The Morning Briefing – December 11, 2017

AG Bob Ferguson is joining with Amazon in the company’s latest lawsuit.


Either Amazon went bankrupt buying Whole Foods, or Ferguson is looking for another reason to shove his name into headlines…

Heppening in Olympia

Sen. Tim Sheldon (D-Potlatch) has called out Gov. Inslee for not supporting Eastern Washington’s dams. The Governor announced he opposes HR 3144 – which would prevent breaching the Snake River dams. Sheldon joined others in writing, “The governor clearly is siding with environmental groups and the tiny minority of people who think it would be a good idea to tear down (the dams)… he hasn’t gotten the message about the importance of these dams.” (Washington State Wire)

AG Bob Ferguson has found another way to splash his name across headlines by joining up with Amazon to sue a Massachusetts-based company they accuse of attempting to enroll people into fraudulent training programs. (The Spokesman-Review)

Western Washington

Seattle is attempting to take their income tax case to the Supreme Court, after losing thoroughly in the case’s first round. City of Seattle officials signed documents stating their intention to appeal the total drubbing they took. “I think it’s a long shot,” Mayor Jenny Durkan admitted. (MyNorthwest)

Seattle and King County officials responded to a letter from the Justice Department that threatened to cut off grant funding if Seattle remains a sanctuary city. Seattle City Attorney Pete Holmes said the request is an “attempt to coerce cities like Seattle into enforcing federal immigration policies (that) violate the US constitution.” (MyNorthwest)

Seattle’s DOT is already trying to use the Key Arena renovation to reduce cars in the city, saying in a blog post that “superior transportation options” are the “big advantage” to Key Arena’s proposed renovation. It’s just too bad SDOT’s proposed transportation options aren’t actually superior to, well, anything, and many feeling transportation issues will continue to dog the Key Arena plan. (SDOT Blog, MyNorthwest) 

Construction begins today to build bridges over I-405 that will carry light rail trains, which means 405 lane closures and street closures in downtown Bellevue. (The Seattle Times)

A burn ban was announced in Snohomish and Pierce Counties after the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency found poor air quality resulting from stagnant conditions. The Stage 1 Burn Ban began Friday. (MyNorthwest)

Paine Field in Everett suffered three plane crashes within a week – although officials say the crashes were not related. The airfield is expected to open to passenger jet service at the end of 2018. (MyNorthwest)

Eastern Washington

WSU is facing criticism over the handling of its $30 million budget deficit. Some students are posting flyers around campus, arguing that the administration cut into student funds and programs rather than their own “massive paychecks.” (The Daily Evergreen)

Two wolves were found dead in Eastern Washington by the Dept. of Fish and Wildlife. Both were being monitored and the department says they were illegally poached – which can result in fines from $5,000 to $100,000. (MyNorthwest)

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