“Hey, have you ever noticed…” Shift ponders liberal contradictions and oddities

Maybe the summer heat is getting to us, but we’ve been staring out into the middle distance and thinking about some stuff. Have you ever noticed…

Gov. Jay Inslee appointed Joanna Carns as director of the Washington State Office of the Corrections Ombuds, a new office. Previously Carns worked as vice president of government affairs and public advocacy for Planned Parenthood of Greater Ohio. (Washington State Wire)

Facing public backlash over its handling of public records, the Legislature agreed to form a task force to work out some details on how move forward. The Seattle Times editorial board warns lawmakers they should focus on “expanding openness, rather than finding excuses for secrecy…That will involve lawmakers adopting an agenda that isn’t solely about defending themselves, but also carefully listening.” (Seattle Times)

Kent School District teachers are threatening a strike unless their union and the district reach a deal for higher pay. At a recent union meeting, 97 percent of the teachers attending voted to authorize an illegal strike with school scheduled to begin in just a few weeks. (Seattle Times)

Legislation passed earlier this year that established funding for statewide tourism marketing plan looks to get Yakima Valley on the list of destinations for more international travelers. Promoters hope to build on the success of 2017, which saw about 3.5 million overnight visitors to Yakima County who spent $410 million.(Yakima Herald-Republic)

State Sen. Kevin Ranker (D-Orcas Island) has some questions after WSU football coach Mike Leach’s recent trip to Cambodia with three Republican legislators. Leach paid for the trip himself, but Ranker wants to know if WSU’s administration knew about the trip ahead of time and “whether any WSU resources like phones, computers or staff assistance were used in the trip,” among other things. We’re all for open government and public records, but come on senator, this is a waste of time.

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