The Senate Committee on Environment, Energy & Technology advanced Inslee’s clean-fuel standard bill on a party line vote. Democrats are preparing to place a massive tax hike on drivers, just so Inslee can have something to talk about on the campaign trail. “My fear with this bill is that it would raise the cost of fuel by about 16 cents, so I’ll be a no on this,” said Sen. Phil Fortunato (R-Auburn). “To try to get this extra little bit of carbon reduction (with this bill) is going to translate into a huge cost, but it’s going to provide very little benefit.” (Washington State Wire)

“This documentary that KOMO has put together has changed the conversation in a real way and I think that’s going to have an impact here in the legislature. It’s going to have an impact in city councils throughout the Puget Sound Region.” That’s what Sen. Hans Zeiger (R-Puyallup) had to say about a provocative documentary by KOMO News reporter Eric Johnson on the homelessness crisis. Zeiger is calling for special committee work sessions to address the issues highlighted in the special. (KOMO News)

The Seattle City Council is looking at how they will handle filling Councilmember Rob Johnson’s seat following his resignation. The council will appoint an individual to a 20-day replacement period. Candidates can apply to fill the vacancy at [email protected]. “Given the need for our new Councilmember to ‘hit the ground running’ and this fall’s election seven months away, I believe we should appoint an experienced ‘caretaker,” Council President Bruce Harrell said in a memo. (MyNorthwest)

Later today, signs for the new “Oso Slide Memorial Highway” portion of Highway 530 will be unveiled during a memorial ceremony near the site of the 2014 landslide. The Washington State Transportation Commission approved a resolution last month that renames the portion of SR-530. The memorial comes five years after the landslide. (Seattle Times)

The federal government confirmed yesterday that the suspect who killed a Kittitas County sheriff’s deputy was living in the country illegally. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement said the murderer entered the United States in 2014 on a temporary agricultural worker visa and never left. Local police said they were still investigating the suspect’s background and why he led the officers on a chase. (Spokesman Review)

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