Rumor has it that Governor Inslee is expected to release his next budget proposal on Thursday, December 17^th (he is constitutionally required to submit this by December 20^th).  In the coming days, we will provide some good ideas which we do not expect to be included the governor’s proposed July 2021 – June 2023 budget, and some bad ideas which we unfortunately do expect to be in that proposal. 

We’ll start our budget effort off with an easy one: We do not expect the governor to financially assist parents who have taken over the responsibility and financial burden of educating their children. Washington State school districts receive approximately $16,000 per student from federal, state, and local revenue sources, with currently none of that money going directly to families which are now hosting the school in their homes. Many families have had one parent lose wages to educate their student, while others have hired tutors. Some have enrolled their child in private schools.  Nearly all families have made technological improvements and have bought educational supplies.  Because the Washington Education Association does not support this good proposal to provide direct assistance to parents and families because it does not generate any dues money for the WEA, we do not expect Governor Inslee to include it in his budget. (Washington Policy Center)

As predicted, Governor Inslee has continued not to consult with anyone or rely on actual data, and has extended his original four-week restrictions on business activity for an additional three weeks.  The original order was to have ended this weekend, but it has now been extended throughout the holiday season and into next year, to January 4^th.  The governor also announced a paltry $50 million in additional state aid to businesses and workers impacted by his orders.  The governor failed to provide any data that showed that the businesses that are being closed and/or severely restricted have caused the recent spike in new COVID-19 cases, which nearly all health experts believe has been caused by private gatherings.  (Seattle Times)

Governor Inslee said that the penalty for businesses which refuse to comply with his orders will be “significant.”  While extending the orders on state businesses for an additional three weeks, the governor proclaimed, “The enforcement mechanisms will be significant. We need to have compliance, and we will act accordingly to move toward that.” Sounds a bit tyrannical, especially since the governor would not have as many businesses unwilling to march to his orders if he instead chose to lead by working with members of the legislature and consulted with local elected officials over decisions which dramatically impact their constituents’ lives.  (MyNorthwest and Q13’s The Divide)

Washington State employers have experienced the country’s 3^rd highest rate of business closures due to Jay Inslee and his government-mandated restrictions.  Inslee’s dismal ranking is based on surveys conducted by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and reported by the Washington Research Council.  Some 26.9% of Washington State businesses have been forced to close due to state orders, while the national average is considerably lower, at 18.7%. The surveys also found that 33.4% of Washington businesses had reduced employee hours, which is fifth highest rate in the country.  (Washington Research Council)

Superintendent of Public Instruction (SPI) Chris Reykdal is finally admitting that distance learning is not providing adequate education for our children.  Despite claiming during his recent re-election campaign that the state’s distance learning abilities were sufficient, the overwhelming data of lower participation in online classes and poorer grades has finally forced the evidently slow-learning SPI to come to the realization which most families have known for months. (KOMO News)

Senator Doug Ericksen (R – Ferndale) says that due to Governor Inslee’s orders and the Democrats’ planned rules voters will be limited in their ability to make their voices heard on bills before the 2021 legislature.  Ericksen noted that lobbyists and special interest groups will still have their access, but the Democrats’ restrictions on remote public testimony and legislative debate will be “draconian.” Ericksen said, “there could be no debate or discussion about the legislation that’s being brought forward. I think it’s really a recipe for disaster. But it’s what we’ve seen from Jay Inslee for the past 10 months, and it’s no longer emergencies, it’s martial law in Washington state.” (MyNorthwest)

The Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce filed a lawsuit against the City of Seattle for its recently imposed payroll tax.  A Chamber spokesperson stated, “The Seattle City Council overstepped when they rushed this tax through. By playing fast and loose with its taxing authority, the Council added another headwind to Seattle’s economic recovery.” The Chamber’s press release revealed that 210 of its members have already closed their doors due to government orders during the pandemic. The Chamber noted that while the tax is aimed at larger employers, it will severely impact smaller businesses as well. “Our downtown core, where we had over 300,000 people coming to work and supporting small businesses in the neighborhood every day, is still reeling from the economic shock of the pandemic. This illegal payroll tax threatens to drive out the very jobs that create the revenue the city is hoping to restore.” (Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce news release)

News Alert: Governor Inslee has finally made a statement about Seattle City politics On Monday, the governor released a statement regarding Mayor Jenny Durkan’s announcement that she would not be seeking a second term.  The governor’s statement said, “Jenny has led through tumultuous times and had to make difficult decisions with grace and dignity,” and that he looks “forward to our continued partnership over the coming year.” Yet, while Mayor Durkan was dealing with rioters and having a portion of the city taken over by left-wing extremists last summer, Governor Inslee was no where to be found.  In fact, when he was first publicly asked about the CHAZ/CHOP, the governor was completely clueless.  And it is extremely strange that Inslee calls his and Durkan’s relationship a “partnership”, since the governor (and nearly all other Democrat state officials) failed to come to Durkan’s aid when their fellow Democrats on the Seattle City Council proposed and passed radical cuts to the Seattle Police Department’s budget. The governor chose to remain quiet (while speaking quite loudly about national political issues) and did not publicly support Durkan’s less drastic measures. (Governor Inslee’s Statement and Rebecca Perry Twitter)

Seattle School District Superintendent Denise Juneau announced this afternoon that she will step down in June.  Juneau’s decision came after the district’s school board president said she did not have the votes to renew Juneau’s contract. This is the latest example of a liberal Seattle official unable to obtain support to continue leading a dysfunctional and ineffective government body.  We will have more on this story tomorrow. (Seattle Times)

Whitman College and Walla Walla University plan to return to in-person instruction in January.  Despite the recent increase in COVID-19 cases, both education institutions say they have learned from other schools which have safely held classroom sessions. Whitman will be requiring students to return to school one week prior to the January 25^th start of its spring semester.  Students will be quarantined for that week and during the first week of classes, which will be taught online.  After the two-week isolation, students will be able to attend class in person.  (Walla Walla Union Bulletin)

The Spokane County Commissioners balanced their 2021 budget by delaying the hiring of several employees and pulling money from reserves.  The county will go without hiring 10 positions in the sheriff’s office and seasonal workers in its parks department.  Several other departments will also leave some positions unfilled.  The commissioners also took $2.6 million from reserves to meet next year’s expenditures. (Spokesman-Review)

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