Lt. Governor Cyrus Habib will see a huge pay bump this session with Governor Inslee set to spend most of his time campaigning in Iowa and New Hampshire. Habib becomes acting governor every time Inslee is out of state. “We’re good with the governor, without the governor,” said Sen. Steve Hobbs (D-Lake Stevens). “We’re the legislative branch. We’re not concerned about those things.” What can we expect from Habib’s leadership? Shift tried to answer that question earlier this year. Take a look here. (Shift WA)

“The supply chain that feeds you and your constituents are our farmers, ranchers and food processors. This accuses them of slavery and human trafficking,” said Jim Jesernig with Washington Potato and Onion Association. This was in response to Seattle liberal Sen. Rebecca Saldana’s (D-Seattle) bill that would require Washington farmers and ranchers who supply large retailers would find have to certify to those customers that they are not slavers. The bill was advanced out of committee on a strictly party line vote with all yes votes coming from Democrats. (Capital Press)

Senate Democrats advanced a bill to promise the state will move to 100 percent clean energy from renewable and zero-emission sources some day in the future.  The bill is part of strengthening Inslee’s environmental record before he heads to Iowa to campaign. (Washington State Wire)

U.S. District Court Judge Marsha Pechman dismissed a defamation lawsuit filed against Seattle City Councilmember Kshama Sawant by two Seattle police officers. The defamation suit was brought after Sawant called a 2016 police shooting as a racially motivated “brutal murder.” The officers later included a claim alleging city officials retaliated against them after they sued. (MyNorthwest)

Former Seattle City Councilmember Heidi Wills jumped into the ring to succeed Mike O’Brien after he announced last month he would not run for re-election to represent District 6. She is one of 10 different people who have filed to run. Since leaving the council in 2003, Wills has been running a nonprofit. (KING 5)

Spokane County Commissioners approved the purchase of 231 acre of land south of the Antoine Peak Conservation Area. “This property checked off a lot of the boxes that make a successful Conservation Futures property,” said Paul Knowles, special project manager for the county parks department. The county wants to use the land to provide hiking trails and preserve wildlife habitats. (Spokesman-Review)

The Columbia County Republican Central Committee will meet later today to choose nominees to fill an open seat on the county commission. Nine people have applied to fill the county commission seat that had been held by Norm Passmore, who resigned in January. After the list is narrowed down to three finalists, those names will be sent to county Commissioners who will begin scheduling interviews. (Union-Bulletin)

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