Inslee has millions and millions of reasons to sign SEIU bill

Gov. Jay Inslee is set to sign a bill today that locks Medicaid-reimbursed home health care workers into the SEIU 775 union…even though the U.S. Supreme Court said they have a right to leave the union. As Shift reported late last week, the constitution isn’t going to stand in the way of SEIU getting a nice little return on its investment. (Shift WA)

“The bill’s primary purpose isn’t to improve home care but to force all Medicaid-paid caregivers back into SEIU.” That’s what Max Nelson of the Freedom Foundation wrote of Senate Bill 6199, the SEIU-backed legislation mentioned above. Nelson adds that Inslee signing the bill would send the message that “special-interest cronyism trumps both good government and workers’ constitutional liberties.” (Seattle Times)

With marijuana now legal in Washington (under state law, anyway), the City of Seattle is still working to vacate past misdemeanor marijuana convictions. The sticking point has been US immigration law. Currently immigration courts define convictions more broadly than do criminal courts, so noncitizens may run into issues even with vacated convictions. (Seattle Times)

Sound Transit wants to set up two light-rail stations in South Lake Union…just five blocks apart. Some want one of those stations built with two track levels. “‘There’s absolutely no reason to think we have to sacrifice anything. We can have everything,’ said Drew Johnson, volunteer coordinator for the nonprofit Seattle Subway.” (Seattle Times)

The Evergreen State College’s “Day of Absence” shenanigans and declining reputation are having real-world consequences. Most recently, ebbing enrollment led the college to put off building a new $42 million dormitory. A spokesman said, “Our bonding company also recommended the deferment because there is a chance that college revenue, which is tied to enrollment, might be insufficient to cover a new bond payment this coming year.” (MyNorthwest)

A bill helping protect child abuse victims is now state law, marking one of the few Olympia bright spots this year. JoDee Garretson of Tri Cities’ Support, Advocacy & Resource Center helped lead the way on the bill aimed at preventing interview recordings of child abuse victim from falling into the wrong hands. (Tri-City Herald)

Finally, we want to thank all of you for sticking with us through our brief intermission.

Do you like The Morning Briefing? Forward this to a friend! It helps us grow our community and serve you better.

If you feel we missed something that should be covered, email us at [email protected].

If you don’t want to receive this email each morning, click here to opt-out of The Morning Briefing.