Workers in Washington State can expect to see the state take more of their paychecks starting next year, as the Democrats’ paid family medical leave program has an $8.7 million dollar debt already and lawmakers are being advised to increase the plan’s payroll tax.  An independent consulting firm recommends that the state increase raising the tax nearly 33%, from 0.6% of wages to 0.79%.  The state’s figures (developed by bureaucrats within Governor Jay Inslee’s dysfunctional Employment Security Department) argue that the tax needs to be increased 50% to 0.9%.  When the Democrat-controlled legislature passed the state’s plan/tax (SB 5975) in 2017, taxpayers were promised that a 0.4% tax rate was all that was needed to fund the program.  Just five years later, taxpayers are being told this rate will need to be doubled – or more.

This is not a new development for Democrat wanting to declare they are “first in the nation” to pass something, so they jam through a “let’s make government bigger” boondoggles. While it took the state’s family medical leave tax/plan five years to run such a large deficit, the Democrats’ Long-Term Care tax/plan is already in massive debt, and it has yet to begin.  We can expect to see its initial tax rate of 0.58 to climb considerably in the coming years.

Washington taxpayers, knowing that the tax rate on the state’s latest entitlement program would climb, voted to kill this tax/plan by a 63%-37% margin in a 2019 advisory vote.  Unfortunately for Washington taxpayers, the Democrats chose not to listen to taxpayer concerns. That’s because it is more important for them to pay back the union bosses at the Service Employees International Union for their steady stream of campaign funds, by enacting an expensive state program which generates dues for them since they represent home health care workers. (Seattle Times, Washington Legislature Bill Summary, Center Square, and Ballotpedia)

Governor Jay Inslee’s appointees on the Washington State Building Code Council (WSBCC) are on the verge of passing expensive and inefficient construction regulations which will increase the cost of new homes by a minimum of $24,070, and price 55,000 more Washington families out of the opportunity to become homeowners.  Most of the regulations the WSBCC is currently considering have to do with eliminating natural gas in new homes and forcing contractors to install heat pumps as the primary source for space and water heat.  These regulations will only make worse the housing supply crisis in our state, which many people list as a leading cause for the state’s homelessness crisis. There are also new expensive regulations for those who choose to remodel their current homes.

The Building Industry Association of Washington is seeking people to testify (in-person or virtually) at a public hearing this Friday (October 14) in Olympia or submit written testimony which needs to be provided by 5:00 PM this Friday.  If you believe these new regulations will either impact your business or hamper your ability to purchase a home, you should consider providing your views to the WSBCC this week.  As is the case often with Democrat lawmakers, the legislature has taken themselves out of the decision-making process on these very controversial proposals. Thus this week’s hearings are your final opportunity to make your voice heard. Click on the link for more information on testifying. (BIAW Building Code Briefing and BIAW info on testifying before WSBCC)

The Seattle Times endorsed Federal Way Mayor Jim Ferrell to become the next King County prosecutor In an important race which has surprisingly received very little attention.  Mayor Ferrell has seen firsthand the devastating impact which liberal state and local soft-on-crime policies have had in his South King County community. Prior to his candidacy, Mayor Ferrell had joined with other South King County leaders to argue for a tougher prosecution of criminals, especially those who are repeat offenders.  Mayor Ferrell experience for the position includes having worked as a prosecutor for 15 years prior to becoming mayor.  He is running against Leesa Manion, who has served as current Prosecutor Dan Satterberg’s chief of staff for 15 years and has promised to maintain the incumbent’s liberal policies which she helped to develop and implement. (Seattle Times, Jim Ferrell campaign website, and Leesa Manion campaign website)

Seattle Police Department officers are upset about a new proposal (which evidently the North Seattle Precinct has already adopted) requiring officers let DUI suspects flee, even if they are in a stolen vehicle or have just woken from a drug or alcohol induced “nap.” While the rest of the state is demanding the removal of many liberal restrictions allowing suspects to flee police questioning, the City of Seattle is looking to give suspects even more opportunities to avoid arrest.  Seattle police say they often come across people passed out from drug use while their car is still running.  These new regulations will allow an awakened driver to put his/her car in drive and flee the scene in a drug-induced haze and the officers would have no option to stop them. (MyNorthwest)

A Skagit County farmer will not be prosecuted for killing an elk that was grazing on his property. Sedro Woolley farmer James Hayton accidentally killed an elk that he was trying to scare off his property with gunshot.  Hayden was previously forced to remove all the livestock on his property due to them being infected with the treponeme bacteria which is often carried in the elk’s hooves. He also lost a certificate to sell his hay at a higher price because the disease forced the Washington State Department of Agriculture to declassify his hay as organic.  The elk come down from the hills to eat his crops and ruin his hay bails causing thousands in damages.  Hayton says efforts by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife have not protected his crops or his property. (GoSkagit)

The Seattle Mariners victory over the Toronto Blue Jays in the American League Wild Card Series reminded many local residents of the power of sports and how a successful team can bring people together.  Several social media posts reminded people that it was the work of then-U.S. Senator Slade Gorton that kept the Mariners in Seattle when the team threatened to move to Tampa Bay in 1993.  To the liberal pontificators who often like to put their negative spin on Senator Gorton’s career of accomplishments, we have one simple request – please name one thing which current divisive Democrat U.S. Senators Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell have done in their combined 52 years in office which has united Washington residents as much as what Senator Gorton did when he first convinced Nintendo’s Hiroshi Yamauchi to invest $100 million to help purchase the team, and then convinced Major League Baseball to overcome its reluctance to foreign ownership? We’ll wait. (MyNorthwest, Lisa Carlson Facebook, Post Alley, and Shift)

It appears the wildfire season in Washington was the calmest in a decade and forest practices long championed by tribes and conservative groups have played a significant role.  For many years, liberals have scoffed at the idea of removing brush and downed logs which often fuel wildfires and to allow “controlled burns” to remove other natural fire propellants.  These practices have been used by tribal governments for decades and were adopted by many conservatives and timber groups as a method to reduce fires.  Yet liberals, who claim to be against man disturbing the natural course of forest habitat (which always includes fire, by the way), have opposed such effective forest management practices.  Yet these practices were included in 2021 legislation (HB 1168) which also brought more financial resources to fighting fires. (KUOW/NPR , Washington Policy Center, and Washington Legislature Bill Summary)

Spokane Police Chief Craig Meidl says the large encampment on the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) property has cost the city more than a half million dollars in overtime pay for its police officers.  Chief Meidl said that, over a 56-day period, the Spokane Police Department received 384 calls (averaging almost seven per day) related to the large 500+ resident encampment.  The high volume of criminal activity is one of the primary reasons why the chief sent a letter to WSDOT officials last week which requires the state to outline a plan to end the illegal activity in 10 days or face financial penalties. Spokane County Sheriff Ozzie Knezovich has said his office will remove the encampment starting November 15^th. (Spokesman-Review)

Shift’s Newsmaker interview was with Greg Cheney, a GOP Washington State House of Representatives candidate in the 18^th Legislative District (Clark County).  The Battle Ground attorney and small business owner won a hotly contested primary race between three Republican candidates for the opportunity to face a Democrat opponent in next month’s general election.  It is an open seat following the retirement of Republican Representative Larry Hoff.  Cheney is a Clark County native and he and his wife are the proud parents of two elementary school boys.

In his interview Cheney discussed how the state can reduce crime by “recriminalizing” drugs and allowing the police to pursue suspected criminals.  As a local planning commission member, Cheney described how the state’s liberal energy policies are increasing the cost of new homes and making them unaffordable for first-time buyers. He believes the state should help seniors stay in their homes during retirement by freezing their property taxes.  Cheney has been active in helping those with mental health challenges and believes early intervention is key to helping students struggling after the pandemic. Finally, he provided one of the best presidential biographies ever written (in Shift’s humble opinion) as his favorite book. (Click to read full Newsmaker Interview)

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