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A top state House Democrat admitted that his fellow party members have no interest in acting on I-1366 by giving voters a chance to enact a 2/3 rule via a constitutional amendment. Rather, they prefer ignoring voters’ will and “taking the hit on the sales tax.” In other news, an energy expert warns that Jay … Continued
Team – Last week, the 2016 legislative session officially kicked off. And, as we predicted, Democrat lawmakers are already pushing for a state income tax. It took less than one week for Democrats to begin reintroducing their various state income tax proposals. Of course, Democrats’ actions came as no real surprise. They are doing what … Continued
Today, Shift pokes a bit of fun at Democrat lawmakers who—less than one week into the 2016 legislative session—have lined up to reintroduce their various state income tax bills. In other news, Bertha is—once again—stalled, while the 520 bridge is scheduled to open this spring… late and over budget. Finally, if you’re looking to make … Continued
The pomp and circumstance of the legislature’s opening days is transitioning into the daily grind of hearings, press conferences, and Jay Inslee’s re-election campaign maneuverings, as we move toward the end of the first week. Shift today looked at Inslee’s endorsement of the labor-backed initiative to raise the minimum wage to $13.50 – because having … Continued
It’s obvious – I-405’s new tolling lanes are a mess. The commute-time tolls are eye-popping for many motorists. Even worse, despite adding a new toll lane in each direction, commute times for drivers in the regular lanes have actually increased. Seemingly only WSDOT itself can’t admit the new system is a failure. Shift looks at … Continued
When Gov. Jay Inslee gave his State of the State address today, he delivered it in a House chamber that’s more closely split than any since 2002. After racking up a big majority, Speaker Frank Chopp has watched as Republicans have consistently added to their ranks. Chopp and the Democrats are down to a bare … Continued
Washington’s legislature convened today, and as it has been eloquently put before, “No man’s life, liberty, or property are safe while the legislature is in session.” Shift previews what Democrats have in store for us this year. Thankfully, while the House and governor’s office are in Democrat hands, the Senate isn’t – and that House … Continued
Team – Last week, we looked at the top issues lawmakers will have to address during the 2016 legislative session – which starts today. From energy-price-raising carbon rules to state income tax proposals, we expect Democrats to have quite a few “ideas” that will thankfully go nowhere. Of course, lawmakers will have to deal with the latest … Continued
Shift ends the first full week of January with our fifth-in-the-series legislative previews, and it’s our saddest piece — what will become of scandal-ridden Democrat Auditor Troy Kelley? Perhaps if there was a strong leader in the state’s Democrat Party, that person could convince Kelley that it’s time for him to focus on his legal … Continued
Our legislative session preview continued today with a look at the need for legislation to reverse the State Supreme Court’s misguided declaration that public charter schools are unconstitutional. Several legislators have proposed fixes, and support for charters is bi-partisan in nature, so one would assume that the legislature could actually get this done. That is, … Continued
In our second series on the issues likely to dominate the upcoming legislative session, we consider the Democrats’ approach to Initiative 1366 – and they certainly do not like it when voters make it harder to raise taxes. Beyond this feature, we connect you with a poll showing that voters really do want the legislature … Continued