What’s in a name? Carbon tax initiative’s murky ballot title is under challenge

The ballot title for the new carbon tax initiative is under fire because it doesn’t tell voters what I-1631 is really about. In fact, it doesn’t even tell voters that I-1631 imposes a carbon tax, but instead calls it a “pollution fee” – paging Orwell. (Shift WA)

Former state senator Rodney Tom is looking to make a comeback. Tom, who opted not to run for re-election in 2014, announced he will challenge Sen. Patty Kuderer (D-Bellevue) for his old seat. “I am going to go down there and try to form a middle,” Tom said. “There is a huge unmet need there that people really do want.” Tom, who was elected to the Senate as a Democrat but joined with Republicans to form the Majority Coalition Caucus, says that if elected he will not caucus with Democrats or Republicans. (Seattle Times)

Users are testing Washington’s pay-per mile program, but the feedback seems lukewarm at best, with some weirded out over its “big brother” feel. Kyler Lacey, part of the pilot program, said, “It’s creepy to an extent. It’s still a little bit weird, the idea that when I turn that app on, it says here I am, where I am at right now…” (My Northwest)

“This is the single dirtiest bill I’ve seen in eight years in the Senate,” Sen. Michael Baumgartner (R-Spokane) said of the SEIU bill Gov. Jay Inslee signed earlier this week. Baumgartner went on: “It was passed specifically at the behest of SEIU union bosses who are Jay Inslee’s number one campaign contributors. What they wanted to do was to set up a fake union scheme that they would still control; that they would try to subvert the national Supreme Court’s decision – the Harris vs. Quinn decision. This is really pay-for-play quite frankly.” (My Northwest)

Many home health care workers who don’t want to join SEIU made that very clear to Inslee, but he wouldn’t listen. “It seems like it was a very intentional end run around a Supreme Court decision,” home health care worker Nancy Slotnick, who cares for her adult son, told KING 5’s Natalie Brand. Even though the U.S. Supreme Court said workers like her can’t be forced to join a union, the reaction of Inslee and pro-SEIU legislators was “how can we circumvent this and not make this happen,” Slotnick said. (KING 5)

A six-month test project will use a portion of Sound Transit taxes paid by Eastsiders to subsidize Lyft and Uber rides to the Mercer Island transit center. The project’s aim is alleviating parking spot usage at the island’s park-and-ride garage, which is often full by 7:00 a.m. The funds are part of a $10.1 million settlement Mercer Island gained after suing Sound Transit after it took over I-90’s center lanes. (Seattle Times)

Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan announced a two-year, $2 million pilot program to provide money to about 1,000 low-income individuals who are on the waiting list for Housing Choice vouchers. “We know that the crisis of affordability has hit home, and today we’re going to take action,” Durkan said. (Seattle Times)

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