Olympia this week

Tri-City Editorial board calls out Democrats for refusing to check Inslee’s powers (Tri-City Herald_

The Tri-City Editorial board is not impressed with Washington Democrats’ lack of interest in placing a check on Jay Inslee’s powers.

In a recent piece, the board called out members of the state legislature for forgetting their role in placing a check on the executive branch. Either that, writes the board, or “they are simply willing to ignore that the balance of governmental authority during the COVID pandemic has been shamefully out of whack.”

Unbelievably, Inslee has ruled by executive proclamation for one year at the end of this month. Inslee has “unilaterally made all the decisions regarding how the state manages the pandemic.”

Republican lawmakers and newspaper editorial boards across the state called on Inslee to convene a special session for much of 2020.  He never did, and Democrats never attempted to come together to bypass the governor and voter for a special session.

Now Democrats refuse to act on bills sponsored by Republicans in the House and Senate to limit the governor’s authority during emergencies.

~~~~~~~~
       
The Tacoma News Tribune calls on Democrats to check Inslee’s powers (Tacoma News Tribune)

The Tacoma News Tribune Editorial board also called out Washington Democrats for refusing to put a check on Jay Inslee’s executive powers.

With our state drawing near to the first anniversary of Inslee’s first emergency declaration for the COVID-19 pandemic, the TNT editorial board highlighted the need for state lawmakers to “uphold the separation of powers” during the 2021 session.

The board wrote, “Washington’s 49 senators and 98 representatives can reassert their status as a co-equal branch of government, no longer sidelined by a governor who wouldn’t call a special session as the public-health crisis dragged on last year.”

To do so, the board called on Democrats to “pick one or two” bills introduced by Republicans pertaining to the COVID-19 response and “schedule them for public hearings.”

~~~~~~~~
       
Democrats continue to block bill to reopen state faster (Newstalk KFLD)

Senate Democrats continue to block SB 5114, the bill to reopen businesses across Washington state faster than Jay Inslee’s plan.

Last week, Republican Sen. Shelly Short moved to bring SB 5114 immediately to the floor for a vote. By moving the whole state to Phase 2 of reopening, the bill would go a long way to helping struggling businesses.

Currently, Inslee’s reopening plan relies on faulty data, picking winners and losers by region.

The previous week, Republican Senator Jeff Wilson made a motion to vote on the SB 5114 during a committee meeting. Democrats blocked his motion. 

Washington state Democrats seem pleased with their little dictatorship.

~~~~~~~~
       
Inslee refuses to discuss his flawed reopening plan (KOMO News)

Jay Inslee refuses to re-consider his highly controversial reopening plan despite facing heavy opposition from regional health officials. Only a handful of counties – including King, Pierce, and Snohomish counties – have been able to move on to Phase 2 of Inslee’s reopening plan. That means restaurants, gyms, and bowling alleys in these regions can operate at 25% capacity for indoor dining and activities.
Businesses in much of the rest of the state remain closed.

The health board in Whatcom county called Inslee out for the flawed approach to analyzing whether or not a region fits his reopening criteria. The board wrote Inslee, “How is it fair or equitable that San Juan County, with a two-week case rate of 64/100,000 has businesses shuttered, but King County, with a two-week case of 300/100,000 (six times higher disease burden) is reopening?”

Whatcom County Health Director Erika Lautenbach also stated, “There were cracks and inconsistencies that began to show about the rationale for moving certain counties with high case rates forward and other counties with high or lower case rates staying in shutdown essentially.”

~~~~~~~~
   
Democrat senator kills bill to reopen public schools (Washington Policy Center)

Democrat Senator Lisa Wellman (D-Mercer Island) – chair of the Senate Education Committee – killed a bipartisan bill that sought to “to safely re-open schools in communities with low levels of infection.”

SB 5031 had the support of thousands of parents who are concerned over their children missing nearly a year of school – and counting. Virtual classrooms are not only ineffective but hurt the emotional and social wellbeing of children.

Wellman defended her decision to block the bill in committee by stating that she would go along with the state’s powerful teachers’ union, the Washington Education Association (WEA).

The CDC recommends that schools can safely re-open, many other states have reopened public schools.

~~~~~~~~
       
Washington state Employment Security Department delivers another blow to its fraud victims (KING 5)

The Washington State Employment Security Department (ESD) continues to exhibit its mismanagement and incompetence.  One of the consequences of ESD falling prey to a Nigerian fraud scheme was the identities of thousands of Washingtonians were stolen.  Actually, since ESD fell for this scam, the mismanagement and incompetence aren't a surprise.

Now ESD is – once again – victimizing many of these same people. ESD recently began sending 1099 forms to people who received unemployment money in 2020.

Unfortunately, people who had their identities stolen due to ESD incompetence are also receiving 1099 forms. That means people who did not receive unemployment money may be reported to the IRS as having received payments.

Richard Epstein of the BBB told King 5, “This is serious, people, because what it means is the government is reporting you were paid this money to the IRS, and that’s like a W-2. You can have to be paying taxes on that money that you never received.”

Meanwhile, the Biden Administration appointed the head of the ESD, Suzi LeVine, to manage an unemployment program in U.S. Labor Department.