This week our Newsmaker Interview is with Kaitlin Vintertun, the Executive Director of an exciting new organization, League of Our Own.  Recently, U.S. Representatives Cathy McMorris Rodgers and Jaime Herrera Beutler, and Secretary of State Kim Wyman, took part in a virtual event announcing the formation of the Washington State chapter of the League, which aims to elect more free market and fiscally responsible woman to office.  It is based on a similar successful group started in Michigan, where more than three dozen conservative women were recruited and trained to win elections and who now hold public office. The concept is based on how professional baseball teams recruit and train young talent to make it in the big leagues.  We think many Shift readers will be interested in the League of Our Own, and will want to take part as one of its “team members.” (Read full Newsmaker Interview)

Play in Shift’s “Madness in Olympia” contest, as you determine which of the many bad proposals the Democrats have made this year deserves to be crowned 2021’s Worst Idea.  In a tournament format, we have included our top eight contenders.  Each week we will ask our readers to vote on the worst ideas. We have two brackets, one for “More Taxes” and one for “Less Public Safety,”, which have turned out to be the top two Democrat priorities for this session, Share it with your friends. (Shift’s Madness in Olympia)

The Washington State Senate is scheduled to vote Saturday on the unnecessary and unconstitutional state income tax on capital gains.   Despite the state coffers being flush with a projected 7% increase in current tax revenue, and with the upcoming March 17^th state revenue forecast expected to project an even larger increase, and $4.2 billion dollars in federal bailout money on its way, Democrats still insist on implementing this unnecessary new tax.   Governor Jay Inslee and Democrat legislators have even gone so far as to dishonestly declare there is an “emergency” in state revenues that requires this bill not be subject to the citizens’ right to repeal by referendum.   If the legislation is approved, it will undoubtedly face a costly legal challenge, in which the Democrats and their greedy special interest friends will hope the liberal Washington State Supreme Court will ignore the state’s own legal precedents and the voters’ opinion in 10 statewide ballot measures, to allow this unconstitutional tax to become law.  Newspaper editorials from across the state, including in Seattle, Tacoma, Port Angeles, Vancouver, Bremerton, Yakima, Tri-Cities, and Walla Walla have stated that the tax is unnecessary and a bad idea.  We have been told there are four Democrat Senators who are the swing votes on SB 5076.  They are Senator Reuven Carlyle (D – Seattle), Senator Annette Cleveland (D – Vancouver), Senator Emily Randall (D – Bremerton), and Senator Kevin Van De Wege (D – Sequim).  All four of them have contact information on their websites, and would certainly appreciate respectful messages on how their constituents view this unnecessary and unconstitutional state income tax on capital gains. (Washington Policy Center, Washington Legislature Bill Summary, and Senate Roster)

Governor Inslee’s failure to provide leadership and decide what will be required to reach Phase 3 in his inappropriately named “Roadmap to Recovery” plan has led Republican legislators to announce their own “simple, practical and consistent plan to get all communities in Washington fully open for both school and business.”  The plan puts more control into the hands of local health officials, requires the option of in-person instruction for all K-12 students, and allows retail and hospitality businesses to safely reopen to 50% capacity.  Republicans lawmakers stated that their plan was in response to the scientific data which reveals a steep decline in the COVID-19 infection rate, and that local officials have consistently demonstrated that they are more knowledgeable about the needed measures to keep the public safe than isolated state officials who work in fear of an erratic governor.  The response from the Governor’s office was predictable, as spokesperson Mike Faulk (the latest former journalist to prove his liberal bias by accepting a job to spin rhetoric for the governor) falsely stated there was “no scientific justification” for the Republican plan. Evidentially, Faulk is unaware of the declining infection rates, the number of immunizations, and the scientific data that shows schools can safely reopen.  We also wonder if Faulk is representing the belief that local health officials are incapable of monitoring and reacting to health conditions, for this has evidently been the belief of the Governor’s office, as they have repeatedly demonstrated this past year that they do not value local health officials. (House Republican Caucus, KXLY, and Yakima Herald)

Despite former Commissioner Suzi LeVine being promoted to a federal job, dysfunction continues to control Governor Inslee’s Employment Security Department (ESD), as the state agency revealed that 55,000 Washington residents might have to return cash benefits they have received during this past year.  This disquieting news came from Acting ESD Commissioner Cami Feek during a Senate work session on Thursday.  Reports indicate that many lawmakers were “startled” by the revelation.  At issue is the ESD not obtaining proper information and not managing changing eligibility rules, which might require thousands of state residents to fill out additional documentation or risk being responsible funds return money they have already used to pay bills. (Seattle Times)

Leaders of Seattle’s business community provided their ideas on how to rebuild the city’s downtown core, and success will require Seattle’s liberal political leaders to reverse course on many of their destructive and ineffective policies.  Downtown Seattle Association President Jon Scholes and Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce President Rachel Smith – both of them veteran Democrat political operatives – brought their liberal perspectives to bear on seven “must dos” for downtown Seattle’s recovery. Their ideas are featured in a Seattle Times op-ed, which is aimed at repairing the damage that has been committed by Seattle’s current ultra-liberal elected leaders.  Included in the suggestions from Scholes and Smith is the requirement of finally seeing positive results in the city’s cruel and growing homelessness problem, which was declared an “emergency” more than five years ago and has only become worse, despite billions of dollars being wastefully spent during that time.  Also Seattle needs to install a criminal justice system which holds repeat offenders and those who destroy property accountable for their actions.  The city politicians will also need to reevaluate their attitudes towards business development to make downtown the “easiest place in the region for entrepreneurs and innovators to open a new business and fill vacant storefronts.” These and other ideas from Mr. Scholes and Ms. Smith are representative of the commitment business leaders have for downtown, unfortunately we have serious doubts whether anyone at Seattle City Hall is listening.  (Seattle Times)

Local Tri-City leaders claim Washington State Attorney General Bob Ferguson was ignoring scientific evidence when he joined with liberal special interest groups to send a letter to the new U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Secretary, asking her to reverse how nuclear waste at Hanford is classified.  Previously the DOE had followed recommendations from the National Academies of Science, six DOE national laboratories, and many other scientific institutions to classify the material in a manner that allows it to be disposed of sooner and cheaper.  The mayors of Kennewick, Pasco, Richland, and West Richland, the Benton and Franklin county commissioners, and local port officials sent their own letter to new DOE Secretary Jennifer Granholm, detailing their argument that the federal government should not ignore the scientific findings that supported the previous reclassification of Hanford materials. (Tri-City Herald)

Above average snowpack in the mountains, normal rainfall, and proper management of water reservoir storage means there will be a good water supply this year in the Yakima Valley.  This is timely news for farmers, as they can expect a full allocation of their water rights to irrigate their crops, and for fish migrating upstream. (Yakima Herald)

Senator Judy Warnick’s (R – Moses Lake) legislation to reform the Washington State Department of Agriculture’s meat processing inspection program would make small and medium sized facilities eligible for assistance, and increase the amount of meat processed in the state.  Warnick said her reform legislation (SB 5045) was driven by problems which arose during the COVID-19 pandemic, and caused interruptions in the supply chain. It unanimously passed the Washington State Senate earlier this week and has now moved to the House.  (Pacific Northwest AG Network and Washington Legislature Bill Summary)

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