It doesn’t take long for the Washington Policy Center’s David Boze to explain how Governor Jay Inslee has abused the state’s emergency powers rules, to demonstrate why the laws need to be reformed. It is well understood that it is necessary for any state’s chief executive to have the power to act quickly during an emergency. However, Washington is one of only four states in the country where the governor is allowed to impose one-man rule for an extended period of time (today marks day 607 for Boss Inslee).  It is also well understood, at least outside of Olympia, that once the initial emergency passes, it is the job of the people’s representatives in the legislature to publicly debate and enact legislation, while the governor’s job is to implement and enforce the laws.  The Inslee Administration’s suppression of viewpoints is a major contributor to why our state has lagged well-behind other states in responding to COVID and why we were the 48^th state to reopen its economy. (Puget Sound Business Journal)

In a surprising development, it was announced that the Senate’s State Government & Elections Committee has scheduled some time to discuss the state’s Emergency Powers laws during its November 16^th work session. This is only the second time the Democrats controlling the state legislature have allowed this important issue to even be discussed (let alone be voted on). The only other time was during the 2021 “virtual session”, on a bi-partisan bill which would limit the length of the time governors can act without legislative oversight (like nearly all other states). This same committee allowed just one hour of testimony (despite more than 1,600 people signing up to provide their views) on the bill..

You may not recall that during the January 20^th hearing, held at the same time as President Biden’s inauguration to minimize attendance and attention, committee Chair Senator Sam Hunt (D – Olympia) went out of his way to demonstrate his party’s respect for the will of the public. Senator Hunt followed the orders given to him by party bosses to run a tight meeting, and proceeded to terminate people’s testimony at exactly one minute, even if they were in the middle of a sentence. (WPC Center for Government Reform Facebook post, Washington Legislature Bill Summary, and Shift)

Washington State Attorney General Bob Ferguson doesn’t like that private prison systems are able to run corrections institutions more efficiently than state-run facilities, so he decided to sue them – twice.  AG Ferguson failed to convince a first jury that there was a problem with the GEO Corporation paying federal inmates a dollar a day to perform tasks such as cleaning and cooking. So then the AG found a second jury which agreed with his pro-criminal views, and ruled that the Northwest Detention Center in Tacoma must pay the same minimum wage as workers outside the facility receive.  Does this mean that, like workers who are earning minimum wage while not in confinement, will the inmates at the detention center have to pay for their room, clothing, food, utilities, and supplies? What if this amount is more than the minimum wage?  Will the inmates owe GEO Corporation the difference? Will the federal prisoners become subject to all the taxes which Washington State’s outside workers are forced to pay, such as the state’s soon-to-be-increasing Family and Medical Leave payroll tax and the soon-to-be-enforced Long-Term-Care insurance payroll tax? (AP/KIRO7 News)

Geekwire is running a series of articles detailing how Seattle’s anti-business environment is providing huge economic benefits to Bellevue.  Not only has Amazon decided to escape as much as (and as quickly as) possible from Seattle’s liberal utopia of homeless encampments, open drug markets, increasing crime, and crazy city leaders who thrive on publicly attacking employers and major taxpayers, but many other hi-tech firms have also decided that their best option is to expand or open their businesses on the Eastside.  As one hi-tech CEO stated, “We won’t ever consider moving our headquarters to Seattle.  Why would you?” Why indeed. (Geekwire)

KTTH host Jason Rantz is reminding voters that Seattle City Councilmember Teresa Mosqueda said that a protestor’s screaming rant for police officers to kill themselves was “justified.”  Councilmember Mosqueda was filming herself during the 2020 violent riots taking place on Seattle’s Capitol Hill, when a nearby protestor yelled, “SPD, I need you to do me a favor. Take your guns, put them onto your chins, and pull the trigger. I need you to kill yourselves. That’s your only redemption. Go ahead, save us the trouble of tearing you apart and f —-ing kill yourselves.”  Councilmember Mosqueda was looking straight at the man as he was yelling those words.  She chose not to confront the violent and vulgar language, but instead said “The anger that you hear is justified.”

Mosqueda is up for re-election this year, and of the four citywide races (mayor, city attorney, and two at-large council races), her contest against small business owner Ken Wilson is receiving the least attention. Despite Councilmember Mosqueda’s nearly 3-to-1 fundraising advantage (she is heavily financed by the Democrat establishment), polls show Wilson still has a legitimate shot to oust the radical city councilmember. Maybe that would get the media’s attention. (MyNorthwest and Washington State Public Disclosure Commission)

In the latest example of data actually disproving liberals’ arguments – such as the Left’s oft-repeated claim that young people are becoming more active and “voting for their futures” — the data from ballots returned so far in King County actually reveals a much different picture.  It appears most of the young people don’t believe this election is worth participating in (or are waiting until election day to make up their minds). There has been 15 times more returned ballots from those over the age of 65 than there has been from those between 18 – 24, with less than a week to election day.  (King County Elections data)

A homeless encampment along Olympia’s Deschutes Parkway is the source for a growing number of violent crimes. The area, in the shadows of the Washington State Capitol Building, was once a favorite place for joggers and walkers, but is now the location of a large homeless encampment.  Three times in the past three weeks law enforcement was forced to seal off the street due to murders and attempted murders.  When asked what the city will do to protect those who continue to use the nearby walking/running trail, a city spokesperson gave the non-committal response, “We’ll continue to monitor what we can do to make it safer for everybody.” (NW News Network)

The Washington State Hospitality Association said that some King County restaurants have lost up to 50% of their business since the county’s vaccine mandate went into effect.  Restaurants and bars are now required to check for proof of vaccine or a negative COVID test in the previous 72 hours before serving customers.  There are also reports that some South King County establishments have been told their customers have decided to take their business to Pierce County.  (KOMO News)

Congratulations to KOMO’s Eric Johnson, Darrin Tegman, Doug Pigsley, and Joan Kinsey for receiving the Best Feature Story at the Edward R. Murrow Awards in New York City last night. The team won the award for their segment “The Boy Who Loved Cars,” which tells the story of Anthony Schmidt, a young man who has autism and crafts excellent photographs of model cars.  (Facebook and YouTube)

The Moses Lake City Council voted 4-3 to support an agreement with three firefighters who were previously separated from their jobs due to the state’s vaccine mandate, and each will be allowed to return to work.  The three will be required to accept conditions on their employment.  They must agree to a daily COVID test, wear an N95 mask at all times (accept when eating or drinking), must eat and sleep in separate rooms from other firefighters, and they may not provide emergency aid. The firefighters’ union must approve of the agreement. (iFIBER One)

Liberal journalists (such as the Spokesman-Review’s Shawn Vestal) like to cherry pick the laws they demand be enforced.  While writing that the state needed to “stick to their guns” to fire former Washington State University Football Coach Nick Rolovich for violating Governor Jay Inslee’s vaccine mandate, the columnist failed to express the same sentiment for the liberal rioters who violently took over portions of Seattle in 2020.  Vestal goes on to basically blame Rolovich for all of society’s ills, without understanding the coach has the same constitutional rights as the rest of us, and that he is allowed to make his own medical decisions.  (Click to read full Shift Article)

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