Gov. Inslee shows his hypocrisy once again, criticizing Republicans for a tax break he signed into law. In the budget released by Senate Republicans yesterday, Inslee attacked a tax break that he signed into law four years ago, saying, “they [Senate Republicans] do find money, interestingly though, for a tax break to help high-end restaurants write off the cost of flavorful, wood-smoked steaks.” Interestingly enough, Democrats are the ones that have been championing bills to extend that very tax break. But why let facts get in the way of a good talking point?

Dog owner lost lawsuit against WSU for botched procedure resulting in the death of his canine, but may have gained the attention of the state Supreme Court. Chief Judge George Fearing, of Washington’s Division III Court of Appeals, has written to the Supreme Court “to advocate a change in the law.” Judge Fearing believes pets should be treated as emotionally valuable in the lives of their owners and that in cases of botched procedures, as what happened at WSU, the pet owners should be able to sue for malpractice.

Sound Transit is fighting to keep their inflated car tab valuation formula. Rather than admitting that their valuation formula is wrong and should be replaced with something that is more reflective of actual car values, Sound Transit is fighting to keep their inflated car tab valuation formula in place so that they can continue to take money from taxpayers at the highest rate possible. Two bills are being heard in the Senate Transportation Committee next week to help fight back and lower the overcharges on car tab fees. With any luck, Sound Transit will soon have to face reality and lower their valuation formula.

Seattle gun and ammunition sale tax revenue falls well short of Liberal expectations. The tax was estimated to bring in $300,000-$500,000 a year for the city, but revenue didn’t even exceed $200,000 during 2016. $275,000 of the tax money was intended to be spent on gun-violence research at Harborview Medical Center, but Seattle is not spending the money until a lawsuit from 2015 is resolved.

Seattle slammed over tourist satisfaction survey – looking at you Seattle Department of Transportation. Seattle ranked 37 out of 50. Reasons for the low ranking were: that the city is too expensive, “traffic congestion and poor signage make it tough for a visitor to get around the city,” and that people were frequently met with the Seattle freeze – a term coined for the unfriendly demeanor many people are greeted with when coming to Seattle. In fairness to Seattleites, all of those taxes they pay would drive anyone to be extra grumpy.

Yakima City Council denied car tab fee increases on Tuesday, rejecting a plan that would have raised car tab fees by $20 for residents. The proposed increase was to pay for $24 million in sidewalk and street repairs.

Gov. Inslee has been invited to the General Assembly of the United Nations to speak about the environment as thousands of raw sewage continue to flow into the Puget Sound… He is also traveling to San Francisco to speak at the World Economic Forum Center on innovation, education and human connection.

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.