Senate Republican Leader Mark Schoesler (R-Ritzville) said he gave the recent legislative session a 3 out of 10. He added that if it hadn’t been for the progress made on behavioral health care, this year’s legislative session would have been the worst in history. Republicans are frustrated by the billions in additional taxes, despite huge budget surpluses. (Tri-City Herald)

Governor Inslee signed a measure into law earlier this week that makes Washington one of the latest states to become a sanctuary state. “Our state agencies are not immigration enforcement agencies,” Inslee said in an effort to pander to Lefty voters for his presidential campaign. “We will not be complicit in the Trump administration’s depraved efforts to break up hard-working immigrant and refugee families.” (Yakima Herald)

A state auditor’s investigation found that more than 80% of payments made by a King County drainage district for the last seven years were sent to relatives of a district commissioner. About $413,323 spent by the district between 2012 and January this year went to a bank account set up by a son and the wife of former commissioner Allan Thomas. Thomas said he set up the business with his son and directed him to work for the district. (Seattle Times)

“It is getting bad. The area is getting bad. Now, after 3 p.m. … you cannot walk, you’d be scared,” said Hamza Albadan, owner of a small business in Pioneer Square. Albadan said aggressive, drug-abusing street-campers are negatively impacting business and scaring away customers. He recalled a couple of street-campers saying they were from New York. “They say the mayor of New York gave them $400 and a one-way ticket to Seattle,” he recalled. (MyNorthwest)

Kennewick is accepting applications to fill the open seat following the death of Councilmember Steve Young. Position 7, the vacated seat, is up for election this year which means the appointee will have to run for election to maintain the seat. A record 31 applicants filed to fill the last vacant seat left by now State Rep. Matt Boehnke (R-Kennewick). (Tri-City Herald)

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