Commentary
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Last year, our Democratic colleagues felt compelled to brag that the Legislature had adjourned on schedule five sessions in a row, with no need to go into overtime. It was presumably an attempt to … more
Salmon extinction is not an option, but harvest management alone is not going to get us to recovery. In April, the treaty tribes in western Washington and our state co-manager finalized the … more
When I talk to constituents in the 20th Legislative District about issues affecting our communities and state, many have expressed to me a deep distrust in our governing institutions. This … more
The energetic kid badly wanting to sign up for an after school program. The words- loving student struggling to hear their teacher’s stories. The parent desperate to find help for their kid for … more
Our Ridgefield waterfront is a treasure: the only publicly owned waterfront in our community, with public amenities and connections to downtown and world-class natural resources. And like any … more
Republicans came into this year’s legislative session vowing to fix the state’s drug possession law so offenders would have more incentive to enter and complete treatment. We remain … more
A troubling theme has emerged this past legislative session that should concern all Washingtonians regardless of political affiliation. The majority party in the state House has continually voted … more
In Olympia, we’re in the last few weeks of the legislative session and attention is turning to the state’s budgets. I’m getting lots of questions about those budgets, so … more
A troubling theme has emerged this past legislative session that should concern all Washingtonians regardless of political affiliation. The majority party in the state House has continually voted … more
The story is the stuff of legends: someone suffers a cardiac arrest during a basketball game. Thanks to the nearby AED and CPR, the player’s life is saved.   Except this time … more
Drugs in our state are clearly more lethal than firearms. Just look at King County, where 83 people were fatally shot in 2022, but more than 1,000 people fatally overdosed. With that disparity in … more
On 10 occasions, Washington state residents have voted down proposals to create income taxes in Washington state and, until Friday, the state constitution was always interpreted to prohibit the … more
The no-new-taxes operating budget proposal introduced in the Senate this session is a welcome turnaround. To be clear, there is no more need for new taxes this year than there was in either 2019 … more
After trying for more than a dozen years to impose a carbon tax in our state, legislative Democrats succeeded in 2021. That’s the now-infamous session which also gave our state a new income … more
Washington’s housing affordability crisis hurts every corner of the state. We’ve all heard stories. Nurses and grocery store employees can’t afford to live where they work. Young … more
For senior Cambrie Opdahl, it was “Family Matters.” For freshman Titan Kala, it was “A Christmas Carol.” For Stephan “Cash” Henry, the director of Battle … more
Students in our K-12 public schools are clearly struggling with the “three Rs” — reading, (w)riting and (a)rithmetic. Only 32.6% of the fourth graders and eighth graders tested … more
One year from now, in February 2024, we will mark the 50th anniversary of federal Judge George Boldt’s ruling in United States vs. Washington, which affirmed tribes’ treaty-reserved … more
For many Washingtonians, the 2023 property tax statements that came in the mail this month produced the same “sticker shock” they’ve felt when buying things like groce ries and … more
Six weeks into the 2023 legislative session, the state Senate reached the end of its first round of work.  The calendar we adopted on the session’s opening day set Feb. 17 as the … more
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