Yet another ethics problem resulting from the cozy relationship between Ben Stuckart and the Spokane Firefighters’ union. The PAC run by the Spokane Fire Fighters Union has been hit with a formal Public Disclosure Commission (PDC) complaint regarding the lack of accounting of around $70,000 that has been siphoned through its bank account.  This mysterious money is paying for the negative ads against mayoral candidate Nadine Woodward. It is also the latest of many ethics and PDC complaints between the firefighters’ union and Ben Stuckart. (ShiftWA)

Due to last year’s Janus v AFSCME Supreme Court decision there has been a sizable reduction in dues collected at a major Washington state public union.  The Washington Federation of State Employees/AFSCME Council 28 (WFSE) has seen a nearly 12% decrease in dues collected (from $27.2 million to $24 million). As a result, WFSE has had to reduce payroll from 229 staff members to 200 and make other operational cuts. (Freedom Foundation)

Washington state has now licensed over 1,000 wineries which contribute $7 billion to the state’s economy.  The growth in the industry has been a very recent development since the state had just 20 wineries in the 1980’s. (Yakima Herald)

A faulty building design cost Sea-Tac Airport over $142,000, and even though the responsible vendor said it would pay, nothing has been collected. Mackenzie, a Seattle based architecture company, designed the new Concourse D Annex building and the plans failed to meet fire codes which the Port of Seattle had to fix. The architecture company admitted fault in December 2017 yet the Port has never sought payment. (Puget Sound Business Journal)

A proposal from the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency could raise the cost of gasoline 57 cents a gallon.  The Agency, which encompasses King, Kitsap, Pierce, and Snohomish counties is considering a low carbon fuel standard that is more extreme than standards that failed to pass in the 2019 legislature.  (Crosscut)

Spokane International Academy is a charter school that began five years ago with just 160 pupils and today it has over 500 students with hundreds more on a waiting list.  The school provides smaller class sizes and more educational freedom than normal public schools.  Even though the Washington Education Association and the Democrats in the legislature have denied charter schools access to capital funding for building purchases and denied them access to local levy funding, the Academy is in the process of buying a $9.7 million dollar building for more expansion. This is occurring while the Spokane School District is making severe budget cuts. (Spokesman Review and Washington Policy Center)

Catholic Charities in Spokane has created a “safety team” that is able to make arrests to provide security for its downtown property.  Working with the Spokane Police Department, the team members receive training and can make limited arrests for certain crimes.  Special emphasis has been placed on keeping out trespassers.  (KXLY)

Already receiving media attention from across the country, Washington state apple growers will debut the Cosmic Crisp apple on December 1^st.  The apple was developed by Washington State University with the research paid for by Washington growers.  (Chicago Sun Times)

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.