Democrat legislators, on behalf of the Washington Education Association, continue to discriminate against students who most need support for their public schools.  Charter schools, which have a higher percentage of minority, immigrant, and low-income students than the state average, are denied by state law from receiving funding that other public schools receive. The union bosses at the WEA continues to hamper the educational needs of thousands of students by demanding that Democrat lawmakers kill legislation that would treat charter students equally. (SHIFT)

Governor Jay Inslee released a statement (is he in the state this week?) saying he supports legislation that will remove the 40% B&O tax reduction he and previous Democrat governors have given to Boeing.  The company requested the reduction due to a trade dispute it has with the European Union. Inslee failed to repeat his previously nationally televised derogatory comments about Boeing, when he called the state’s largest private employer “muggers” and “blackmailers” for asking the state to help make them competitive against Airbus and its European Union subsidies. Inslee made these insulting comments during his failed presidential campaign, when he felt equating Boeing to felons would help him appeal to the Bernie Sanders crowd dominating the Democrat race and their socialist anger against major employers.  (Inslee Statement and KUOW)

Senate Democrats failed to pass Senator Patty Kuderer’s (D-Bellevue) bill to return voting privileges to felons who have not completed their sentences.  Victim’s rights groups strongly opposed the bill (SB 6228) that restored felons’ voting rights before they had completed their community service or made financial restitutions to victims.  Senator Manka Dhingra (D-Redmond) certainly wasn’t representing her suburban district when she sided with felons and supported the bill that would have restored the voting rights of felons like the recent downtown Seattle shooters (both had yet to perform the community service they had been sentenced to from previous crimes). Dhingra upset many legislators by trying to equate racist Jim Crow laws with Wahsington State laws which require criminals to complete their sentences before being able to vote – evidently her background as a county prosecutor, which she bragged about when running for office, doesn’t mean she thinks criminals should actually complete their sentences before they can vote for people like her. (News Tribune and Seattle Times)

Governor Jay Inslee and State Democrats fail to prioritize state funding to pay for needed ferries to maintain current service levels.  Despite increasing state taxes by over a billion dollars last year, and a robust national economy providing hundreds of millions of dollars in additional revenue to the state’s current budget, Governor Inslee and Democrat legislators have failed to maintain enough ferries to service current ferry runs.  Instead, liberal lawmakers have prioritized rewarding their political contributors in the government employee unions which demand higher pay, more employees, more power, and better gold plated benefits.  These selfish decisions could have a negative economic impact on communities like Anacortes, where many local businesses are dependent on ferry riders. (Skagit Valley Herald, Washington Policy Center, and News Tribune)

Washington Policy Center’s Environmental Director Todd Myers was followed to his car by an obviously deranged individual after Myers testified before the Washington Legislature today. The man who wished Myers would die and suffer because Myers did not agree with the man’s extreme environmental views. This is unacceptable behavior, but it is becoming more common from the narrowminded environmental extremist who are self-righteous in their beliefs. Here is the link to Myers’ fact-based testimony that upset this individual.  (Myers Video and TVW)

Tacoma Mayor Victoria Woodwards continues to support Mike Bloomberg despite the presidential candidate’s past support for “stop-and-frisk” law enforcement policies.  Many extreme liberal activists consider the police procedure to be racist.  Woodwards also strongly denies she is like other mayors who are supporting Bloomberg and received large grants from Bloomberg’s foundation prior to endorsing his campaign. (News Tribune and New York Times)

The bill to allow King County to tax large employers is still alive in Olympia.  After a legislative deadline on Wednesday, a “replacement bill” was introduced that has kept negotiations continuing between King County, the City of Seattle, and local employers.  Many believe the final version of the bill will allow King County to impose a tax on companies with employees making more than $150,000 a year, but would ban future corporate taxes (like Seattle Councilmember Kshama Sawant’s latest “Tax Amazon” proposal).  (MyNorthwest and City of Seattle Council Connection)

Yakima citizens continue to debate whether to switch their city government to an “elected strong mayor” structure or remain with a city manager format.  The city council planned to place the question on the February ballot, but pulled the measure after being threatened by lawsuits.  Currently, there are some individuals who are considering filing an initiative to place the idea before the voters. (Yakima Herald)

Fruit Growers believe they are under attack from environmental extremist who have been successful in passing legislation in the Washington State Senate that bans a necessary tool in fighting pests who threaten their crops.  The growers contend there is no scientific evidence that chlorpyrifos causes harm to humans or bees.  After passing in the Senate, the bill (SB 6518) now moves to the House. (Washington AG News and Washington Legislative Bill Summary)

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