Olympia this week.

Seattle Time Editorial Board: “Shelve” state capital gains income tax “entirely” (Seattle Times)

Washington’s revenues are $3.2 billion over expectations, according to the latest state revenue forecast. That means – as the Seattle Times Editorial Board put it – the state has “enough money to provide necessary government services critical to the pandemic recovery.”

The fact that revenue projections are back to pre-pandemic levels is “a strong reason to pause a new tax that could hobble the long-term economy.”

With the Democrats already having rushed to pass the state capital gains income tax out of the State Senate, the editorial board urged the House to shelve the bill entirely.  “[State] revenue projections swamp any argument the state needs the money now.” And the bill itself “does a poor job of stating why it would be needed in the future.”

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Sen. Wilson addresses “record failures” at state unemployment agency (Daily News)        

Republican State Sen. Jeff Wilson (LD-19) wrote an op-ed covering the state Department of Employment Security’s (ESD) record of failure – “one of the all-time worst.”

The failures of ESD during 2020 were especially harmful to Washingtonians. Wilson writes that the 2020 “meltdown at ESD denied thousands the unemployment checks they needed as the state-ordered COVID shutdown sent unemployment soaring to record highs.” Importantly, “big payroll-tax increases point to a systemic problem that requires state attention.” Wilson calls on the state Legislature to prioritize fixing the problems as ESD and address the fundamental problem facing businesses (the law passed spreading tax increases over several years does not do enough).

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Sen. Rivers responds to State Supreme Court drug possession ruling (WAStateLeg Republican Caucus)

A recent KING 5 News report featured Republican State Sen. Ann Rivers (LD-18) on the State Supreme Court drug possession law ruling. Rivers warned drug-related crimes would increase unless drug possession is a criminal offense, subject to arrest.

Republican lawmakers are pushing to make drug possession an arrestable offense again following the shocking court ruling that the current law is unconstitutional. It is the responsibility of state lawmakers to re-write the law. Unfortunately, Democrat lawmakers appear uninterested in working on any such law.

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Democrats move forward on early release of violent criminals (News Tribune)

House Democrats have passed HB 1282, a bill that would change the present law on the early release of prisoners on good behavior.

Currently, the law allows for the early release of prisoners under conditions met by “good time.” The law exists on a tiered system, “low level offenders can earn up to a third off their sentence; for violent and sex offenses, up to 10% off.” If Senate Democrats move forward with HB 1282, the law would change to allow “one third good time applicable to all offenses and apply it retroactively to those already in prison.”

Mary Robnett, Pierce County Prosecutor, warns in an op-ed for The Tacoma News Tribune that the “wholesale release of our most serious violent criminal and sex offenders into our community while we grapple with resurgent crime rates and court backlogs is the last thing we need.”