An embarrassing error made by Washington State Democrat Party Chair Tina Podlodowski highlights the differences in redistricting plans being promoted by the Republicans and Democrats.  After maps of the initial boundaries were released by each of the four redistricting commissioners (two Republicans and two Democrats) last week, the Washington State Democrat Party issued a media release in which its attached link to the Revised Code of Washington (RCW) directly contradicted Chair Podlodowski’s false argument in the release.  While the Democrats sought new legislative district boundaries which protect incumbent Democrat members (especially those outside Seattle who will face tough contests in 2022 for supporting ultra-liberal legislation), Republicans drew boundaries which sought more competitive (i.e. “swing”) districts.  Podlodowski’s statement claimed GOP commissioners were breaking the law by making more “competitive” districts.  Yet the RCW laws on redistricting clearly state that the commissioners’ plans must “encourage electoral competition.” Ooops!  (Click to read full Shift article)

A Cowlitz County property owner has bought ads in the Seattle Times to protest Governor Jay Inslee’s latest extension of the state’s eviction moratorium and to encourage other landlords to join him in a protest.  Don Cullen is encouraging other property owners to refuse to rent to anyone during October to protest the governor’s latest “emergency rule” to extend his eviction moratorium until the end of October. Like all of the governor’s mandates, this decision which impacts hundreds of thousands of Washington residents, was made solely by the governor without public debate and with no involvement from the 147 locally elected members of the Washington State Legislature. Cullen argues that Governor Inslee’s moratorium will hurt many tenants’ credit ratings, because businesses will be hesitant to provide credit to people with a record of non-payment.  (KIRO TV News)

The Walla Walla Union Bulletin criticizes the Inslee Administration for failing to listen to the warnings of its own employees after the Department of Corrections (DOC) created an avoidable situation where a prisoner was killed.  DOC administrators ignored warnings of a supervisor and counselor when they placed a violent inmate, with previous unprovoked attacks on other inmates, into a cell with another prisoner. This cellmate was later found murdered in his bunk.  The family of the killed inmate is currently suing the Inslee Administration for negligence. The Union-Bulletin argues that “more accountability is definitely needed to protect inmates in situations like Thomas’ (the murdered inmate). And, for crying out loud, maybe listening to an agency’s own experts on the subject might be a good place to start.”  But, in Jay Inslee’s Administration, his bureaucrats in Olympia feel they know more than those with direct contact with the inmates. (Walla Walla Union Bulletin)

The state’s controversial ban on plastic grocery bags will start being enforced this weekend.  There is substantial scientific debate about the environmental impact of the ban, yet this has not deterred Governor Inslee from imposing the ban, since it is a major virtue signaling trophy for the liberal politicians and environmental groups who wish to impose additional costs onto businesses and customers. The state is requiring grocers to charge a minimum of 8 cents for paper and reusable plastic bags (since the state gets to charge tax on this additional “revenue”).  (News Tribune and Washington Policy Center)

 Far-Left State Senator Marko Liias (D – Edmonds) posted a selfie of himself NOT wearing a facemask at the University of Washington football game on Saturday, despite both the state and King County requiring those in attendance to wear a mask.  Senator Liias appears to have been part of approximately 70% of the Husky fans who chose to ignore the facemask requirement at this weekend’s football game against the California Golden Bears.  Yet earlier this year, Senator Liias demonstrated his virtue signaling abilities when he boasted on social media, “I’m gonna keep wearing them over my beard in this hot summer weather because I love my family, friends and neighbors that much.”  It is shocking that a career politician like Senator Liias would be so clueless about the criticism he would rightfully receive for posting a picture of himself and another man not wearing a state-mandated mask at a large outdoor gathering – or maybe, he just doesn’t care “that much” about his “family, friends, and neighbors” anymore. (MyNorthwest and Liias Twitter)

The Washington State Patrol, which has been run by Governor Inslee for the past nine years, is facing serious public criticism for using results from psychological evaluations to reject a high number of minority applicants.  A recent report by Deloitte shows that 56% of minority applicants have been rejected due to the controversial evaluation, while only 36% of white applicants were rejected. (Seattle Times/Northwest News Network and Deloitte Report)

The Seattle Times editorializes that the Seattle City Council’s efforts to reduce police funding further “perpetuates a malignant trend that is making Seattle a more dangerous place to live and work.” The hard-hitting editorial states that the actions by the council over the past year to transition to a public safety system which reduces public safety by hindering police interventions has, “failed to account for the city’s real need to ensure public safety. This is basic governance. The council has failed to provide a responsible transition and must be held accountable.” (Seattle Times)

Snohomish County Sheriff Adam Fortney details a recent personal experience where the Democrats’ police “reform” laws kept him from pursuing an identified stolen vehicle, whose occupants were also suspected of other armed robberies.  In his Facebook post, the sheriff described how other officers had identified a vehicle as one that had been stolen and when the sheriff spotted the vehicle, the Democrats’ new anti-police reforms prohibited him from following it for more than a short distance. Sheriff Fortney stated the criminals are already knowledgeable about the gift that was given to them by the writers of the reform bills – Representatives Roger Goodman (D – Kirkland) and Jesse Johnson (D – Federal Way).  Sheriff Fortney wrote, “And let me tell you one thing for certain, the criminals know (police cannot pursue suspected felons), as was on display in Everett when the suspect drove away from me.”  (Sheriff Adam Fortney Facebook)

The City of Seattle’s failure to handle the city’s growing encampment problem has forced local residents and businesses to start handling the problems themselves.  While this is not what the extremists on the city council mean by “community policing” as a replacement for a defunded police department, it is what is now taking place as the encampments are an increasing threat to community security.  A group of Lake City businesses and residents began to remove a growing encampment in their neighborhood, yet they were met by angry homeless “advocates” (who are enabling those in the encampment to lead very cruel existences). Due to not wanting to escalate the situation, the community members backed down from the advocates threats and have again resumed pleading with the city to do something about the problem. Of course, the city continues to promise the problem will go away if they throw even more money at it. (MyNorthwest)

Some 18 Eastern Washington legislators and 30 elected Eastern Washington county officials wrote a strongly worded letter to Governor Inslee asking him to actually discuss his various mandates in person with others who have been elected to serve the state residents.  The letter was authored by Representative Tom Dent (R – Moses Lake) and was signed by nearly every Eastern Washington State Republican legislators as well as officials from 10 Eastern Washington counties.

The letter questions the governor’s continued use of emergency orders. “It feels like the only reason we are continuing under this declaration is so the executive branch of our government can continue to make decisions without the input of legislators, local elected officials, and communities. This is where our frustration and disappointment come from and the citizens animosity is growing, because of this lack of involvement. We all want what is best for our communities and state.” The group asked the governor to respond by the end of this week. We will continue to follow this story and whether the governor actually responds. (Columbia Basin Herald)

A 5-4 decision by the Washington State Supreme Court will allow a marijuana growing business to operate in Chelan County, yet the court’s decision will also allow the county’s prohibition of other growing operations to stay in place.  The court ruled that since Seven Hills Farm had established their business prior to 2016, when the Chelan County Commissioners banned marijuana growing, the grower could continue operations because the moratorium was not retroactive. (KPQ Radio)

Last Friday’s Newsmaker Interview was with fifth-generation wheat farmer and fifth-term Washington State Senator Mark Schoesler, who serves the 9^th legislative district in the Southeast corner of the state. Last year, the Ritzville native stepped down from his leadership position after eight years of being the Senate Republican Leader, while remaining a key figure in his caucus.  In his Shift interview, Senator Schoesler speaks earnestly about needing to educate urban liberal legislators on the impact their regulations and taxes have on the state’s agriculture community and on our farmer’s ability to compete in a world market. Senator Schoesler is pessimistic about Governor Jay Inslee ever giving up emergency powers and believes many of the Democrats’ most extreme measures were the result of the public being locked out of the 2021 legislative session.  (Click here to read full Newsmaker Interview)

Sound Transit Chief Executive Officer Peter Rogoff was unceremoniously fired from his $379,000 a year position by the transit agency’s unelected board of directors (but not before he collects another half-year salary and is handed another $379,000 check before sneaking out the back door sometime next spring).  After being responsible for massive cost overruns, multiple expensive construction delays, the implementation of an illegal accounting scheme (which inflated vehicle tab fees), and creating a hostile work environment (which forced taxpayers to fund a $550-an-hour anger management coach to teach Rogoff not to yell at co-workers), the board voted to oust Rogoff and give him a bunch of extra taxpayer money. (Click to read full Shift article)

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