Governor Jay Inslee just signed legislation restoring to convicted felons their right to vote before they have completed serving their court-ordered sentences.  What the court requires, Jay Inslee and legislative Democrats just sweep away if it gets in the way of attracting votes. The Democrats are counting on their radical soft-on-crime and anti-police policies to attract convicted felons to vote for their party’s candidates, so making it easier for them to vote has long been a goal of many Democrat politicians.  Senator Patty Kuderer (D – Bellevue) pushed a similar bad idea during the 2020 legislative session, before her bill (SB 5076) was pulled from the state senate floor because Democrat senators got nervous about giving rapists and murderers the right to vote just before the 2020 elections without completing their sentences.  The Democrats are taking advantage of much less attention being paid to them during the 2021 legislative session (and with many other radical ideas being proposed), and quietly passed HB 1078, to give the right to vote to convicted felons who have been released from prison but who have yet to complete the community service portion of their sentence or who have not paid financial restitution to their victims.  Governor Inslee ignored the concerns of victims-rights organizations who opposed the bill, gushing at the signing ceremony that “I’m glad that in Washington here, we’re expanding our access to democracy.” Yes, expanding access to vote for those who have been found guilty of a crime and have not repaid their debt to society for that crime – that’s Jay Inslee’s idea of democracy. (Seattle Times and Washington Legislature Bill Summary)

While working to soften the sentences of convicted felons (see above story), legislative Democrats continue to cave to thuggish behavior by passing measures that will endanger the safety of law enforcement officers and make it more difficult to disperse violent rioters.  Legislative Democrats passed  HB 1054, which is based on the “defund the police” measures which Seattle City Councilmembers passed while demonstrators were violently taking over portions of the city and attempting mass murder of police personnel.  The bill now awaits Governor Inslee’s signature, who will undoubtedly sign it. We wonder if any of the media present will ask the governor if he is now aware of the violent protests that prompted this legislation (remember the governor claimed he was clueless of these events when they were topping the national news or if he is now aware of the violent group who is behind much of the violence. (KIRO News, Washington Legislature Bill Summary, KOMO News,  Rebecca Perry Twitter, and C-SPAN)

Along with restoring voting rights for convicted felons who have not completed their sentences and imposing Seattle style “defund the police” reform on the rest of the state (see above two stories), the Democrats have passed legislation to release early many of those currently serving life sentences for “Three-Strikes-You’re-Out” convictions.  On an almost straight party line vote (with a few vulnerable Democrats siding with Republicans over this unpopular legislation), legislative Democrats passed SB 5164 to potentially reduce the sentences of 114 of the state’s 277 convicted felons currently serving life sentences for three felony convictions.  In 2019, the Democrats were successful in dropping second-degree robbery from offenses included in the three-strikes category.  The new bill allows judges to retroactively re-sentence those serving life sentences with previous convictions including second degree robbery. The three strikes law was originally approved by Washington State voters in 1993, and was first in the nation. Thus, it has been a repeal target for Democrats ever since then, as it has been effective in removing criminals from the streets. (Seattle Times and Washington Legislature Bill Summary)

Six-term Democrat Washington State Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler is so out of touch with the industry he is supposed to be regulating that he was actually “surprised” that insurance companies are suing to stop his dictatorial “emergency” order forcing them to raise rates on over a million Washington residents.  Commissioner Kreidler was happy to defy the legislative process and used the COVID-19 pandemic as an excuse to issue an emergency order to jam through his long-standing goal of banning insurance companies from using credit scores in determining rates.  As the result of his bad idea, insurance companies would be forced to raise premium rates.  In filing the legal challenge, a spokesperson for an insurance trade association stated, “The Commissioner’s extreme action exceeds his authority, bypasses the legislature, and robs consumers of the benefits of a highly competitive private market.” Responding to the lawsuit, Kreidler said, “I’m frankly surprised.”  Yet the only surprise here is that the 77-year-old career politician was so unprepared for the obvious legal challenge to his questionable use of emergency powers. It is clear Kreidler does not understand the industry which he has been charged with regulating for more than 20 years. (MyNorthwest)

An increase in the boater excise tax is among the pages of unnecessary taxes that legislative Democrats are seeking to impose on Washington residents.  Democrats are looking to double the amount boaters must pay each year in taxes, with the money allegedly going towards the state’s transportation budget, though with these Democrats you suspect it will end up in special-interest pockets.  Obviously, the head of the Recreational Boating Association of Washington is upset with the tax increase, stating it is not fair for the boaters to pay more for transportation projects which do not actually impact water transportation. (KGMI)

With Seattle students finally able to return to in-person instruction (after the Seattle teachers union kept classrooms closed by ignoring scientific data and advice from thousands of public health officials), parent groups have filed recall efforts against the entire Seattle School Board.  In their recall petition the parents include among the charges that the district failed to return students to the classroom despite it being safe to do so, failed to protect student data, and did not hold a public hearing before selling district property. The petition will now be heard by a King County Superior Court judge to determine if the charges are “legally sufficient” to mount a recall effort. (KIRO News)

As construction begins on the first of Amazon’s new towers in Bellevue, the company submitted plans for the second tower the company hopes to soon start on.  Amazon will be bringing 25,000 of its high-paid workers to the Eastside, and they are receiving a far warmer reception from elected officials than the constant greedy attacks they are used to from Seattle’s Left-wing officials.  Bellevue Councilman Conrad Lee said, “Amazon brings — in addition to employment — they bring talent, global talent, throughout the world. And they are in the business that’s going to be the technology of the future.” (MyNorthwest)

Representative Gina Mosbrucker (R – Goldendale) continues in her efforts to assist the Yakima Tribe in solving cases of missing and murdered Native American women.  Previously Representative Mosbrucker passed legislation which provided more attention from state authorities and made available more government resources to solve such cases.  The four-term legislator has recently introduced HB 1571, which will increase awareness of resources women can access if they feel threatened, and to allow traditional ceremonies to take place over found bodies without disturbing crime scenes.  Representative Mosbrucker said she introduced the bill now in hopes of it passing next year, and hopes to work with tribal members and law enforcement to improve the legislation. (KIT Radio and Washington Legislature Bill Summary)

Some Democrat members of Congress are attempting to include Idaho Congressman Mike Simpson’s controversial and hastily crafted $33.5 billion plan to remove the Snake River dams in President Biden’s $2 trillion infrastructure proposal.  The plan has been largely condemned by those closest to the dams, since it will do exceedingly little to restore salmon populations (since most scientists agree ocean conditions are the main culprit behind the decline in fish numbers, not the dams) and will severely impact the region’s economy.  Despite its many flaws, some environmental groups (which are more interested in symbolic victories and fundraising opportunities, rather than actual results) are pushing Democrat lawmakers to include the dam-removal plan in President Biden’s so-called “infrastructure” plan.   Yet, in a nice surprise for many Eastern Washington residents, Senator Maria Cantwell (who rarely visits the East side of the state) has said she doubts Representative Campbell’s bill will be part of the president’s proposal, since she says it is already too controversial. (Spokesman Review)

Democrat Senator Rebecca Saldana of Seattle is the latest liberal legislator to commit legal infractions, which she helped to pass in the legislature.  It is interesting to note that Senator Saldana’s latest approach to legal matters is consistent with her sponsoring legislation to waive suspension of drivers’ licenses for failure to pay fines.  Other Democrat legislators rushed to Senator Saldana’s defense after her infraction became viral on social media, which indicates, like previous “mistakes” by liberal legislators, this one that endangered the lives of the motorists and pedestrians unlucky enough to be near the distracted Senator Saldana and her car, will go unpunished and will be swept under the proverbial rug. (Click to read full article and Twitter)

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