What is the appropriate punishment for Senator Mona Das for making untruthful public comments about her Democrat caucus colleagues?  In an editorial the News Tribune says, “Powerful people who are proven to have committed misconduct should be held accountable for their actions — but so should those who spread false claims of misconduct.  It’s the only way to ensure the scales of justice stay balanced. And when pseudo-victims cry wolf, it doesn’t do real victims any favors.” (News Tribune)

Lack of an income tax is one of the key reasons why Spokane and Vancouver, Washington were named the best cities in America for free-lancers.  Neighborhood.com considered income tax, internet speed, median rent, number of coffee shops, and traffic congestion in selecting the two Washington cities as the best in the country. (KXLY)

Senator Amy Klobuchar brought her presidential campaign to Washington.  Surprisingly there were no media reports recalling Klobuchar famous beat down of Jay Inslee during the first presidential debates when she drew laughter and applause for reminding Governor Zero that he wasn’t the only candidate who had fought for “reproductive rights.” (Seattle Times and YouTube)

King County Councilmember Jeanne Kohls-Wells called for the cancellation of this Friday’s Al Franken event at the Seattle Paramount Theater.  Due to new allegations of sexual misconduct against the former Democrat U.S. Senator from Minnesota, Kohls-Wells proclaimed, “Franken does not deserve a space at one of Seattle’s most historic and treasured theaters.” Over the weekend, a former staffer for U.S. Senator Patty Murray said Franken groped her at an event in 2006. (Facebook and The Cut)

Amazon manager and former Army captain Jesse Jensen announced his candidacy against 8^th District Democrat U.S. Representative Kim Schrier.  A spokeswoman for Schrier said that, “Right now, we’re not focused on politics or the next election.”  If the Schrier campaign is not focused on the next election, then why has it sent out five fundraising emails in the past six days?  (Seattle Times)

Another well-known local restaurant will be closing its doors due to cost of doing business in Seattle.  The Sitka & Spruce will be ending its 14-year run on New Year’s Eve.  The government mandated wage increase was the leading contributor in the decision to close the business.  (MyNorthwest)

Governor Inslee sent a public letter to the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) saying there should be fewer lethal removals of wolves due to conflicts with livestock.  In response, the WDFW released a statement saying that reducing wolf kills has been “a top priority” and that, “we all share the perspective that something has to change to reduce the loss of both wolves and livestock in this area.”  While the Governor was running for president, he might have missed all the stories of many people working to solve the wolf problem in eastern Washington.  (Spokesman-Review)

While Yakima is interviewing for a new “interim” city manager, the process has begun to put a measure on the ballot in 2020 to make Yakima a strong mayor form of government.  If the measure is approved by the voters, then the city manager’s position would need to be reevaluated. (KIT Radio)

Do you like The Morning Briefing? Forward this to a friend! It helps us grow our community and serve you better.

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

If you don’t want to receive this email each morning, click here to opt-out of The Morning Briefing.