Now that Jay Inslee has settled back to being governor, his staff wants to keep his activities a secret.  Even though he was meeting with other public officials (also with taxpayer funded salaries) discussing education funding issues, the Inslee team denied public access to the Governor’s meetings in Snohomish County with education leaders and students.   (Everett Herald)

Congresswoman Jaime Herrera Beutler is asking for Governor Inslee to assist in stopping Oregon’s tolling plans that will greatly impact Vancouver area commuters.  In a letter Herrera Beutler wrote, “Now that you’ve declared your intention to serve as governor for four more years, we need your involvement before Oregon moves forward with a plan that treats Southwest Washington commuters as a revenue source without providing them with any benefit.” (Vancouver Columbian)

Proposal to streamline Seattle City projects from being delayed by State Environmental Policy Act.  While private projects could still be crushed by endless appeals, city projects would be exempt from portions of the environmental review process.   Besides giving their own projects special privileges, it has been curious the lack of outrage this is receiving from the enviro community.  The enviro lefty group Sightline failed to mention this significant environmental exception in their daily top ten Pacific Northwest news items. (Seattle Times and Sightline)

King County Councilmember Reagan Dunn criticizes the new regional homeless authority.  Dunn believes the 11-person board is designed to give “politicians in Seattle political cover” for their failed policies that attract more homeless individuals than are helped. (MyNorthwest)

Following other local governments around the state, the municipalities of Spokane County, the City of Spokane, and the City of Spokane Valley have passed legislation allowing them to keep sales tax revenue for housing.  In response to a new bill passed earlier this year in Olympia, local governments can keep 0.0073% of the tax collected if it is spent on affordable housing. The municipalities must pass legislation this year in order to qualify. (Spokesman Review)

The City of Wapato saga continues as rumors of cut security systems, document theft and misappropriated funds cause the city council to enact security measures.  The council removed all credit cards assigned to city employees, changed locks and computer passwords, and removed all shredders on city property.  For the third straight meeting the council voted unanimously asking for the mayor to resign.  (Yakima Herald)

The Department of Energy notified the state’s Department of Ecology that they will likely be missing many deadlines for the construction of the Hanford vitrification plant.  The plant, which will handle much of the radioactive and hazardous chemical waste created at the site, has been court ordered to be completed by 2036. (Tri-City Herald)

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