Trial date set for WSDOT whistleblower who refused to lie about Cap-and-Trade scheme
OLYMPIA—A trial date has been set in the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) whistleblower lawsuit, brought by the Citizen Action Defense Fund (CADF) on behalf client Scott Smith. The trial has been scheduled for August 18, 2025, in Thurston County Superior Court. The parties are proceeding with discovery, which according to the scheduling order, […]
What’s the cost if WA voters reject capital gains tax, end cap-and-trade?
A pair of new reports outline financial consequences if voters approve ballot measures this fall repealing Washington’s capital gains tax and scrapping its cap-and-trade program. Passing the initiatives will dry up significant streams of revenue the state government is counting on for programs ranging from child care and early learning to electric vehicles and clean […]
Whistleblower who refused to lie about Cap-and-Trade scheme, files lawsuit
OLYMPIA—The Citizen Action Defense Fund (CADF) filed a lawsuit on Tuesday, March 5, on behalf of whistleblower Scott Smith, who earlier last year was pressured by the Governor’s Office of Financial Management and the Washington State Department of Transportation to change the numbers in his reports that indicated that the cap-and-trade scheme was significantly impacting […]
As Washington gets an income tax, the fight to overturn it begins
[OLYMPIA | JERRY CORNFIELD]—Come Monday, Washington is expected to have a state income tax on the books for the first time in nearly a century. Then what? A legal challenge certainly, maybe two. A ballot battle as well, its timing less certain. Opponents of the much-debated 9.9% tax on households with incomes above $1 million a […]
New targeted tax in WA aims to keep coal power plant shut down
OLYMPIA [TOM BANSE]—Tax legislation Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson signed Wednesday targets the last coal-fired power plant in the Pacific Northwest. But if the coal tax and a related climate pollution fee work as the Legislature intended, the state treasury will never collect a dime under the new law. That is because the idled Centralia, Washington, generating […]
Budget Drama: Democrat leader confesses to being impaired during hearing, calling it a ‘poor choice’
OLYMPIA—Washington state House Majority Leader Joe Fitzgibbon (D-Seattle) acknowledged Thursday that he drank alcohol before a late-night committee hearing Wednesday evening, where lawmakers said he appeared impaired while wrapping up debate on a key budget bill. The Democrat from West Seattle, in a statement to conservative radio host Jason Rantz, called it a “poor choice” […]
Budget bills in WA Legislature would tap rainy day fund, spend heavily on legal payouts
OLYMPIA [Jake Goldstein-Street and Bill Lucia] —Democrats in the Washington Legislature on Sunday proposed tapping the state’s rainy day savings account and slashing hundreds of millions of dollars for a child care program for low-income families to balance the state’s budget into next year. But under their plans, the state’s main operating account would have a more […]
Clash in WA Legislature over proposal to add rules for initiative signers
OLYMPIA—A push by Democratic state senators for greater scrutiny of those circulating and signing initiative petitions advanced in the Washington Legislature on Tuesday over the objections of Republicans and the secretary of state. Opponents of the legislation argue it would impede voters’ ability to engage in the initiative process, which allows citizens to propose changes […]
Lynnwood Times Political Maverick of the Year goes to Brian Heywood
The Lynnwood Times Political Maverick of the Year for 2024 goes to Brian Heywood, CEO of Taiyo Pacific Partners and founder of Let’s Go Washington, for introducing a record-breaking six citizen initiatives during the 2024 legislative session—three of which were approved by both legislative chambers (the most citizen initiatives ever approved by law makers in […]
Bob Ferguson is officially the governor of Washington state
Bob Ferguson, a Democrat, took the oath of office for governor on Wednesday in front of family, friends and lawmakers in a crowded House of Representatives chamber. The 59-year-old Seattleite began his new role after 12 years as the state’s attorney general. He is Washington’s 24th governor. In his inaugural address, Ferguson mapped out his priorities: […]
