Shift’s Newsmaker Interview is with Representative Mary Dye (R – Pomeroy) who has represented the 9^th Legislative District (which covers the Southeast corner of the state) since 2015.  She and her husband operate a 3,000-acre wheat farm in Garfield County. The representative is the author of three bills (the “ORCA Plan”) to use money collected from the state’s new “cap-and-trade” program to make “significant investment” in projects which would improve our environment (especially in Puget Sound), reduce the growth of wildfires, and increase maintenance in Washington’s neglected state parks while making them more accessible by eliminating expensive entrance fees.  These are areas Governor Jay Inslee has continued to ignore despite doubling the cost of state government during his time in office.

In her interview, Representative Dye delivers an overview of the ORCA plan and why it should be supported. The Republican lawmaker also provides her thoughts on the Democrats’ latest attack on the agriculture community (HB 1838, the lad-grabbing “buffer zone” proposal), and shares her views on irresponsible liberal efforts to tear down the Snake River dams (in her district), Governor Inslee’s abuse of emergency powers, and the Democrats’ disastrous Long-Term care payroll tax. (Click to read full Newsmaker Interview)

Despite an investigation and report from the (Democrat) State Auditor’s office which clearly stated there was “no evidence of bias in the acceptance or rejection of ballots” during the 2020 elections, liberals immediately ignored the facts to push their political narrative that our election system is full of discrimination.  While we should be celebrating the great work done by former Washington State Secretary of State Kim Wyman and the state’s 39 county election offices for making sure our elections are fair and honest, Washington State Democrat Party Chair Tina Podlodowski is tweeting statements claiming 60 years of discrimination in our state’s elections – which is completely opposite of what the auditor office’s investigation found.  Makes us wonder, if a candidate or elected official repeated Chair Podlodowski’s false statements, would they be fined under Governor Inslee’s ridiculous, and likely unconstitutional, proposal to fine politicians for lying about the election process? (Click to read full Shift Article)

Attorneys in the lawsuit over the constitutionality of the Democrats’ state income tax on capital gains argued today for summary judgement stopping the tax in front of a Douglas County Superior Court judge today.  There was optimism after the hearing from those representing the citizens who have filed the lawsuit against the state.  The judge is expected to make his ruling on items debated within two or three weeks.  Stay tuned… (WPC Center for Government Reform Facebook post)

As expected, insurance groups immediately filed a lawsuit and an administrative challenge against Democrat Washington State Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler’s recent action to prohibit insurance companies from using credit ratings as one of the factors in determining premium amounts for auto, homeowner, and renter insurance holders.  The six-term Commissioner Kreidler’s latest illegal rule was announced earlier this week, is set to go into effect March 4^th, and will stay in place for three years after COVID emergency financial protections are lifted. The rule will result in significant rate increases for many Washington residents, including those on fixed incomes.

The American Property Casualty Insurance Association, the Professional Insurance Agents of Washington, and the Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers of Washington filed the lawsuit in Thurston County Superior Court.  Insurers were successful in a lawsuit last year to stop Commissioner Kreidler when he attempted to use emergency orders to impose a similar ban on the use of credit ratings to determine premium rates.  (AP/OPB and Property/Casualty 360)

Representative Peter Abbarno (R – Centralia) pointed out that Governor Jay Inslee falsely claimed yesterday that the Democrats’ controversial Long-Term care payroll tax and WA Cares program is fixed.  The governor stated, “So the good news coming out of here, it’s (the Long-Term Care payroll tax) been fixed,” and that “It’s a solid program and we look forward to getting it going.”  Representative Abbarno, who introduced HB 1594 to totally repeal the poorly developed new government entitlement program, responded to the governor’s delusional comments by asserting, “The governor’s statement that the WA Cares Payroll Tax Program is fixed ignores the insolvency of the program, marginalizes working families experiencing hardships, and disregards all those families that purchased and continue paying for private plans merely to escape this unpopular program and regressive payroll tax. The mission is not accomplished, despite the governor’s comments.” We wonder if the mainstream media will point out the inaccuracy of Inslee’s remarks. (House Republican Caucus media release)

Because of the dramatic increase in car thefts in Washington State, and because of limitations placed on police departments by the Democrats’ 2021 “police reform” laws, many victims have been forced to become vigilantes in an attempt to reclaim their stolen vehicles. The Democrats’ 2021 soft-on-crime laws were written and promoted by Representative Roger Goodman (D – Kirkland) and Representative Jesse Johnson (D – Federal Way) to reward the liberal activists who rioted in Seattle in 2020.  The result has been a statewide increase in crime and growing frustration among those who have become victims.  Many have become detectives searching for their own stolen vehicles and seeking assistance from other victims. Police warn victims to not approach those suspected of stealing the cars and to seek assistance from law enforcement if the vehicle is found. Democrats just suggest they forget about the stolen property, and move on, like they do after a bad legislative session. (KOMO News)

Federal Way City Council President Linda Kochmar announced she will be running for the 30^th Legislative District Senate seat currently held by Democrat Senator Claire Wilson. Councilmember Kochmar is the latest quality Republican candidate to announce a campaign against an incumbent Democrat lawmaker who supported the Democrats’ reckless “police reform” laws, the implementation of the disastrous Long-Term care payroll tax, the likely unconstitutional state income tax on capital gains, and Governor Inslee’s expensive and ineffective climate policies.  Councilmember Kochmar, who served in the Washington State House of Representatives from 2013 to 2017, stated that crime prevention will be one of the major themes of her campaign. South King County city governments have made public safety a top priority since crime rates have skyrocketed in their communities after the passage of the Democrats’ 2021 hastily drafted “police reform” laws. (Federal Way Mirror)

Yet another successful Seattle business is closing its doors, stating that Seattle’s liberal leaders’ failure to adequately address the city’s skyrocketing crime problem is the primary reason for her  .  The owner of the popular “A Bit of Taste, Queen Anne Olive Oil Company” Debe Franz asserted, “It’s not the Seattle I knew. It’s not the Seattle I love. It’s not the Seattle I grew up with.”  Franz said that the business would close its Queen Anne Avenue location this summer and relocate to Snohomish.

As Seattle businesses continue to close their doors, many are frustrated by the lack of a concrete plan from new (and slow-moving) Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell.  Despite 12 years of experience on the Seattle City Council, and a yearlong mayoral campaign in which public safety was his stated priority, and an office full of long-time city administrators, Mayor Harrell has yet to say when he will unveil his plan to tackle the city’s serious crime problem. Perhaps it’s because he doesn’t have one? (KOMO News and Danny Westneat/Seattle Times)

Failure by Governor Inslee’s Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife caused the loss of a quarter million steelhead smolts on the Snake River.  It’s ironic that the governor continues to push wealthy urban environmentalists’ plans to destroy the economic vitality in SE Washington by needlessly tearing down four dams on the lower Snake River (because of false belief it will increase salmon populations in Puget Sound), when he could actually be doing something to help.  Yet recent actions by his WDFW have resulted in the loss of 249,770 steelhead smolts, which is 8% of the overall hatchery steelhead production in the Snake River basin. A failed rubber gasket allowed the smolts to escape. It is likely that most of the escaped smolts will be eaten by walleye or other larger predators.  (Spokesman Review)

BABYLON BEE FRIDAY!

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