Senator Sam Hunt (D-Olympia) has been fined $5,170.50 for campaign finance violations. The fine stemmed from failing to report in-kind contributions, expenditures, and debts on time. The Public Disclosure Commission has agreed to suspend half of the fine, assuming that no additional violations occur over the next four years. His campaign will also cover the cost of $3,740 in investigative and court fees.

The Walla Walla Union Bulletin agrees with Attorney General Ferguson’s asking the Supreme Court to drop the contempt order on the State Legislature over the McCleary case. The editorial board wrote, “While the state Legislature did not necessarily get an A-plus for its effort to fully fund basic education as mandated by the state Supreme Court, it nevertheless got the job done.”

Local education reform leaders Libuse Binder and Tony Lee penned an op-ed in The Olympian saying that the education funding package passed last month “strikes a balance to put students first.” They note that if the money is spent wisely that it could make real progress in closing the achievement gaps and our state’s high school graduation rates.

Seattle is moving further to the left, despite “centrist” former U.S. Attorney Jenny Durkan’s large share in the crowded race for Seattle Mayor, says Knute Berger. Berger points to the fact that 58% of the vote in the mayoral race went to candidates on the far-Left and that the “business candidate” in the open council seat got squeezed out in favor of an extreme progressive and a “Democratic Socialist” candidate.

“The First Amendment doesn’t just protect you in terms of what you want to be able to say,” former attorney general Rob McKenna told KIRO, “it protects you from being forced to associate with someone else’s speech that you don’t agree with.” McKenna was speaking in reference to a court case being brought against Seattle by property owners who believe the city’s democracy voucher program, paid for by taxpayer dollars, is unconstitutional.

The Bellevue City Council looks poised to vote on a heroin injection site ban within the city limits at tonight’s council meeting. The council is taking this action proactively since King County has not announced where their proposed “Community Health Engagement Locations” would be located.

Three people were chosen as candidates to replace former Spokane County Commissioner Shelly O’Quinn at the Spokane County Republican Party meeting on Saturday. The county’s treasurer, Rob Chase, as well as Mary Kuney and John Guarisco. The candidates will be interviewed by the Spokane County Commission during a public hearing nine days from now where they will choose her replacement.

Spokane County Sheriff’s Office is struggling to fill between 10 and 20 open positions. Sheriff Ozzie Knezovich said today, “When I ask those not in law enforcement if they’d like to join us, I’ve yet to find more than a handful who say yes… You bet I’m worried. We have got to hire some people.”

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