This week’s Newsmaker Interview is with King County Councilmember Reagan Dunn, who has been at the forefront of the region’s response to the coronavirus outbreak. Dunn shares with us his thoughts about King County being the initial national COVID-19 outbreak location and how we can recover from this sudden attack on our economy.  The councilmember also shares his thoughts about his Family Reunification program, which helps homeless individuals return to their families. (Shift)

In a 5-4 decision, the liberal members of the Washington State Supreme Court barely rejected a motion to allow murderers and rapists to be set free from our state’s prisons.  The shockingly close ruling was in response to an emergency petition filed by Columbia Legal Services (which is supported by taxpayer dollars) to release thousands of prisoners from the state’s 12 prisons due to a few infected prisoners at the Monroe Corrections Complex.  The court’s narrow decision has rightfully made many people realize how out-of-touch and extreme Washington’s highest court has become. (Seattle Times)

It has taken Governor Jay Inslee five weeks to reverse his inconsistent decision to deny commercial construction workers the ability to work (while he allowed government-funded construction projects to continue). Inslee’s initial emergency orders to shut down private construction operations (the only state west of the Mississippi to do so) has unnecessarily cost Washington workers over $500,000,000 in lost wages. In defending the needlessly long time it took to allow privately employed workers to be treated the same as government paid workers, Inslee stated, “We have been working toward this measure for some time and this work has allowed us to create a very comprehensive safety plan because we are thinking of everyone involved in construction.” Does this mean that for the last five weeks the governor allowed government-funded construction projects to operate without a “comprehensive safety plan?”  And we guess we missed the part about him explaining how the “science” he has been following has changed in the last few days to let him take this action. (News Tribune)

Environmentalists’ claims that the state’s air quality has been improved during the shutdown is not backed up by data.  Many extreme climate activists have recently been pushing their agenda by incorrectly stating that what they see as improved air quality proves we need to shut down portions of our economy to save the planet.  Yet data collected over the past month shows there has been no improvement in the Puget Sound region’s air quality during the COVID-19 crisis. (Washington Policy Center)

A state nurses’ union condemns the Inslee Administration for failing to protect workers at Western State Hospital.  Despite being a major financial contributor to Jay Inslee’s political endeavors s (both directly to his campaigns and through “dark money” activities), the Service Employees International Union 1199NW stated it had no confidence in the Inslee administration’s ability to run Western State safely.  Stating that the problems “predate and have been exacerbated by the COVID-19 crisis,” the nurses called on the Inslee Administration to fire many individuals in its hospital management team. Under the Inslee Administration, the hospital lost its federal certification (costing state taxpayers $54 million), staff has been subject to numerous physical assaults, and has recently experienced a coronavirus outbreak, likely caused by the administration failure to follow health guidelines. Of course, the fact that Jay Inslee has ignored his responsibility to fix the problems at the hospital for the last seven years was left out of the press release. (SEIU Healthcare media release)

Boeing has quickly become a national leader for companies providing thorough information to its employees on confirmed coronavirus cases within its workforce.  An updated list is posted daily telling employees where the infected individuals worked.  Other workers who encountered the individual are immediately sent home for a 14-day quarantine. This week Boeing resumed operations on most of its Washington State assembly lines after a four-week shutdown caused by the coronavirus outbreak. (Everett Herald)

West Seattle’s Alki Beach continues to be a location where “significant crowding” has been occurring because individuals fail to follow social distancing guidelines.  The Seattle Parks Department announced it is forced to close the beach’s benches, picnic tables, and shelters to adhere to Governor Inslee’s emergency orders. (Seattle Parks Department Twitter)

Clark County Councilmembers want to have more say on how and when things can return to normal.  While wanting to follow state laws, Republican Councilmember Gary Medvigy believe local officials should have more input in removing the restrictions Governor Inslee has placed on the state.  Council Chair Eileen Quiring stated that because much of the state’s decisions are based primarily on conditions in the Puget Sound region, local officials should be able to provide input on the governor’s decisions. (Vancouver Columbian)

After 80 years in business, the Cottage Inn in Wenatchee is closing its doors due to Washington’s liberal anti-business policies.  Owner Dan Sutton and his wife did not want to close the historic diner, but they felt the state left them no choice.  Sutton said, “Between what our state is doing to small businesses; a 46 percent increase in minimum wage over four years, paid leave, etc. It’s just untenable.” (KPQ Radio)

By a 2-1 vote, Franklin County Commissioners rescinded their previous motion to end recognition of Governor Inslee’s emergency orders. After the commission voted to no longer adhere to the state order and supported “the reopening for all builders and small businesses that want to work,” the county’s legal counsel advised the members their actions would not stand up in court. (YakTriNews)

A Yakima city councilmember has apologized for telling another councilmember to “Shut the f___ up” during a teleconference meeting.  Councilmember Soneya Lund made this comment while interrupting Councilmember Kay Funk during teleconference meeting on Tuesday.  Ironically, the council was debating whether to censure Councilman Jason White for inappropriate statements he made in a previous meeting (council voted 5-2 to reprimand White) (Yakima Herald)

While complaining that Amazon is making a profit delivering much-needed products to people shut in due to the coronavirus outbreak, the selfish and greedy individuals at Tax Amazon demand that the company give them more money. The organization, made up of groups and individuals who profit from big government, sent out an email stating “Amazon needs to pay its fair share” during the coronavirus outbreak by having the city impose a job-killing tax on 700 employers, all but one of which is not Amazon.  The obvious question is: While Amazon has been hiring thousands of suddenly unemployed local individuals, spending millions to support local small businesses, increasing its contribution to local charities (including the Mary’s Place homeless shelter which it houses in its building), providing computers to local low-income students so they can learn at home, donating cleaning products and protection apparel to local medical facilities, and delivering packages to local residents so they don’t risk spreading the virus in grocery stores, what have the individuals at Tax Amazon done to “pay their fair share?”  Our guess is that the Tax Amazon team’s efforts during the COVID-19 outbreak has been limited to using other people’s misfortune as an excuse to try and grab taxpayer money for themselves and their political agenda. (Tax Amazon email)

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