State Democratic Party Chair Tina Podlodowski said her party in recent years “ceded ground to Republicans,” especially in central and eastern Washington, but that’s over. “The Republicans clearly better represent the values of these communities,” state Republican chair Caleb Heimlich responded. (Seattle Times)

The Pierce County Council voted to appeal a judge’s ruling in Prosecutor Mark Lindquist’s long-running text messages and retaliation case. The appeal will drive up legal costs in Lindquist’s case, which already exceed $1 million, even higher. (Tacoma News Tribune)

Amazon and Starbucks aren’t taking the head tax debate sitting down. A Starbucks VP said Seattle “continues to spend without reforming and fail without accountability, while ignoring the plight of hundreds of children sleeping outside…This City pays more attention to the desires of the owners of illegally parked RVs than families seeking emergency shelter.” Amazon, meanwhile, called out the city council’s “hostile approach and rhetoric toward larger businesses, which forces us to question our growth here,” and noted that city tax revenues, which were $2.8 billion in 2010, reached $4.2 billion in 2017 – yet the city still can’t fund its “priorities” without tax increases. (Q13 Fox)

During debate over the head tax, fellow councilmember Sally Bagshaw criticized Kshama Sawant for using city resources to print up “Tax Amazon” rally signs. Sawant brushed it off, saying it was revealing “honesty” from Bagshaw that shows she isn’t committed to taking on big corporations. (My Northwest)

Define irony: Socialist and perpetual Amazon critic Kshama Sawant will in fact be using the online retailer to peddle her own book. Sawant’s “American Socialist” is the story of her unfortunateupstart victory over a sixteen-year incumbent. (My Northwest)

Governor Jay Inslee declared a state of emergency for eastern Washington counties facing severe flooding. All counties east of the Cascades were included in Inslee’s declaration, which allows certain resources to be used for emergency relief, including the Washington National Guard. (Walla Walla Union-Bulletin)

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