In refuting claims that the voters were misled about the impacts of cuts, Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson defended I-976 in a court briefing that the public was well informed by “countless sources.” The City of Seattle is attempting to block the Initiative from taking effect on December 5^th.  A King County judge will hear the arguments this Tuesday.  (Seattle Times)

The Washington State Superintendent of Public Instruction strangely believes that it is “a slap in the face to Americans who need their paycheck” for an elected official to not accept pay.  Chris Reykdal stated this bizarre belief following Mike Bloomberg proclaiming he won’t accept a paycheck if elected president.  This latest tweet from SPI Reykdal comes after he infamously tweeted on election night that Democrat legislators need to punish counties which supported I-976. (Reykdal’s Twitter Account)

After being arrested for suspicion of driving under the influence, a prosecutor for the Washington State Attorney General’s office initially received special treatment from a Pierce County judge who knew the attorney.  At first Pierce County Superior Judge Frank Cuthbertson denied a trooper’s subpoena request to draw blood from Jason Ruyf after the accused refused a breathalyzer test. The judge excused Ruyf’s slurred speech and red eyes because the judge knew the prosecutor was “a workaholic.”  The judge finally consented to the request.  (MyNorthwest)

Depending on where a customer shops and what liquor they are buying determines whether they are benefiting from having private stores selling hard alcohol instead of state-run facilities.  Accounting for inflation, prices have gone up 8% since grocery and drug stores started selling liquor in Washington in 2013.  Convenience has improved for most customers.  It is difficult to determine if state tax revenue has increased since a new tax structure has been implemented. (KREM)

The City of Bellevue works with religious organizations to determine length and frequency of homeless encampments on their properties.  A new proposal will allow encampments to increase their stay from 90 days to 120 days and frequency will go from once every 18 months to once a year. There are some neighborhood groups which are concerned by an increase in crime which some believe are caused by the encampments. (Seattle Times)

A citizen’s commission is recommending giving the Thurston County Prosecutor a 10.7% pay raise and the Sheriff a 7.0% pay increase.  A 3.8% increase is being proposed for the remaining county elected officials.  The commission’s recommendations will need to be approved by the Board of County Commissioners. (The Olympian)

The Seattle director of the American Jewish Committee asks why Mayor Jenny Durkan doesn’t denounce anti-Semitism as vigorously and as publicly as she does other hate crimes.  Recent attacks on those who follow the Jewish faith has been met with near silence from the mayor.  Regina Sassoon Friedland contends the mayor is more than willing to condemn hate crimes she believes were committed by those on the far right yet does not do the same for hate crimes committed by those on the left. (Seattle Times Op-ed)

The Tri-City Herald has joined the chorus of Eastern Washington voices calling on Governor Inslee to appoint someone from east of the Cascades to serve on the State Supreme Court.  Currently only one of the nine court members comes from the eastern side of Washington.  Inslee must appoint a jurist to replace Mary E. Fairhurst who announced her retirement last month.  The appointee will need to run for re-election in 2020. (Tri-City Herald)

Spokane Mayor-elect Nadine Woodward has taken up office two floors below outgoing mayor David Condon has she leads her transition into the new position.  She is meeting regularly with those who currently possess cabinet-level positions and with job applicants seeking a position in the new administration. (Spokesman-Review)

The Travel Chanel listed Leavenworth as one of the “Ten Best Small Towns to Visit this Christmas.”  The Chelan County community on the eastern ridge of the Cascades is well-known for its Bavarian Alpine theme and weekend Christmas celebrations. (iFIBER One)

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