The problem with writing about some of the crazy actions of the majority-party Democrats in Olympia is that at any time, a few of them could come to their senses and allow good things to happen (or at least stop more bad things). And that may well be the case with this story since the continued legality of possession and public usage of hard drugs in Washington is up for debate behind closed doors, and the fate of the so-called “Blake Fake” – SB 5536 – could be announced before this briefing is sent.

That would be the case if legislators were listening to their constituents or to local leaders. KIRO reports that “two dozen mayors across Washington are calling out lawmakers over plans to change drug laws” and that the “law that ultimately gets passed out of the legislature needs to contain tougher guardrails so that individuals enter and complete the necessary treatment and services.”

Suffice it to say that House Democrats – led by pro-legalization Representative Roger Goodman – are still pushing for their version of the bill (which is opposed by the mayors) to legalize hard drug possession and public use (and prohibit cities from passing laws that punish drug users). And if that fails, the House Democrats want to do nothing – which will work for pro-legalization State Senator Manka Dhingra. She is on the negotiating team, which could decide that legalization is the only option that has enough Democrat votes to pass. You can follow your favorite news source for the latest on SB 5536 and read on for more background here. (Shift, KIRO 7)

First-term Republican Representative Sam Low (39th LD) joined us for this week’s Newsmaker Interview. Representative Low is a member of the powerful House Rules Committee, as well as the Transportation Committee, the Housing Committee, and the State Government/Tribal Affairs Committee. He shared his thoughts on disappointing bills passed by Democrats like their watered-down version of police pursuit reform, the liberal drug possession measure, the erosion of parental rights, and stricter gun restrictions which he believes the courts will rule is unconstitutional. Read more.

You know the legislature is winding down when members are reduced to casting a series of votes on bills that are sure to pass but which may be vehicles for sending a message. That was the approach that State Senator Mark Schoesler took with several tax break bills, reported Capitol Press, to point out that the Democrat-controlled legislature will not fulfill its promise to the agricultural community to exempt farmers from the increased fuel costs of the new cap-and-tax scheme – even though the state collected tens of millions more than it expected in its first cap-and-tax auction. Sen. Schoesler’s votes did not impact the final passage of the tax breaks, but his observation that “We are shifting money from people who like to use energy to people who like to spend money” is also a reminder that tax favors and promises are always at the whim of the majority party, and you can read here how the current one doesn’t care much for farmers. (Capitol Press, Shift)

Some things are so obvious that they require regular study, which is how Center Square learned from the Reason Foundation’s annual report that “Washington state ranks 46 out of 50 states for highway performance and cost-effectiveness.” Unfortunately for the state’s Democrat transportation bureaucrats, it’s hard to hide a system that is last in the country in “capital and bridge spending per mile (No. 50) and maintenance spending per mile.” Thanks to years of Democrat under-investment while overcharging for roads, you can read how “Washington ranks in the bottom ten nationally in six of the report’s 13 metrics.” (Center Square)

Here is some keen insight into the mind of a career government type – using public money to pay off other public bureaucrats thanks to your own longstanding and well-known misbehavior is what former County Prosecutor Mark Roe told the Herald are “purely sensible business decisions,” given how much it would cost to defend against the lawsuits.” And, defending against (then settling) lawsuits because of Mr. Roe is something Snohomish County officials are used to by now, since this “payout, the fifth for claims against Roe since he left office, makes $1.7 million in settlements to ex-employees.” Read more about your wasted money here. (HeraldNet)

Liberals are really reaching a new low when, in the face of multi-billion dollar budget surpluses and an operating budget increasing this year by over 20%, the Seattle Times reports they are resorting to “tapping into a $42 million account dedicated to youth athletic fields — a fund created as a part of the 1997 voter-approved deal to build a new Seahawks stadium” – so the state can help local communities with “upgrades to minor league ballparks — needed to meet demands from Major League Baseball.” So the adults in the room are raiding the one small account dedicated to youth athletic fields and stretching that definition to include “government bureaucrats sucking up to baseball club owners (including the Democrats Senate Majority Leader).” One parent’s perspective: “For the Legislature to strip away a voter-approved opportunity to increase access for kids to play sports is a disappointment and a slap in the face to these community members who have worked so hard to develop a program to address this important issue.” To read more about this obvious non-conflict-of-interest, read here. (Seattle Times)

In a story that is sure to be repeated in the coming years, the still-new King County Regional Homelessness Authority (KCRHA) is already facing budget problems and is demanding more of your money – to add staff!  KOMO reports the agency faces trouble “on multiple fronts as $14 million in one-time funds are expected to run out next year, and administrators say the agency needs to add staff. The budget issues come at the same time the KCRHA is overdue on releasing a revised draft of its five-year plan, which has drawn heavy criticism for the initially proposed price tag of $12 billion.” You can prepare for more financial mismanagement news regularly from KCRHA by reading here. (KOMO)

BREAKING DOWN THE DEMOCRATS LATEST ATTACK ON PARENTS

NONE OF THE MURDER VICTIMS OF THE PEOPLE BEING CELEBRATED BY DEMOCRATS WERE ABLE TO MAKE IT TO THE SIGNING CEREMONY

WAITING FOR THE OUTRAGE ABOUT RACISM – OH WAIT, IT’S A DEMOCRAT WHO SAID THAT

To get early insight into what might make Shift’s next Daily Briefing worth reading, tune in to 570 KVI on your AM dial weekday mornings at 8:05, to hear John Carlson talk Washington State legislative politics with Shift co-founder Randy Pepple. And you can always stay for the rest of the Commute with Carlson by tuning in here.

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