Washington State Democrats latest email blast says, “WA Dems are leading the way to solve the opioid crisis.”  The Dem’s conveniently forget that it is liberal activists who seek to open heroin injection sites in many communities, stop police from arresting those possessing meth, heroin, and crack, and not prosecuting repeat offenders who steal to support their habits.  Hard to figure out how these policies are “leading the way to solve the opioid crisis.” (Washington State Democrats)

King County’s policy of “Catching & Releasing” criminals involved in property crimes may have resulted in the death of an innocent man on his way to work.  A car theft suspect with 10 arrests in the past two years caused an accident in Burien while driving a stolen vehicle that resulted in the death of a small business owner.  The suspect has five recent convictions, including one last month. (Q-13)

Mayor Jenny Durkan’s City of Seattle budget for 2020 is a 10% increase from the city’s 2019 spending levels.  Durkan said the $6.5 billion budget allows the city to “take our progressive Seattle values and turn them into action.” Besides the previously announced ride-share tax, no new taxes have yet to be specified. (Seattle Times)

During the past five years the City of Puyallup has been forced to spend more money on homeless related lawsuits then it was able to spend on programs that helped the homeless. Since 2014 Puyallup has spent $1.1 million on attorney’s fees (two Seattle firms have received $774,000), settlements, and responding to federal investigations. During the same period the city has spent almost $900,000 on food banks and non-profit services for the homeless. (Puyallup Herald)

Washington state’s failure for not providing timely competency evaluations to mentally ill defendants resulted in a settled lawsuit where the state granted $2 million to local law enforcement. Spokane County Sheriff and Spokane Police will share $700,000 that will go towards additional mental health professionals to work with on-duty law enforcement officers.  (Inlander)

The Grouse Flats wolf pack in southeast Washington has been responsible for four degradations in the past ten months, two in the last 30 days.  The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife determined that lethal removal was not warranted at this time. (Washington AG Network)

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