Under the banner “Governor Inslee: Why are you trying to destroy our family farms?” the Save Family Farming group purchased a half page ad in the Sunday’s Seattle Times attacking the governor and his attempted landgrab of agricultural properties. The group not only criticizes the governor for his proposals (HB 1838 & SB 5727) to eliminate much of the state’s farmland by increasing buffer zones around river, streams, and seasonal floodplains, but also because the governor did not bother to include any member of the state’s agricultural community (including his own Secretary of Agriculture) in his administration’s “deliberations” with wealthy urban environmentalist groups on the controversial proposal.

Save Family Farming posed a legitimate question to the governor when by asking, “If creating massive buffers is essential to save salmon, why are you exempting buildings and streets? It is well known that cities with their streets and runoff are the biggest polluters harming salmon.” Unfortunately the answer to that question is purely political.  Wealthy environmental contributors who donate to Democrat organizations (including millions to Inslee’s failed presidential campaign), live in cities and work in the buildings that are currently doing the most harm to the salmon. Meanwhile family farmers, whose livelihood depends on being responsible stewards of the land, simply don’t have the money environmental groups now possess.

Late last week, Jerry Cornfield of the Everett Herald reported that due to efforts by the state’s agricultural community, Governor Inslee was not currently optimistic about the passage of the bill. But since Governor Inslee and Democrat lawmakers have a history of playing last-minute games with controversial bills they want to jam through, the farming community remains on high alert. (Photo of Save Family Farming Ad, Washington Legislature Bill Summary,  Federal Election Commission report on contributors to Act Now on Climate [PAC supporting Inslee’s failed presidential campaign], Save Family Farming, and Cornfield Report)

There were many deeply flawed bills in the Democrats’ 2021 “police reform” package, which helped lead to a significant increase in crime rates in Washington State, but there is specific legislation which individuals who care for those with mental issues desperately want changed.   Far-Left Representative Jesse Johnson (D – Federal Way) hastily wrote (without input from law enforcement agencies, of course) and championed the “reform” bills (along with Representative Roger Goodman [D – Kirkland]) to reward the liberal activists who rioted in Seattle.  On a straight party vote, the Democrats passed HB 1310 making police agencies financially liable if they detained those in a mental health crisis.  Attorney General Bob Ferguson wrote a meaningless non-binding memo stating he viewed the legislation differently, but police departments said the AG’s opinion would do little to protect them from costly legal actions (which Bob’s buddies in the trial lawyer section would quickly be happy to file).

Q13 Fox News provides the story of one of thousands of Washington residents who was negatively impacted by the Democrats’ reckless actions.  A South King County woman contacted police on numerous occasions regarding the aggressive acts of her 34-year-old son.  But police informed the mother that Representative Johnson’s bill prevented them from placing the son into treatment, despite health professionals’ warnings and a judge issuing orders for his detention.  After being homeless for weeks, the son was finally placed into treatment after he was arrested for assaulting his mother when she was driving him home (after he’d been kicked out of a hotel due to his violent actions). (Q13 Fox News, Washington Legislature Bill Summary, Attorney General Memo on HB 1310)

TVW will be livestreaming Friday’s (February 4^th) summary judgement hearing on the lawsuit brought by Washington State citizens against the Democrats’ state income tax on capital gains which they passed during the 2021 session.  The arguments in front of a Douglas County Superior Court judge will begin at 10:00 AM.  One of the issues to be determined is whether or not the court agrees with Washington State Attorney General Bob Ferguson’s request to remove from evidence the documentation from  49 other states and the IRS have all written that a tax on capital gains is in fact an income tax.  A state income tax is unconstitutional in Washington State, although AG Ferguson is having trouble accepting that fact also.  (TVW and Washington Policy Center)

Once again, the worst offender for not following or meeting health and safety guidelines during the COVID pandemic is Governor Inslee’s Department of Corrections.  Throughout the pandemic, nearly every single state-operated resident facility (think hospitals and corrections) has been responsible for a COVID outbreak.  Currently approximately 2,600 inmates (about 20%) and 700 workers are infected with the virus.  Inmates say they are regularly tested, but don’t know the result for days.  Thus infected inmates are not quarantined, but are mixing among other inmates, spreading COVID to more inmates and workers. Just like they have throughout the pandemic. (Spokesman–Review)

Representative Dan Griffey (R – Allyn) has introduced legislation which could assist in the rapidly expanding problem of shoplifting in Washington State.  Representative Griffey, who normally serves as a lieutenant in the Mason County Fire Department, introduced HB 1656 (part of the Republicans’ “Safe Washington” package) which would redefine shoplifting.  Currently shoplifting occurs only after an item is taken outside of the retailer’s store.  Griffey’s legislation says it has occurred once someone tries to conceal the product.  Griffey believes this would deescalate situations that sometimes become violent once a suspected shoplifter is confronted outside an establishment. The Washington Retail Association says shoplifting costs state businesses more than $1 billion a year. (KOMO News, Washington Legislature Bill Summary, and House Republican Caucus)

Legislative Democrats are finally pushing for emergency order reform legislation, though it is basically toothless and likely would not have impacted Governor Inslee’s current 702 days and counting one-man rule of the state, so it might provide them with political cover for campaign mailers.  Senator Emily Randall (D – Bremerton) is facing a serious challenge in her swing district from Representative Jesse Young (R – Gig Harbor) and thus is aware of the tremendous outrage being publicly expressed by those upset with the governor’s unprecedented abuse -all with the help of legislators like her — of his emergency powers.  Senator Randall’s bill (HB 5909) allows the legislature to end emergency order powers after they have been in place for 90 days. Meanwhile, Republicans have offered many bills that automatically end emergency orders after a given number of days (30, 60, or 90) and allows the legislature to reinstate or limit the governor’s emergency authority after that date.

Prior to last Friday, legislative Democrats had not held a public hearing on meaningful emergency order reform, let alone vote on whether to end the governor’s reign of error.  Thus, Senator Randall’s bill would not have impacted the current situation at all.  Since HB 5909 has a broad enough title, citizens were able to testify in support of the Republican emergency powers reform legislation.  A record-breaking 5,600 people signed up to testify, nearly all stating they wanted to see the governor’s emergency powers end now. (NW News Networks and Washington Legislature Bill Summary)

The Seattle Times reported on Sunday that during the June 2020 riots, members of then-Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan’s administration wanted to give Black Lives Matters (BLM) the Seattle Police Department’s East Precinct Building (estimated worth of $5 million).  At the time, the Seattle Police Department had abandoned the building thanks to the lack of any support from city leaders. This transfer of property was being discussed to placate (i.e. “reward”) the violent liberal rioters who illegally took over six blocks of private and public property on Seattle’s Capitol Hill to create their CHAZ/CHOP.  Much of the behind-the-scenes discussion amongst city officials is missing due to the illegal erasing of text messages from city officials’ phones under Durkan’s “leadership”.

It is still unclear why exactly the building was not handed over to BLM.  But the organization, and many other liberal and radical groups profited from the daily riots which damaged public and private properties, which included numerous physical assaults on private citizens and police officers, and an attempted mass murder of law enforcement personnel at the East Precinct once police returned to the building.  Since then, the Seattle City Council voted to slash the SPD’s budget in half and give much of that money to community organizations in the irresponsible belief that this would reduce crime. Thus far this giveaway policy has been a disaster, with much infighting amongst the community groups and skyrocketing crime rates, especially in low-income communities. (Seattle Times, Capitol Hill Seattle Blog, and KING5 News)

Seattle used to grab national headlines for being the nation’s “Most Livable City” and home of Microsoft, Amazon, Boeing, and Starbucks, but now it is featured for news on its crime and homeless encampments.  Last week Fox Business ran an interview with Seattle Shirt Company owner Jay Ashberg, who placed the blame for the city’s decay on the shoulders of the Seattle City Council, and specifically on Socialist “Councilmember Kshama Sawant and her followers.”  Ashberg stated his Pike Place Market neighborhood retail store had seven incidents in the past three months alone, and that the city has provided a “(f)ield day for criminals.” Ashberg spoke for many employers and residents when he stated, “It is very frustrating. The city is not what it used to be.”  (Fox Business interview)

The Yakima City Council staff recommended against the city operating a parking lot for those who are sleeping in their cars.  The staff estimates that start-up costs (for fencing, cameras, water, sewer and electricity) would be at least $600,000, and monthly costs would be around $26,000.  This would consume almost the entire $1 million budget the city has to help those who are homeless. The staff recommended that the council provide them with more time to do further research on working with non-profit agencies and private establishments. (Yakima Herald)

Shift’s Newsmaker Interview was with the newest (and by far the youngest) member of the Washington State Senate, Senator Simon Sefzik (R – Ferndale).  The senator was appointed on January 11^th to serve the remaining year of the late Senator Doug Ericksen’s term.  Senator Sefzik will face election this November.  The 22-year-old lawmaker was born and raised in Whatcom County, and is a recent graduate of Patrick Henry College in Northern Virginia, where he majored in Political Science.  He interned for the U.S. House of Representatives and obtained a position in the White House before returning home to Ferndale.  In his interview, Senator Sefzik discusses his efforts to help those impacted by recent floods, his proposal to temporarily eliminate the state’s gas tax to help low-income workers the most, and his initial impressions of working in Olympia.  On the Democrats’ poorly crafted Long-Term Care payroll tax, Senator Sefzik stated it needs to be repealed stating, “When a program is insolvent from Day One, you know there’s a problem.” (Click to read full Newsmaker interview)

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