The Morning Briefing – January 16, 2018

“It has angered me.” – Jay Inslee on the DOL not following his executive order on immigration from last year

Happening in Olympia

Democrats are once again prioritizing Sound Transit over taxpayers, with ever-more excuses for why they can’t fix the car-tab overtaxation problem created by…them. Their first priority is protecting the agency. “We just want to make sure that whatever we’re doing here to provide car-tab relief doesn’t make light rail delayed or canceled to the places it needs to go,” Sen. Marko Liias (D-Lynnwood) said – after The Stranger lit up Liias and his Democratic colleagues. (The Seattle Times)

Federal immigration agents will need to provide court orders in order to access the DOL’s records, as of yesterday. In response to the DOL not following his executive order, Gov. Inslee eloquently stated, “it has angered me.” (The News Tribune)

Deputy director of the DOL, Jeff DeVere, resigned following the failure of the Department to adhere to Inslee’s executive order regarding not sharing personal information with federal immigration officials. (The News Tribune)

Bill Watch

Prohibiting the manufacture, sale, purchase or possession of trigger modification devices. | SB 5992 | Nearly 2,000 people, both for and against, showed up for yesterday’s public hearing on the latest gun control bill in Olympia. “There is zero evidence a law of this kind deters criminals,” Phil Watson with the Firearms Policy Coalition said. “The criminals aren’t going to be penalized by these bills, they’re going to make criminals out of law-abiding gun owners,” gun rights proponent Dave Westhaver said. | (The News Tribune)

Concerning automatic voter registration | HB 2433 | public hearing scheduled today

Enacting the Washington voting rights act | HB 1800 | public hearing scheduled today

Updating inflationary amounts in campaign finance laws | HB 1835 | public hearing scheduled today

Regarding the arrests of persons in violation of certain no-contact orders | HB 2466 | public hearing scheduled today

Ensuring that water is available for permit exempt and instream uses | HB 2740 | public hearing scheduled today

Reducing carbon pollution by moving to a clean energy economy | SB 6203 | public hearing scheduled today

Western Washington

The Port of Kingston will be selling the former Kingston Express for $250,000. The ferry was a failed attempt at running a passenger-only ferry, and has been sitting in port since 2012. (The Spokesman-Review)

“Flexibility in enforcing existing rules,” is one answer Snohomish County Councilmember Nate Nehring proposed in order to deal with nuisance drug houses. His legislation “wouldn’t create any new laws…(but) outline a process for voluntary abatement and mandatory abatement,” giving officers “teeth” that they lack under current laws. (MyNorthwest)

Eastern Washington

College Place residents will be voting on three public school levies – the sum of the three is $2.92 million, which falls just below the $2.98 million that voters approved for levies in 2014. The reason for the levy split is a new law that prohibits pushing forward levies that cost more than $1.50 per assessed $1,000 property value. Hmm…(Union Bulletin)

Spokane will soon become a “delivery hub” for marijuana products,as the city was chosen as one of 15 cannabis distribution center locations for Duber Technology. (KREM)

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