Seattleite Nick Hanauer became a billionaire by being one first non-family investors in Amazon, yet now that he has his money, he wants to punish high-tech companies.  Hanauer is the financial backer of many extreme left-wing organizations, including Civic Action.  In its latest email blast, Civic Action says it is supporting Elizabeth Warren in placing major legal restrictions on high-tech companies like Amazon.  The hypocrisy on this is very thick. Since Hanauer has already made his millions, he no longer supports the business model that plopped him into the cozy lap of luxury. (Civic Action email)

Why does Hilary Franz need campaign funds to convince her fellow Democrats that we should fight wildfires?  The State Lands Commissioner must have a pretty low opinion of the legislative Democrats in Olympia, who must not care about wildfires in our state.  At least, that’s what she says in her latest fundraising email, when she suggests that “I’m ready to take this fight into this legislative session, but I’m going to need your help.” (Franz Campaign email)

In an office where the elected official should be above partisan politics, the Washington Democrats continue to promote Secretary of State candidates who have a history of divisive partisan behavior.  In 2016, the Democrats supported Tina Podlodowski to oversee our state’s elections (Podlodowski is so partisan she became the Democrat’s state chair after she lost).  Now they are promoting longtime Democrat activists and elected official Gael Tarleton as their favorite to take on Kim Wyman. Tarleton, who recently authored the new Washington state banking tax, which is likely unconstitutional, was the subject of an ethics investigation for using state facilities and money to promote her campaign for the Seattle Port Commission.  Tarleton claims to have self-reported this complaint, but she did that only after reporters showed her the proof and informed her that they were writing a story on her violation of state election laws. Tarleton is joining Democrat party attorney Jeff Winmill in challenging incumbent Kim Wyman.  (Seattle Times)

Representative Brad Klippert (R-Kennewick) has introduced legislation that will bar school districts from allowing transgendered females from competing against females in some athletic contests.  The bill will “prohibit male students from competing with and against female students in athletic activities with separate classifications for male and female students if the athletic activity is (a) intended for female students; and (b) An individual competition sport.” The bill further states that “’male students’ means students whose assigned sex at birth was male.” (YakTriNews)

Pacific Lutheran University, The Evergreen State College, and Central Washington University are part of trend to eliminate college entrance exams for incoming freshman.  This is due to the belief test scores do not indicate success in college and some believe there is cultural bias in the exams. (Crosscut)

Instead of promoting measures that eliminate the security problems outside the King County Courthouse, the King County Council will spend $600,000 on more security around the building.  This move is in response to the closing of the courthouse’s 3^rd Avenue entrance due to security concerns.  At best, this proposal will simply move the troubles to another block while the drug and crime problems continue due to Seattle and King County policies. (Seattle Times)

The Puget Sound Clean Air Agency has completed its review of Puget Sound Energy’s liquefied natural gas facility at the Port of Tacoma and have determined the construction application should be approved. This is one of two facilities (the other a methanol plant in Cowlitz County) which Governor Jay Inslee reversed his support for while seeking national environmental money to fund his failed presidential campaign. (News Tribune)

In Seattle, where liberals want to deny first amendment rights to anyone who disagrees with them, a Seattle transgender group is attempting to deny a women’s group the right to use Seattle library facilities. The Gender Justice League wants the Seattle library to ban the Women’s Liberation Front from using its meeting space because the group will be discussing “A Feminist Critique of Gender Identity.” (MyNorthwest)

Using innovation instead of government regulation and fees, Microsoft and Ford are developing new approaches to relieve traffic congestion.  Currently bottlenecks occur because drivers use the same routes to go to similar locations.  In attempting to solve Seattle’s congestion, the companies tested computer models that encouraged drivers to travel different routes.  As a result, congestion improved by 73% and travel times were reduced by eight minutes (and thus reducing greenhouse gas emission far more efficiently than most of the “green deal” proposals).  (Medium)

Sea-Tac Airport has become the first American airport to ban facial recognition technology in its terminals.  The Seattle Port Commission voted unanimously to place a moratorium on some biometric technology due to concerns it is intrusive and violates people’s privacy. (Seattle Times)

Lake Stevens City Council unanimously approved the development agreement for a new Costco.  Some residents were concerned about traffic and impact on local small businesses. Costco will now need to apply for building permits prior to the construction of the 160,000 square foot warehouse store. (Everett Herald)

The Spokane City Council voted to take advantage of a new state law that allows it to keep a small portion of the state’s sales tax to support local affordable housing projects.  The questions now for the city is whether to bond the revenue and obtain all the funding immediately or receive the money as it comes in over the next 20 years, and do they want to partner with other local governments to combine resources to fund low income housing. (Spokesman–Review)

The City of Granger voted to ban a local income tax. The city, just to the south of Yakima, became the third city (after Spokane and Spokane Valley) to recently prohibit an income tax. (KIMA-TV)

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