All signs seem to be pointing to Inslee running for President. And now he’s set to have a little money behind his campaign. Allies of Inslee’s created a Super PAC, called Act Now on Climate, to support his 2020 aspirations. “We hope Jay Inslee runs, because he has been the leading champion of solving climate change in the Democratic Party,” Corey Platt, the founder of the group, said. “If he doesn’t, we will continue to work to make sure Democratic presidential candidates make this issue the priority.” (Politico)

State Attorney General Bob Ferguson, normally the one filing the lawsuits, is now being sued by a group that contends he has not adhered to the state’s Public Records Act. Records requests by the group showed Ferguson’s office in some cases failed to provide records, or redacted the records to the point that nearly the entire body of an email was blacked out. “The attorney general in this case is claiming that this relates to attorney work product, it’s reflecting the legal strategy of the state for litigation purposes,” Nelsen said. “There are a number of reasons why that argument does not hold water and does not shield these records from being disclosed.” (MyNorthwest)

The State House voted yesterday to raise the smoking and vaping age to 21 years old. The measure, sponsored by Rep. Paul Harris (R-Vancouver), passed with a bi-partisan 66-30 vote. Washington state would join six other states, including Oregon, who have passed similar measures into law. Critics say the state could lose as much as $3 million per year in tax revenue, but Attorney General Bob Ferguson says the cost savings in health care will more than make up for it. (KIRO 7)

The measles outbreak in Clark County has also come with a hefty price tag as this week the state’s cost eclipsed $1 million. “This is taxpayer money for something that could have been completely, utterly preventable in the first place,” said Alan Melnick, the county’s public health director. As of Tuesday, there were 63 confirmed cases of measles in Clark County and one reported case in King County. (Seattle Times)

Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan and Councilmember Lisa Herbold hope to adopt a “community preference” policy to help deal with the challenges presented by gentrification. The preference would encourage nonprofits using city money to take into account neighborhood ties when selecting occupants instead of a standard lottery system. “Our region’s skyrocketing costs and rents have displaced far too many individuals and families,” Durkan said. (Seattle Times)

The Snohomish City Council passed an ordinance to ban single-use plastic bags beginning in January of 2020, as well as require retailers to charge customers 10 cents per paper bag. Council President Jason Sanders said, “It is the option that best balances and reconciles the economic impacts to the retailers and the consumer, provides substantial benefit to the environment, and provides for a reasonable amount of fairness between the retailer, the consumer and the government.” Liberal lawmakers in Olympia are considering a statewide ban on plastic bags…even though bans like these do nothing to help the environment. But for the Left it’s all about feeling good, not actually doing good. (KING 5)

A state audit discovered the city of Wapato has misappropriated over $300,000 in funds between 2011 and 2017. The state Auditor’s Office investigation determined that accounting practices at the city were not adequate to safeguard public resources. (Yakima Herald)

The Omak man posting threats online towards county sheriffs who have come out in opposition to I-1639 has been arrested. Jordan Ledford had been posting threats on his Facebook profile but stopped abruptly when Spokane County Sheriff Ozzie Knezovich, a recipient of one of the threats, announced that he was investigating them. Ledford was transferred to FBI custody shortly after his arrest. (Spokesman-Review)

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