SB 5533 would prohibit unions from contributing to gubernatorial campaigns. The bill would serve to end an this conflict of interest, much like how insurance companies are not allowed to donate to the Insurance Commissioner race due to conflict of interest. Currently, State employee unions are allowed to contribute to the political campaigns of the governor, while they negotiate pay raises behind closed doors with that same governor. The conflict is obvious, but union members are crying out nonetheless that they are being unfairly targeted.

The Department of Homeland Security has granted Washington a temporary extension on getting state issued ID cards to fit federal regulations. As they are, state driver’s licenses and ID cards would not pass federal regulations – meaning Washington residents would need a passport or an enhanced driver’s license in order to fly domestically. “This extension is intended to provide Washington with the opportunity to take any necessary steps needed to meet all the requirements of the REAL ID Act.”

HB 2095 would replace the I-5 bridge over the Columbia River between Oregon and Washington. “We need this bridge. The state needs this bridge,” Rep. Paul Harris (R-Vancouver) said during the hearing. Bridge congestion has reportedly made it difficult for people to commute over the bridge, restricting economic growth as well as making personal commutes difficult.

Your sales tax is going up thanks to Sound Transit 3. For King County, $1.40 of every $100 you spend is going to Sound Transit. Sales tax will also be rising in Pierce and Snohomish counties to cover the costs of expanding the light rail – pushing some county sales taxes as high as 10.4%. As of now, the taxes are in place indefinitely.

Teamsters Local 117 has permission to unionize Uber drivers, unless federal lawsuits prevail and overturn the Seattle law.  A group of Uber and Lyft drivers have filed lawsuits to halt the unions from gaining the ability to organize drivers. A hearing has been set for Thursday. “It sounds to me like you’re adding a middle man in a place where a middle man is not necessary,” driver Charles Jenkins said.

Seattle’s 520 bridge has flawed anchor cables. A video of the cables shows that some cables have even “popped out” of their bindings. A 2016 inspection showed “anomalies” in the cables. WSDOT has reportedly said, “We wanted to make sure we had the longevity for the bridge so we wanted them replaced.” One hopes that WSDOT would prioritize fixing the highly frequented, “structurally deficient” 520 bridge before something tragic happens.

Seattle is suing the federal government. Mayor Ed Murray said the executive order President Trump signed targets sanctuary cities. “It is violating the law. It is unconstitutional.” Murray has cited the tenth amendment as the foundation of the lawsuit and is arguing the executive order is making it so Seattle is “unable to accurately plan its upcoming budget.” 

Jerry Weber has been chosen as the new president of Bellevue College. Weber has been president of College of Lake County in Illinois for six years. “He has a tremendous passion for the college’s mission to change people’s lives,” Bellevue College trustee Merisa Heu-Weller said. Weber is set to step into his position this summer.

Rep. David Taylor (R-Moxee) is asking the same question as many of us. Why haven’t we heard any environmental special interest groups say to stop dumping raw sewage into the Puget Sound” Environmentalists continue to be silent after the West Point Treatment Plant dumped hundreds of millions of raw waste into the Puget Sound. The “silence is deafening.” One has to wonder if it would be the same situation were West Point a privately owned company.

Gov. Inslee vows to continue “progress in Washington state,” regardless of Trump administration’s latest proposal to cut the EPA budget. Inslee has failed to convince Washington voters to pass a cap-and-trade tax, but is pressing ahead with his plan to reduce greenhouse-gas levels by 90 percent in 2050 in comparison to where they were in 1990.

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