Pretty much what it’s like to go outside
Happening in Olympia
Gov. Jay Inslee and his trusty sidekick, Attorney General Bob Ferguson, released a statement today on Trump Administration plans to scrap Obama-era energy regulations. “We will not stand by and allow this cynical action to threaten our state,” they wrote. Ferguson will sue, of course. (Washington State Wire)
Western Washington
The Puget Sound Clean Air Agency is telling residents in its area (Snohomish, King, Pierce, and Kitsap) to stay indoors due to the high levels of smoke. “The air quality around the Puget Sound region, Seattle and its suburbs is actually worse than it is over in the eastern part of the state right now,” Andrew Wineke with the Department of Ecology said. “That is not typical for wildfire season.” (My Northwest)
Some sources suggest that both the Seattle Police Department and the King County Sheriff’s Office are close to a major staffing and recruitment crisis. “This is not good news,” said Sergeant Rich O’Neill, vice president of the Seattle Police Officer’s Guild. “What this is now telling us, we’re not even getting the new recruits. This won’t even keep up with normal attrition, which is very alarming.” (My Northwest)
Eastern Washington
Like so many others around the state are threatening to do, teachers in the Yakima school district voted yesterday to strike. Teachers unions throughout Washington are trying to rack up big salary gains this year, before local tax levy rates are lowered next year. The unions hope that the Legislature will feel forced to increase schools funding even higher to cover the negotiated raises. (Yakima Herald-Republic)
The race for the Walla Walla County Clerk’s Office took an interesting turn as incumbent Kathy Martin is set to face Kathy Mulkerin, who was a write-in candidate in the primary. Mulkerin is running as a Democrat while Martin is running as a Republican. (Walla Walla Union-Bulletin)
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