Spokane voters who helped qualify an anti-camping initiative for the November ballot will have their efforts nullified if a Seattle-area lawyer well known for his frivolous attacks on conservatives (as Shift has long highlighted) succeeds with his lawsuit against the initiative’s sponsor. The Spokesman-Review reports that Knoll Lowney has filed a lawsuit arguing “that citizens can’t use local ballot measures to usurp authority that the Washington Legislature has granted to municipal governments,” pushing an issue to the forefront that allows Mayor Nadine Woodward to highlight her public safety concerns about where homeless camps are allowed.

You can read more how, as an attorney representing the initiative signers points out, this “is fundamentally an attempt to subvert the will of the people through litigation” here… Shift, Spokesman-Review.

This week’s interview is with Jackson Maynard, Executive Director of the Citizen Action Defense Fund (CADF), a non-profit organization in Washington State that aims to ensure government compliance with the rules and protection of constitutional rights. CADF asked Washington State Auditor Pat McCarthy to investigate financial and administrative issues in the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s juvenile diversion program but received a lackluster response from the Auditor. Maynard discussed his concerns about the program’s problems and other legal actions CADF is taking to hold Governor Jay Inslee and Democrat lawmakers accountable for their extreme policies. Read more on Shift.

Just when you thought it might be safe to go to your mailbox or check your emails free from political activity comes a reminder from the Washington State Standard that there is one more big election in our state this month – and that a “conservative Republican lawmaker known for his fiery orations is the heavy favorite to become the next leader of the Washington State Republican Party.” According to the Standard, State Representative Jim Walsh “has reportedly secured support of at least 80% of the 117 party officials eligible for the vote” later this month, in the race to succeed longtime chair Caleb Heimlich.

The state Republicans had one previous (disastrous) experience with a sitting lawmaker as state chair, when ex-State Senator Don Benston misguided the party for a single year over 20 years ago. Rep. Walsh seems to be taking a less belligerent approach, pointing out the state GOP “is in good shape financially and organizationally. There are no fires to put out. I can focus on building the party infrastructure and that means the ground game in every county of the state.” You can decide for yourself whether you think he can make that happen here… Washington State Standard.

It must have been a slow news Friday, as the Seattle Times handed over its editorial page to yet another Left-wing activist (from the misnamed group Climate Solutions) to complain that greedy oil companies are choosing to punish just Washington state drivers with higher prices this summer. Left unmentioned by this true believer is that the price increases which took our state’s pump price on a month-long ride carrying highest-in-the-nation status match the projection which Shift highlighted over a year ago, based on the negative impacts of Governor Jay Inslee’s cap-and-tax law which rational observers expected.

You can read more attacks on private companies for gas price impacts which the Left is demanding for fossil fuels, but doesn’t want to admit are their real goal, here… Seattle Times, Shift.

Hardly a day goes by when somebody isn’t pointing out that under Bob Ferguson the Washington State Attorney General’s Office (AGO) seems a tad unwilling to always follow the law itself. The latest example comes courtesy of lawsuit covered by Center Square accusing AG Ferguson  “of an ‘unethical and probably illegal’ act of ordering a private university that is not a client of the AGO to seize and preserve records in anticipation of a potential lawsuit” as part of “an ongoing dispute between Police Strategies President Bob Scales, a former King County prosecutor, and the AGO over various aspects of a request for proposal process to develop a public police use of force database.”

The legal grey area which AG Ferguson seems to enjoy operating in is hardly worthy of somebody busy exploring a run for governor (as Shift has noted). You can see for yourself how the AGO is willing to strongarm a private university here… Center Square, Shift.

What is a liberal to do, when the choice comes down to picking between saving trees or saving transit? That a question highlighted by KOMO in a story pointing out that more “than 400 trees in Lake Forest Park are on the chopping block if Sound Transit’s design moves forward as community advocates are asking Sound Transit to halt the project and consider an alternate approach.” You can read more about how the answer depends less on your political ideology (“We’re not anti-transit in any way shape or form”) than on how close you live to the trees here… KOMO.

Please consider making a contribution to ensure Shift continues to provide daily updates on the shenanigans of the liberal establishment.

Forward this to a friend.  It helps us grow our community and serve you better.

You can also follow SHIFTWA on social media by liking us on Facebook and following us on Twitter.

If you feel we missed something that should be covered, email us at [email protected].