After Governor Jay Inslee and the Democrat legislature gave Washington tribes the lucrative monopoly on sports gambling, tribal leaders are flexing their political muscle making demands over the Skagit River dams which power the City of Seattle.  The 350-member Suak-Suiattle tribe is demanding that Seattle City Light spend millions to add fish ladders to dams and increase utility rates to Seattle residents to pay for them. Failing to do this, the tribes demand that the city change its name to not discredit its namesake Chief Seattle. The situation is ironic, for liberal Seattle politicians have been demanding the destruction of Snake River dams (where fish runs have been steadily increasing) for years, yet they are now balking when the same demand is being thrust upon them. (Click to read full Shift Article)

It is now official that nearly all 2022 legislative session activities will again be conducted remotely, as the Democrats demand privacy (behind closed doors) and have unilaterally decided to severely limit in-person participation by both legislators and the public.  Previously the House of Representatives was going to allow some public participation in the process, but the Democrats (without any input from Republican members) met behind closed doors and decided to return most of the restrictions which were in place during the 2021 legislative session, because it’s much easier to pass favors for your friends when no one is watching.  The Washington Policy Center has provided a useful guide for members of the public who want to try and keep track of legislative activity without being allowed on the Capitol grounds or wish to testify remotely before committees (though that’s a joke when ). (Washington Policy Center,  Seattle Times, and Shift)

Enrollment in Washington State public schools has declined, yet Democrat lawmakers want to keep Washington residents paying the same level of taxes as if the state was still providing the same number of students with a public education.  Prior to the pandemic, approximately one million students were enrolled in the state’s K-12 school system. Yet because the state was unprepared for remote learning, and because teachers’ unions placed unreasonable demands on districts seeking to return to in-person instruction last year, tens of thousands of families pulled their children out of public schools and placed them in either private schools or in homeschooling programs.  Many students returned when in-person classes were offered again, yet enrollment in state schools is currently down 50,000 students compared to pre-pandemic levels. And since school district funding is based on enrollment, many labor bosses are nervous that reduced revenues will result in reduced staff levels (and thus fewer union members paying dues, which reduces the amount unions can give to Democrat legislators for campaigns).

To alleviate the concerns of the union bosses, Democrat Chair of the Senate’s Early Learning and K-12 Education Committee Senator Lisa Wellman (Mercer Island) and Senate Democrat Caucus Chair Senator Bob Hasegawa (Beacon Hill) introduced legislation (SB 5563) which would make the state keep paying the same high level of school district revenue as if enrollment had not seriously declined.  Thus the Democrats believe taxpayers should still pay for services the state is no longer providing, all because union officials don’t want to receive less dues money (and neither do Democrat politicians). (Washington State Legislature Bill Summary)

The president of the Association of Washington Business (AWB) writes that state lawmakers should reduce taxes and replenish money stolen from the state’s “rainy day fund”, utilizing the $8.6 billion in unexpected tax revenue the state is currently receiving.  While Governor Inslee and Democrat lawmakers want to use the unexpected funds to launch new expensive state programs which they will raise taxes for later, AWB’s Kris Johnson writes in a Centralia Chronicle op-ed that Washington State taxpayers deserve a break. This is especially true after the Democrats raised 22 taxes during the past three legislative sessions and the state budget has doubled in size during the nine years Governor Inslee has been in office.  Johnson also stated that last year, when many businesses were still struggling, the Democrats ignored their concerns and implemented an unconstitutional state income tax on capital gains, a carbon tax, and expensive fuels standard “that will make it more expensive to live and do business in Washington.” (Centralia Chronicle)

(Breaking News) This afternoon the liberals on the Whatcom County Council delayed the selection process for the appointment of a replacement for Republican State Senator Doug Ericksen, who died last month.  Last week, the Republican precinct committee officers of the 42^nd Legislative District nominated three individuals (Whatcom County Councilmember Ben Elenbaas, police officer Tawsha Dykstra Thompson and Simon Sefzik) to succeed Ericksen in the Senate and forwarded the list to the county council for the final selection.  Yet at the special meeting convened this afternoon by the council, liberal members delayed the process for at least a week, by making each of the three nominees answer questions the councilmembers have drafted.

The rational members of the council said this would force the new senator to miss the opening days of the session and could be detrimental to the many households which suffered severe damage during last month’s flooding in the county.  But the Council’s Bellingham liberals are more interested in scoring political points than in seeing that the people of the mostly-rural 42^nd District are represented. The council members voted 4 – 2 (Councilmember Elenbaas recused himself due to being a nominee) to delay the process and deny the people of their county representation in the State Senate. The liberals have scheduled another special meeting next Tuesday, after the legislative session has started, to again discuss a replacement. (Bellingham Herald)

New Seattle City Councilmember Sara Nelson is the first person on the council to have substantial small business experience in more than a decade.  While the Seattle City Council is still dominated by community organizers, former government bureaucrats, and others who have little or no experience in the private sector, Councilmember Nelson brings some diversity to the ultra-liberal homogeneity that has dominated the city’s political structure. This liberal uniformity has taken the once “most livable city in America” and made it into a wasteland of failed liberal experiments on homelessness, public safety, drugs, housing, climate change, and government efficiency. Councilmember Nelson stated, “I’m really focused on what more can we do to support the job creators and the needs of our neighborhoods.” This is an unusual statement coming from Seattle City Hall, where elected officials usually view businesses as funding sources that pay for the latest ill-conceived liberal policies to increase the size and cost of city government. (Seattle Times)

During his public swearing in ceremony this morning at city hall, new Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell stated his vision of “one Seattle” during his speech.  Like the many liberal officials before him who have come to office this century, Mayor Harrell promised to do something about the city’s homelessness crisis.  And like all liberal politicians before him, the new mayor said he is working with other liberal officials and bureaucrats to come up with a plan (which will likely be expensive) which he will present in the next few months.  Evidently it doesn’t bother Mayor Harrell that he is seeking advice form the same officials and bureaucrats who caused the problem and whose policies have made it worse in recent years.  While the mayor talks about “one Seattle,” maybe he should expand his universe and accept ideas on homelessness from those who don’t financially benefit from having people suffer a miserable existence on the streets. (MyNorthwest)

Local officials in Southeastern Washington are asking the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) to extend the cougar hunting season in order to help the local elk population.  A study cited by the Asotin County Council reveals that just 10 of the 125 collared elk calves survived the past six months, which the council stated was “beyond alarming.”  In a letter to the WDFW director, councilmembers stated that a new plan needs to be developed to protect the elk and that a “simple and prudent” first step would be extending the cougar hunting season to March 31^st. (Lewiston Tribune)

Incredibly, Democrat Representative Tarra Simmons (Bremerton) has introduced legislation to reduce penalties for those convicted for drive-by shootings.  Evidently some Democrat lawmakers believe their disastrous 2021 “police reform” package did not go far enough in making Washington State a more comfortable place to be a criminal.  Representative Simmons (and the bill’s co-sponsor, Representative David Hackney  from Seattle) apparently care little for the views of law enforcement groups, community organizations, and newspaper editorialists, which have all called for the legislature to revise the liberal measures passed last year allowing criminals to avoid arrest and coddling criminals with softer penalties.  This new bill is being heavily criticized by victims’ rights groups and the sponsors are being questioned for being clueless to the fact that violent crime rates in the state are skyrocketing. (Click to read full Shift Article)

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