Labor group Unite Here is selfishly complaining about Marriott Hotel’s Green Choice program, which allows guests to help the environment by declining to have their room cleaned if they stay more than one night. Like nearly all major hotel chains, Marriott provides guests with this environmentally friendly option to save water and electricity.  It is just another example of how the free market is often more effective at addressing climate change than many government-mandated programs.  Unite Here complains that this environmental option is costing hotel workers their jobs.  We look forward to environmental activists and Democrat politicians denouncing the greedy complaints of the hotel workers, for shouldn’t they sacrifice a few hours to protect Greta Thunberg’s future? (The Stand)

Senator Rebecca Saldana (D-Seattle) has proposed yet another progressive attack on the Washington business community with SB 5717.  The bill would require employers to provide 14 days notice of any shift change.  Some workers complain that it is difficult for them to re-arrange their schedule to accommodate the changing labor needs of some employers.  So instead of the workers seeking employment that does fit their personal schedules better, Saldana is demanding that the state dictate the scheduling method of employers. Like many current liberal work-related bills in Olympia, if passed, the results will be many Washington employers moving jobs elsewhere and an immeasurable number of companies won’t consider moving jobs into the state. (News Tribune)

With the looming Friday deadline for bills needing to be voted out of committee to remain alive, it appears proposals to eliminate odd-numbered state elections, prohibit firearms on the Capitol Campus, and imposing Governor Inslee’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard (tax), will not make the cut. Anything can happen in the next couple of days, but it appears there are a few Democrat legislators worried about facing re-election if they support such extreme bills. (Cornfield Report)

Governor Jay Inslee failed to convince his fellow Democrats to follow through on his ban of flavored vaping products.  Inslee’s 120-day ban runs out on Thursday, and the flavored products will be back on the shelves on Friday.  Senator Annette Cleveland (D-Vancouver) said that continuing the ban was not necessary and successfully amended legislation to allow those over 21 to purchase the products. (iFIBER One)

The Puyallup School Board voted to cut administrative staff and to possibly cut education programs due to budgetary constraints.  Like many school districts around the state, this is the result of giving large pay raises to teachers without regard for future budget implications.  In the fall of 2018, Puyallup teachers went on an illegal strike that resulted in a 10% pay raise, which enabled many teachers to make more than $102,000 a year.  It is worth noting that, similar to most media reports about financially damaged school districts around Washington, this News Tribune story failed to mention the negative financial impact that the recent teacher union contract had on the school district. (News Tribune)

In an email from King County Councilmember Reagan Dunn to his supporters, we learn that King County is looking to impose six new taxes on county residents this year.  Along with a possible “head tax,” the county is looking to impose “countywide arts taxes, transit taxes, roads taxes, medical facilities taxes, and environmental conservation taxes.” As Dunn states, “This grasp for dollars highlights the government’s inability to prioritize and live within their means.” (Reagan Dunn’s email to supporters)

Officials lie as the King County Office of Law Enforcement Oversight (OLEO) seeks to protect known foreign criminals from being captured by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). OLEO is posting flyers saying ICE officers are boarding buses and trains looking for illegal immigrants.  An agency spokesperson said, “ICE does not board public transit in order to check the immigration status of patrons on board. Any suggestion to the contrary is irresponsible, speculative and inaccurate.” (MyNorthwest)

In the latest example of liberals not abiding by the wishes of voters, the prosecuting attorneys’ union (Local 270) refused to make its recent negotiations with the City of Spokane public.  Spokane voters overwhelmingly (75%) passed Proposition 1 last November, requiring all city workers’ labor negotiations be made public.  The attorneys’ union used the excuse that its negotiations with the city commenced before the election was certified in late November (Note, talks did begin the day after the election, when it was obvious Proposition 1 was going to pass.) (Spokesman-Review)

Demolition of Hanford’s iconic “Z-Plant” has been completed.  The facility produced approximately 2/3rds of the country’s military plutonium during the Cold War (1949-1989). Contamination of parts of the facility forced a 20-year clean-up before the demolition could be completed. (YakTriNews)

Attempting to raise money off the plight of the homeless, Dow Constantine sent out a fundraising email in which he blames the county’s homeless crisis on “Too much money chasing too few homes.”  Constantine failed to mention that this problem occurred under his watch as county executive, as the number of people living on the streets has boomed since he took office in 2009.  He also fails to mention that his homeless director recently resigned due to the scandal of hiring a Spokane transgendered stripper to perform at a regional homeless conference.  Constantine does say the reasons for the homeless crisis “are varied and complex,” but he takes no responsibility for the crime and drug culture that local elected officials (including Constantine) have created that fuels the problem.  (Constantine fundraising email and Seattle Times)

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