Senator Marko Liias (D -Edmonds) is receiving serious condemnation for his likely unconstitutional proposal to place a tax on fuel refined in Washington State before it is exported to neighboring states. The senator, in a radio interview with KVI’s John Carlson, made the waters even muddier for himself by responding to the criticism his ideas are receiving with personal attacks. Such unprofessional behavior will likely only increase the tensions between Washington and its neighbors. Already legislators in Alaska, Idaho, and Oregon have responded to the “Liias tax” bill by proposing retaliatory taxes on items they send to Washington State.

Senator Liias, who is the new Chair of the Senate’s Transportation Committee (promoted after Senator Steve Hobbs was appointed Secretary of State) was on the Carlson show this morning attempting to defend his plan. The senator was questioned about the concerns which Oregon’s Democrat Governor Kate Brown has with his tax, Senator Liias decided to act like a contestant on a reality game show by responding with a personal attack on Governor Brown.  “The fact that she dare say a word is a joke. This governor down in Oregon is living in Fantasyland.  She is in the last few months of her term.  She is losing relevance.  She is a lame duck.  Obviously, she is grasping for something to stay in the headlines as her successor is being selected.”

This improper outburst will likely increase the tensions between the two states on this issue, and certainly won’t help the delicate negotiations over the funding of a new Columbia River bridge connecting Portland and Vancouver. It is interesting that Governor Jay Inslee has cancelled his press event this afternoon, where he might have been pressed further on this issue, and whether he agrees with Senator Liias about his Democrat gubernatorial colleague.

The $2 billion which Senator Liias is hoping to collect from this unprecedented tax (6 cents on each gallon of gas) will go towards underwriting part of the Democrats’ $17 billion transportation bill.  Billions more are taken from taxpayers through new and increased fees.  On the other hand, Republicans have put forth a transportation-funding mechanism which would remove the need to increase taxes on anyone.  Republicans have suggested that dedicating the sales tax on vehicles sold to the transportation budget (instead of the general fund) would remove the need to increase any tax. (John Carlson interview with Senator Liias and Republican letter to Governor Inslee and Democrat Leadership on Transportation funding)

Former Washington State Attorney General Rob McKenna said that if the 6-cent-a-gallon tax is implemented, neighboring states will take Washington to federal court, where he predicts the other states will succeed.  In an interview on KIRO radio, the former two-term Republican AG said, “It is striking that this (imposing a tax on fuel exported to another state) has not been done before.  I think, partly, it’s because there’s a good argument that it’s not constitutional, but also partly because states shouldn’t try to start trade wars with each other.” McKenna stated he expects the other states will win in court. “I think the state of Washington will lose in federal district court and trial court, and then I think they’ll lose in the Ninth Circuit. There is a lot of case law around the commerce clause, and looking at the facts here, it looks like a pretty strong case for Alaska, Idaho, and Oregon when they bring (a lawsuit), and I think they will.” (KIRO Radio)

Legislative Democrats continue to ignore the public’s desire for meaningful reform of the governor’s emergency authority.  At Monday’s House Committee on State Government and Tribal Relations public hearing on the Democrats’ fake reform bill (SB 5909), an overwhelming 744 Washington residents stated they were against the bill, while only 53 registered their support for the measure.  Jason Mercier of the Washington Policy Center stated in a radio interview that the public is becoming aware that “SB 5909 is emergency powers (reform) in name only.  It is a fake reform.”  Despite the overwhelming public desire to place real time limits on the governor’s emergency powers, yesterday the Democrats carried their arrogance over from Monday’s hearing by rejecting numerous Republican amendments to SB 5909 which would have done exactly that.  The committee then passed the legislation along party lines, and it likely will soon be jammed through the full chamber on another party line vote. (Washington Legislature Bill Summary, Sign-in data for SB 5909 public hearing, and Jason Mercier on Lars Larson show)

A new study that was commissioned by the 2021 Washington State Legislature reveals that “Washington state has the fewest number of housing units per household of any state in the country.”  The study was written by ECONorthwest and asserts that, “Housing production hasn’t kept pace with population or job growth, triggering persistent affordability and homelessness crises.”  Much of the state’s housing affordability crisis is directly related to liberal environmental and energy regulations placed on home construction over the last several decades, and especially during Jay Inslee’s reign. While Governor Inslee and his fellow Democrats continue to throw tax dollars at ineffective homeless programs, which only increase the size and cost of government, their heavy-handed environmental policies continue to keep housing unaffordable for many lower-income individuals.

The major recommendations of the study are that the state needs to streamline the permitting process, incentivize construction of affordable housing, and eliminate exclusionary zoning. Unfortunately these recommendations will be ignored by the Democrats who control Olympia, as it is more important for them to please their wealthy environmental contributors then it is to solve to the state’s affordable housing crisis. (Washington Business Competitive Study)

The Seattle Times’ Danny Westneat asserts that legislative Democrats are proving their critics right by not providing a tax break to Washington residents despite an unexpected $15 billion in revenue surplus.  Instead of returning a little of the tax money already taken but not needed or planned on, the Democrats have proposed to provide state employees with yet another pay raise (and lump sum bonus) and on items which permanently make state government larger and more expensive.  Westneat points out that in other states with revenue surpluses, the political leaders (both Republican and Democrat) have provided serious tax breaks or rebates to their residents.  Yet in Washington, the Democrat lawmakers have only offered taxpayers “free parking passes at state parks.”

Westneat did though fall victim to believing the campaign gimmick authored by Democrat Senators Mona Das (Kent) and Patty Kuderer (Bellevue), a phony bill to reduce the state’s sales tax by 1%. It is obvious this was an election year ploy by the two suburban King County Democrats (both up for re-election in 2022), since despite their collective political clout, there has been no movement, or even a necessary public hearing, on their phony tax break bill. (Seattle Times)

A new report from the Washington Policy Center reveals that Democrats in the Washington State House of Representatives have chosen politics over science in how to increase the Puget Sound Chinook salmon population.  The senate’s supplemental budget offer $85 million in state funding for multiple projects which can improve salmon habitat, on top of $50 million to restore the Duckabush estuary on the Olympic Peninsula.  Yet the Democrats in the House have chosen to spend $50 million only on increasing the buffers around rivers and streams in rural areas of the state.  Thus while the senate’s budget targets money on multiple methods to increase the salmon population, the Democrats in the House appear to be more concerned with revising the plan focused on streams proposed by wealthy environmental groups (which was the centerpiece of the faulty HB 1838).   Readers will remember this is the legislation written in secret between Governor Inslee and environmental groups, which would have cost Washington farmers hundreds of thousands of acres of farmlands. Fortunately that bill died in committee due to overwhelming opposition. (Washington Policy Center and Washington Legislature Bill Summary)

Vaccine mandates are adding to the staffing shortages at both the Seattle Police Department and the King County Sheriff’s Office.  While crime rates continue to rise, both departments are currently well understaffed.  Interim Seattle Police Chief Adrian Diaz blames the vaccine mandate for why 20 more police officers left the department in January.  This is on top of the approximately 330 officers who have left the department during the past 18 months due to lack of support from elected public officials.

King County Councilmember Reagan Dunn was critical of King County Executive Dow Constantine’s policy of firing those who have not been vaccinated. “I’m calling on the county executive to stop terminating our King County Sheriff’s deputies for their unwillingness to get the COVID-19 vaccine,” he said. “There are religious and medical exemptions that are almost never granted, and so the county executive has now fired 40 King County deputies, another 10 are on the chopping block immediately, leaving a total number of vacancies the King County Sheriff’s Office at 106.  I think it’s time to revisit the policy of terminating sheriff’s deputies given the fact that the pandemic infection rate is way, way down.” And crime is way, way up. (MyNorthwest)

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