A lawsuit over the murder of inmate Keenan Thomas by his cellmate at the Washington State Penitentiary in Walla Walla has revealed serious errors in both Governor Jay Inslee’s Department of Corrections (DOC) and Bob Ferguson’s Attorney General Office (AGO).  This story keeps getting worse for Washington Democrats, as despite strong recommendations within the DOC to keep Thomas’ cellmate in a solitary cell – because of his numerous previous attacks on other inmates – other DOC officials ignored the warnings (providing no reason) and placed him in a cell with Thomas.  On October 17, 2019, Thomas was found dead in his bunk from apparent strangulation. Thomas’ family is now suing the DOC for wrongful death.

Mistakes at Inslee’s DOC are all too common (as has been the case under the last 41 years of Democrat governors), and thus the state’s attorneys are often called in to clean up. Yet buried in the Seattle Times story on this case is the fact that Attorney General Bob Ferguson’s staff missed an important deadline in its defense of the DOC’s actions. Because of that failure, the King County Superior Court judge ruled in favor of the family that Thomas was murdered by the cellmate.

This unforced error has forced the state to now negotiate a financial settlement with Thomas’ family from the position of already having lost a major aspect of the case. This failure by the AGO could cost the state (i.e. all of us taxpayers) millions.  Ironically (or not), AG Ferguson loved to hold media events to announce his latest partisan attack on former President Trump (which the local media was always eager to promote), he has remained quiet about his office’s costly mistake (just as he has chosen “the right to remain silent” about liberal activists attempting mass murder against Seattle police officers last summer). (Seattle Times and KOMO News)

Current Washington State Lt. Governor Denny Heck has asked for a state ethics investigation into the actions of his predecessor Cyrus Habib, and his staff, over the state funding of a non-profit which has since hired two of Habib’s staff members to run state-funded programs.  The intraparty dispute between the two Democrat officials and their staffs has become extremely contentious, with another former Democrat official, Phil Talmadge (ex-state legislator and retired Washington State Supreme Court justice), representing the former Habib staffers by sending cease-and-desist letters to Lt. Governor Heck and his staff.

It is alleged that even as then-Lt. Governor Habib was abandoning his office to attend seminary training in 2020, he secured five years of expanded state funding (at $340,000 a year) for the non-profit Washington State Leadership Board (WSLB).  The non-profit’s funds came from the Lt. Governor’s office through the sales of specialty license plates, and staff in the Lt. Governor’s office were responsible for administering the programs which assisted those with disabilities and others preparing to go to college.

Keep following the bouncing ball. Subsequently, the suddenly flush-with-taxpayer-cash WSLB hired two of Habib’s staffers (one of whom has recently resigned).  Washington State law says a state employee cannot benefit for two years after leaving government service from a contract/grant which they administered while working for the state or receive employment if there is reason to believe it was a reward for doing something as a state worker.  We have a strong suspicion this will continue to be an interesting story to follow. (NW News Network and Ethics in Public Service Act)

Republican Washington State Redistricting Commissioner Joe Fain released his proposed legislative district map today, which he says provides more competitive districts for the state’s voters (increasing swing districts from the current 11 to 15) and keeps the integrity of school district boundaries.  The Democrats legislative plan differs in that it seeks to make more districts safe for incumbents (a Democrat goal, since far more liberals approach political office as a lifetime career).  Click here for a detailed map with population data attached.

Proposed maps for the state’s 10 congressional districts will be released next week. Once district boundaries are approved by a majority of the four voting redistricting commissioners, the legislators will vote on the plans (they cannot alter the plans).  Once approved, the new boundaries will be in effect for the 2022 elections.  (GOP Senate Caucus media release and Detailed Map)

A report from the Washington Policy Center (WPC) provides the arguments for why Washington State should provide sales tax relief for residents, in contrast to the new taxes Governor Jay Inslee and his fellow Democrats jammed through the legislature.  The report highlights that, since 2008, Democrats have increased state tax revenue by a whopping 39.4%, which is more than double the average of what other states have increased their taxes (15.9%) by during this period.  Yet, while many other states have lowered taxes in response to strong revenue growth as pandemic restrictions have lifted, Governor Inslee and the Democrat-controlled legislature were nearly alone in the country in imposing new taxes on their citizens.  The WPC report suggests lawmakers should consider reducing the sales tax by 0.2%.  This Friday’s next state revenue forecast may reveal that the state can well afford this reduction and still have a surplus of funds. (Washington Policy Center)

Sen. Jeannie Darneille (D-Tacoma), a 21-year veteran of the legislature, has resigned her seat to obtain a cushy state job in the Inslee Administration. The long-term lawmaker was the Chair of the Senate’s Human Services, Reentry, and Rehabilitation Committee and will now serve in the embattled Department of Corrections as the Assistant Secretary — Women’s Prison Division, a newly created (for her?) position. (Senate Democrats media release)

Some 890 fires have been reported thus far this year (that is more than three a day) at Seattle homeless encampments, with one of the latest being at the Ballard Commons. The park, just north of the Ballard business district that is on Market Street, was once a source of pride for the community.  Yet Seattle officials have done nothing as dozens of tents and structures have been erected in the park and on neighboring streets.

Frustration over the city’s consistent refusal to do anything is growing among local residents. One neighborhood leader stated, “The city’s continuing inaction is absolutely an epic failure.”  The television news crew there to report on the latest fire was forced to leave due to violence surrounding the park. (KOMO News and City of Seattle’s Ballard Commons webpage)

It is easy to support the plea of a Mill Creek coffee shop owner who posted an Instagram video asking customers to be respectful of her employees when they ask to see proof of vaccination.  While Snohomish County has yet to require proof of vaccination, Savannah Jackson has decided to require it for customers who are dining in her establishment.  Jackson posted the video after several consecutive customers became verbally abusive to employees who were simply doing their job.  (Q13 News)

Eastern Washington residents will have the first opportunity to participate in virtual Town Halls, being conducted by the state’s new Tax Structure Work Group, this Wednesday afternoon and evening.  These meetings will give individuals and businesses across the state the opportunity to provide their opinions on how state taxes should be levied.  The Work Group is tasked with the responsibility of obtaining views from Washington citizens to present to state lawmakers next year. Those in Eastern Washington (see map here) will be the first in the state to take part in the 90-minute sessions, which begin at 2:30 PM and 6:30 PM tomorrow.  Those in Central Washington will have their Town Halls on Wednesday September 29^th at 2:30 PM and 6:30 PM.

You will need to register in order to participate (Click on the start times above to register or go to the Work Group’s webpage).  The Washington Policy Center has written a short paper on worthwhile tax ideas for people to consider. (The Washington State Tax Structure Work Group, Work Group Map for Town Halls, and Washington Policy Center)

Northshore School District Board Member Jacqueline McGourty, who is currently up for re-election, apparently doesn’t believe her children should go to school in a district that elected her.  Instead McGourty (whose extreme partisanship is shown by her financial support from the Washington Education Association and Democrat Party organizations) sends her kids to the exclusive Bush School in Seattle, where annual tuition is $40,000.  Just another example of liberal privilege.  North King County voters will decide in few weeks whether they want this type of hypocrisy to continue on their school board.  (Click to read full Shift article)

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