There are some close ones in the vote count this year
Happening in Olympia
Senate races in the 26th and the 42nd Legislative Districts look headed for recounts. In the 26th District, Republican Marty McClendon and Democrat Emily Randall are separated by just 0.12 percentage points, advantage Randall. The race between Sen. Doug Ericksen (R-Ferndale) and challenger Pinky Vargas in the 42nd is even tighter, with Ericksen leading 0.08 percentage points. (Seattle Times)
Rep. Dave Hayes (R-Camano Island) conceded Friday morning to Democrat Dave Paul in their race for a seat in the state House representing the 10th Legislative District. By Friday evening, Paul’s lead held at 50.4 percent of the vote, a 560-vote advantage. “It’s very disappointing,” Hayes said Friday. “I am still going to be very involved in my community.” (Everett Herald)
The U.S. House of Representatives approved a bill last week to drop legal protections for gray wolves across the lower 48 states. “I believe we can do a better job with local collaboration – with the ranchers, the environmental community and other stakeholders to decide what the best path forward is,” Cong. Cathy McMorris Rodgers said in an interview after the vote. (The Spokesman-Review)
Western Washington
Evergreen State College had problems long before it sparked a national debate after students protested a teacher who dared to (calmly) speak his mind. Those troubles are showing in its enrollment numbers. “To some degree no matter how many emails we send out or postcards we mail or individual meetings that we have with (prospective) students, if questions about our reputation are hanging in the background, it makes those efforts much more difficult…” Eric Pedersen, the college’s chief enrollment officer, told trustees at a recent meeting. (The Olympian)
Eastern Washington
Two former employees are suing Bechtel National, a contractor for the federal Department of Energy, saying they lost their jobs after raising concerns about safety at the Hanford vitrification plant. “Mr. Hall [one of the former employees] raised questions as part of his day-to-day engineering work, as we expect all employees to do,” said Bechtel spokesman George Rangel. Hall is asking for his job back, and damages based on lost pay, his reputation, and humiliation. (Tri-City Herald)
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