Inslee is already teeing up a Carbon Tax for next year’s Legislature, but a judge just knocked down his overreaching carbon rule that he doesn’t have the authority to impose
Happening in Olympia
Considered by some to be America’s “greenest” governor, Jay Inslee’s career has been devoted to pushing an extreme environmental agenda. In a rush to get a pat on the back from his pal Tom Steyer, Inslee forgot to check whether or not his Clean Air Rule was lawful. Las week a judge said no, it isn’t, ruling Inslee’s Ecology Dept. doesn’t have the authority to enact the rule. (Lens)
Business owners are fed up with L&I’s reporting system. They say the notoriously anti-business agency’s system makes it difficult to request information and to appeal workplace citations. (The Lens)
Washington’s Supreme Court accepted yet another lawsuit challenging the state’s charter schools. The state teachers union lost the first round of the suit in February, but won at the state Supreme Court in a previous case. The Legislature made a fix after that ruling that allowed charter schools to receive state funding again. (The Seattle Times)
Now that Democrats control all the levers of power in Olympia, they’re sure to jam through their extreme liberal agenda. High on their list: Stringent gun regulations. They want state authority over firearms rescinded so cities like Seattle can pass draconian local laws. (MyNorthwest)
Western Washington
Officials with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) say Monday’s derailed Amtrak train was traveling 50 mph over the posted speed limit. Bella Dinh-Zarr with NTSB said the data recorder in the train’s rear locomotive showed the train going 80 mph in a 30 mph zone when it derailed. She added that it is too early to tell why the train was traveling so fast. (The Seattle Times)
The Port of Seattle selected a former rear admiral and chief financial officer as its next executive director. Stephen Metruck received unanimous support from the commission, which is looking to turn a page after the previous leader was pushed out due to multiple scandals. (The Seattle Times)
If “the first person to say ‘Nazi’ loses”, then State Supt. of Public Instruction Chris Reykdal just lost. Responding to a Washington Post article, Reykdal tweeted, “Please go back and read your history. The rise of Nazi Germany looked exactly like this current administration.” Deep historical analysis this is not, just Trump Derangement Syndrome. (MyNorthwest)
Eastern Washington
Walla Walla County is considering a sales tax increase to raise money for affordable housing. If approved by voters, the top sales tax rate would be 8.8%. (Union Bulletin)
The Dept of Ecology is fining landowners $618,000 for pumping water from the Odessa aquifer. The Moses Lake landowners pumped more than 500 million gallons illegally, the agency says. (MyNorthwest)
Demolition at Hanford has been put on hold after radioactive contamination was found on eight vehicles near the nuclear reservation’s Plutonium Fishing Plant. (Tri-City Herald)
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