nerd.

U.S. Senate Passes Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act

News   January 23, 2009 at 1:12 pm Chris Kissel

The Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, which overturns a 2007 Supreme Court Ruling that reinforced a strict 180-day window for filing pay discrimination claims, passed in the Senate at the end of the day yesterday. Both of Washington State’s Democratic Senators voted to pass the bill.

The bill aims to set a fairer deadline for discrimination claims.

Cantwell released a statement reiterating her support for the bill last night, and yesterday Cantwell and Murray voted against a GOP substitute amendment introduced by Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX). No Democrats voted against the final version of the bill, and five Senate Republicans defected to pass the bill 61-36.

Washington State’s delegation to the House voted along party lines when the bill passed there on Jan. 9; five Dems voted for the bill, while Rep. Dave Reichert and the Republicans voted against the bill.