Washington Democrats are divided on the question of whether President Joe Biden should continue his 2024 campaign – and some are attempting to straddle the fence. Rep. Adam Smith is now openly calling for Biden to withdraw, arguing that Biden can no longer effectively campaign and that a new candidate is needed to defeat Donald Trump. Yesterday, in an appearance on CNN, Smith criticized Biden’s debate performance and expressed concerns about Biden’s ability to connect with voters.

Sen. Patty Murray also spoke out yesterday and – unsurprisingly – she took a milk toast stance. Murray did not call for Biden to drop out but urged him to strengthen his campaign efforts, for what that’s worth. And, predictably enough, when questioned for her opinion, Rep. Pramila Jayapal shifted focus to criticizing Trump.

Last week, Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez expressed concerns about Biden’s ability to win the election but did not call for him to drop out, acknowledging his position as the nominee based on primary results. She attributed potential defeat to the damage done by a debate performance. Rep. Rick Larsen distanced himself from calls for Biden to step down, affirming his support for Biden and clarifying – amusingly enough – that he should not be confused with Adam Smith. And, finally, Rep. Suzan DelBene dodged the question altogether by emphasizing the high stakes of the election and framing the choice as between – laughably enough – “responsible” Democrat governance and “extremist” Republicans. Read more at MyNorthwest.com and the Washington State Standard.

The Washington Research Council recently pointed out an unsurprising fact – the state’s gross fuel tax revenue forecast has not been meaningfully updated since September 2023. Notably, the gross fuel tax is the largest revenue source for transportation, making up 50.6% of 2021–23 revenues. That, in turn, means that the state’s recent transportation revenue forecasts simply cannot be trusted. And, of course, that all works out for the state – after all, you can’t meet goals without data. Read more at the Washington Research Council.

And some media folk wonder why people might think the media biased. Just read how Crosscut presents the cap-and-tax program and Initiative 2117, seeking to stop the gas tax. Essentially, the article is a press release from the Jay Inslee, devoid of facts. Conveniently, only oil and gas companies are mentioned as paying for carbon credits. The article fails to ever mention how other institutions – including universities – that need credits are impacted. But perhaps most galling is the article’s portrayal of the tax funding only beneficial projects as opposed to the reality of it creating a massive state bureaucracy. For those interested, you can read the full article here.

Adam Ratliff, a filmmaker and social media content creator, recently pointed out that bureaucrats are targeting all dams, not just the four lower Snake River dams. Speaking at an Idaho Wheat Commission webinar, he emphasized the misinformation surrounding these dams, such as their alleged obstruction of salmon migration and outdated functionality. Ratliff contended that the decline in salmon populations was due to overfishing between 1880 and 1920, not the dams. He warned of a broader strategy to dismantle nearly all dams, impacting vital irrigation projects across multiple rivers.

Ratliff also argued that removing the lower Snake River dams would reduce the economic value of the river transportation corridor by 40%, indirectly threatening other dams. As Shift WA has long argued, Ratliff made the case that the campaign to remove the dams is driven by exaggerated ecological concerns and hidden motives. He emphasized the numerous benefits of the dams, including electricity and transportation, and noted that other countries are striving to build similar infrastructure. Preserving these dams, Ratliff concluded, is crucial for ensuring environmental and economic sustainability for the future. Read more at the Capital Press.

It should come as no surprise that, amid a record-breaking heatwave in the Puget Sound, Puget Sound Energy (PSE) is asking Seattle-area customers to conserve energy between 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. to maintain a stable energy supply. A recent email from PSE asked customers to take steps like reducing the use of electronics. The email read, “Instead of watching TV or using electronics that need to be plugged in, read a book, play a board game, or spend quality time with your household.” Ironically enough, as KTTH’s Jason Rantz points out, these are the same people – along with Democrats – who are pushing for a ban on natural gas and a transition to electric vehicles.

Meanwhile, it looks increasingly likely that Initiative 2066 will be on the November ballot and voters will have the chance to overturn Democrats’ natural gas ban. Read more at KTTH.

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