Olympia this week

The Columbian editorial board blasts Inslee for sidelining state legislators (The Columbian) 

The Columbian editorial board – once again – called on Inslee to call a special session in the wake of his latest restrictions that threaten the survival of small businesses across our state.

The editorial board writes that, since March, Inslee has “left 147 elected legislators on the sidelines, eschewing input and limiting the viewpoints that contribute to such decisions.” 

While the emergency orders were understandable at the beginning of the pandemic when little was known of the virus, Inslee’s insistence on one-man governing is inexcusable. 

Following the announcement of his latest restrictions, Inslee lamented that “all of us would like to have had the financial aspects of this totally resolved when we announced this today.” But they were not – because he refuses to call a special session. The fact that state leaders do not have the “financial aspects” worked out is –as described by the Columbian – “unconscionable.”
       
Families bear the steep costs of Inslee’s failed leadership  (Washington Policy Center)

Jay Inslee’s poor leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic began with the state’s failure to gather information about the full impact of the illness, making it impossible for the state to “take a more targeted and effective approach.” 

Unfortunately, as the Washington Policy Center’s Todd Myers writes, “the cost of that failure is now being paid by families.” Inslee dealt with the COVID-19 with massive shutdowns and restrictions – essentially, forcing people to remain in their homes and businesses to close. 

Myers writes, “It is easy to reduce the spread of the coronavirus if the cost to people and the economy is ignored.” 

Inslee’s easy solution to a complex problem inflicted heavy damage on people and businesses. As a result, Washington state now suffers from the 5th highest rate of business closures in the nation. 

Given the latest round of restrictions on small businesses and his continued refusal to call a special session, Inslee has not learned a lesson from his failed leadership.  Inslee should be recalled.
       
The Seattle Times editorial board: Focus on reopening schools  (Seattle Times)

“Strong state leadership on reopening schools safely is crucial in this moment. Right now,” writes the Seattle Times editorial board. 

The new piece points out the failures of remote learning to educate children across our state and calls on in-person learning as soon as possible. Our kids are struggling, and families cannot continue sacrificing staying home from work. 

Science is on the side of reopening schools – evidence shows elementary school classrooms “pose no greater threat of spreading this virus than the surrounding communities.” Unfortunately, state leaders have failed to take action. 

Jay Inslee’s failure to call a special session has meant lawmakers cannot push solutions like state-level legislation to establish reopening thresholds proposed by Republican Sen. John Braun.
       
Seattle passes 2021 budget, defunds police  (My Northwest)

The Seattle City Council passed its 2021 budget with the inclusion of massive cuts to the Seattle Police Department (SPD). Mayor Jenny Durkan promised to sign the new budget next week. The SPD will face a 20% reduction to their already stretched budget. 

For years, the SPD has faced staffing and resource shortages, limiting police responses to emergency calls and crimes.   With the record police officers leaving Seattle (and projections more officers will leave), Seattle Democrats severely jeopardized the safety of Seattle residents and surrounding areas. 

Yet, they are celebrating their “achievement.” Socialist Councilmember Kshama Sawant praised the “real testament to the power of that [defund the police] movement” that led Seattle Democrats’ commitment to “defunding the police by 50 percent.”