Republicans in the state Senate announced their intention to drop 17 bills they say would ultimately help reduce homelessness in the state. The proposed reforms include changes to the Growth Management Act, tiny house regulations, property tax reforms, and more. Sen. Hans Zeiger (R-Puyallup) also spoke of reforming DSHS and providing job opportunities through community programs. “Poverty is, ultimately, not a resources issue,” Zeiger said. “It’s a relationships issue.” (Washington State Wire)

Chris Rufo chose to jump into the race for Seattle City Council to introduce a new vision for the city. Because he was bold enough to propose different ideas to solve the homelessness crisis, “tolerant” Seattle activists threatened his family, tried to get his wife fired from Microsoft, and more. Now he’s terminating his campaign. In an email to supporters Rufo wrote, “They’ve even posted hateful comments on our 8-year-old son’s school Facebook page.” Rufo rightly chose to put his family’s safety first. “But my primary responsibility is to make sure my family is healthy, happy, and safe. That’s not possible in our current political climate, which has been overtaken by polarization and the ever-present threat of violence.” Councilmember Mike O’Brien, who Rufo planned to challenge, condemned the threats. (My Ballard)

The Seattle City Council voted to ratify the city’s new contract with the Seattle Police Officers Guild. “Today we move forward,” Mayor Jenny Durkan said at a news conference after the vote. The contract faced opposition from the Community Police Commission, 24 community groups, and the Seattle King County NAACP. Councilmember Kshama Sawant, who vehemently opposed the new contract, was the lone no vote. (Seattle Times)

The Yakima County Courthouse is expected to reopen today following a small fire Tuesday morning. Yakima County Commissioner Mike Leita said the closure was to keep people from any smoke or toxic smell left by the fire. The conflagration (yes, we bought a thesaurus) was sparked by a worker’s cutting torch as a crew is working to remove the old county jail that abuts the courthouse. (Yakima Herald-Republic)

The youths at Whitman College sure did show Big Oil! Whitman College’s board of trustees will begin reducing the school’s investments in fossil fuels as part of a commitment to environmental sustainability. If forgoing higher returns that could have been used for scholarships and student services to make a useless political statement seems like a bad idea to you, then consider yourself part of the rational thinking crowd. The decision, college officials said, reflects a belief that global climate change presents an unusual threat to the well-being of the Whitman community and the world. (Walla Walla Union-Bulletin)

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