Democrats can’t even support their own tax increases – and special session drags on one more day because of it. House Democrats are still maintaining that their budget is the only budget viable for our state, but still refuse to actually vote in the taxes they would need to pay for the budget.

Gov. Inslee vetoed part of a bill that would help school districts build campuses outside of their city zones. Inslee claims, “we’re not quite done,” and has sent HB 1017 back to the legislature, meaning kids may remain in portable units due to the lack of space in classrooms.

Seattle Councilmember Kshama Sawant calls for highways and freeways to be shut down on May Day, showing “reckless and irresponsible” behavior, according to Washington State Patrol captain Ron Mead. We agree. An elected official should not be advocating for a city-wide shutdown. “It’s unsafe for both protesters and motorists alike, and we are simply not going to tolerate that unlawful behavior of trying to shut down the interstate or state highway systems,” Mead said.

The Tulalip and Suquamish tribes have filed lawsuits against the Coast Guard to protect orca whales. They claim the Coast Guard did not properly consult the National Marine Fisheries Service with regards to how increased tanker traffic could lead to an oil spill which would, in turn, harm the orca pods. The Coast Guard has not responded yet.

Paul Allen donated $30 million to help fund homeless solutions in Seattle. Maybe now Seattle Mayor Ed Murray can stop trying to introduce new taxes to the city to fund his vague plans to help resolve the homeless problem in Seattle – or at least have the funding to pay someone to come up with a real solution.

Seattle is charging drivers to park in Capitol Hill during the evenings, but asking for an opinion before deciding the method of payment. Drivers can weigh in on whether or not they should be limited to three or six hours of parking after 5pm or if there should be a flat rate charged.

People in the Fremont neighborhood of Seattle have been putting out fake ‘no parking’ signs. Seattle Police Department is recommending that people report these suspicious signs, which have been popping up all over Seattle – looks like a few people are trying to find a way to reserve themselves personal street parking spots.

Physical loss loans are now available from the US Dept. of Agriculture Farm Service Agency for counties including Latah and Whitman. The emergency loans are eligible for farmers in those counties that have had major losses due to natural disasters or extreme weather.

Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) has joined Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) in pushing national minimum wage to $15 an hour and index it to inflation. The bill has a very low chance of passing either of the Republican-controlled chambers, but that hasn’t stopped Senator Murray from doing whatever it takes to appear like she is fighting for the masses – even if her proposal is one that is economically unrealistic for America.

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