We have heard of a unique alternative effort to thwart the Democrats’ attempts to intimidate people from signing petitions to place I-1929 (to prohibit a state income tax on capital gains) on the ballot.  As we have reported previously, liberal organizations which are largely funded by dues taken from state employees do not want any infringement on their greedy pursuit of even more taxpayer money for their bank accounts. Thus liberal groups which benefit from this taxpayer-funded gravy train have stated they will operate telephone hotlines for fellow liberals to report locations (outside grocery stores, sporting events, community meetings, etc.) where I-1929 signature gatherers are working. The organizers will then rush (likely paid) activists to the location to intimidate people from signing the I-1929 petition, with the stated goal of making it too expensive to gather signatures to reach the ballot.

In response, I-1929 supporters have begun to circulate on social media an alternative response.  They are encouraging people to call the hotlines and provide them with false locations for where petitions are being signed.  Liberal activists will then spend a lot of time seeking non-existent signature gatherers. And since the liberal organizations will be paying the expenses of these wild-goose chases, they will experience first-hand the financial impact of the Democrats’ failed economic and energy policies which have doubled the price of gas in the past year. (Everett Herald)

An initiative effort has begun to make it legal to possess such addictive and life-destroying drugs as methamphetamine, heroin, LSD, and cocaine in Washington State, while at the same time drug overdoses are at a record level and drug abuse/addiction is fueling a skyrocketing violent crime rate.  Since the Washington State Supreme Court’s Washington v. Blake decision in 2021 struck down our state’s drug possession laws, it has been legal to carry small amounts of these substances.  The Democrats who control the Washington Legislature have refused to support Republican efforts to fix this supreme error and make drug possession laws constitutional again.

The backers of Initiative 1922 state the measure would also take money from marijuana sales and put it toward addiction treatment.  This may be a good idea, but why does it have to be coupled with making it easier to obtain harmful drugs which destroy lives?

The initiative backers will need to turn in 325,000 valid signatures before July 8^th in order to qualify for this November’s general election.  This will take a strong fundraising effort to fund a signature gathering effort, as the going rate for the signature-gathering process has greatly increased since COVID hit. (News Tribune, Washington State Department of Corrections, and Republicans “Safe Washington” plan)

Washington State Superintendent of Public Instruction Chris Reykdal used tax money to promote his own views on abortion instead of using it to improve our state’s failing education system.  While test scores are dropping across the state and enrollment figures are decreasing (which has forced school districts to cut necessary programs for students) the head of Washington’s public education system evidently believes condemning a potential U.S. Supreme Court decision on abortion (which will not impact Washington State’s own abortion laws at all) is the best way for him to spend his time and your tax dollars.

The extremely partisan Superintendent Reykdal justified his use of education tax dollars on something that will not effect Washington State students at all by saying, “It is counterintuitive and dangerous to believe that stripping access to safe abortions will not have detrimental impacts on our children and families.” By this odd logic, then the Washington State Superintendent should be sending out media releases on the rising costs of home construction, the price of fuel, unemployment rates, divorce rates, television programing, etc.  All of these have a far greater “impact on (Washington’s) children and families” than whether some other state may vote to restrict abortions, after a court decision that has not been reached. (Office of the Superintendent of Public Schools media release.)

A few hundred people gathered yesterday at Seattle’s St. Mark’s Cathedral to honor the life and accomplishments of U.S. Senator Slade Gorton. Heartfelt tributes were provided by his daughter Becky Gorton Dannaker, former Governors Dan Evans and Christine Gregoire, and by former U.S. Senate staffers Kellie Carlson Daniels, Mariana Parks, and Tony Williams.  One of the most touching moments came courtesy of Reverend Lex Breckinridge (who is the Rector at St. Thomas Episcopal Church in Bellevue, where Slade attended), who told a story from Slade’s final days in August 2020, when he asked the priest to join him in saying “A Prayer for Our Country” which comes from the Common Book of Prayers. Slade knew it from memory. Those in attendance at the service said the prayer in unison.  Here is a link to that prayer.  You can watch a video of the ceremony by clicking here. (Video of Services for Senator Slade Gorton and “A Prayer for Our Country”)

More failed Democrat policies are responsible for the dramatic increase in the latest new crime fad.  Its bad enough that the Democrats’ anti-police legislation has caused skyrocketing crime rates, now there are reports that liberal energy and economic policies are causing the sudden rise in another crime – the theft of gasoline from cars.  And just like the theft of catalytic converters, the thieves don’t mind causing expensive damage to the vehicles they violate, as some drill holes into the gas tanks to steal the gas.

The Anacortes police said that they have 24 reports of fuel theft so far this year, after having just four all of last year. Criminals like to target location where cars will be parked a long period of time, such as park-n-rides, trailheads, and ferry terminals. An Anacortes police spokesperson stated the Democrats’ 2021 anti-police legislation also plays a role in the increase in fuel theft. “When people understand restrictions that are placed on police and begin to see fuel theft as a lower risk activity in terms of being caught and held accountable, they’re more emboldened to continue that behavior.” (KOMO News)

Disapproval of state public schools is growing, as is evident from the decline in children being enrolled in kindergarten in the Spokane School District. This is occurring as the population in the city has steadily grown.  In 2019, more than 2,400 kindergartners were enrolled in Spokane’s public schools. Currently there are 2,280. This is more than a 5% drop in enrollment even while the city’s population has grown more than 3.2 %.  (KXLY)

Washington State farmers are encountering their first season without an exemption for overtime work. These new overtime restrictions were placed on Washington farmers by liberal urban Democrat lawmakers who fail to realize their ideological constraints will reduce the paychecks of farm workers and will likely severely impact the cost of agriculture production in the state. Pam Lewison from the Washington Policy Center Initiative on Agriculture said, “There’s a lot of question marks on that 40-hour mark because we have a really labor-intensive specialty crop market here in Washington, and 40 hours is challenging for a lot of the things that we grow here, a lot of the things that we are recognized for on a national and global scale.” (RFD-TV)

The Legacy of Slade Gorton. In honoring Senator Slade Gorton and his multitude of accomplishments, we asked a former staffer of Gorton’s to provide a few of his personal memories of the three-term U.S. Senator and describe what he believes is the legacy of the man who was a major political figure in Washington State and our country for a half of a century. The guest column tells three brief stories which reveal a few of the many positive personally traits which made Gorton a distinguished public servant and endeared him to those who knew him best. While much has been written about Gorton’s achievements, this article reveals more about the man who was often very shy in public settings.  (Click to read the full Guest Commentary)

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