Washington state megathread

[Meeker]

Another thing I noted is that CA's new districting and primary system got national news in the last couple of months like it was something brand new when CA pretty much pinched the same system WA has used for several years (in the case of the primaries) or decades (for redistricting). 

Not to bash on CA.  I grew up there and most of my family still lives there.  It just seems like one of those 600 pound gorilla things.  The country ignores it when a medium-small state like WA adopts it, but it becomes a headline if a big state does the same thing.

If CA goes to all vote by mail it will probably be big national news too, even though OR pioneered the idea (in the US).

I've noticed this phenomenon as well. California adopted online voter registration for the 2012 cycle and I saw a couple news articles that heralded this as some revolutionary breakthrough. They all ignored that fact that we've had that system in place for several cycles now (heck, you can now even register to vote on Facebook in this state).

Also, welcome to the forum!

[Meeker]

Not sure about in Wahkiakum and Clallam, but both of those independents in Mason County were just Republicans who figured out that they could win more easily with that ballot label (one of them has actually run as a Republican candidate in the past; don't know about the other).

[Meeker]

While we're on the fascinating subject of county commissioners, here's some data I assembled about county commissioners in all 39 Washington counties as a result of this month's election!

3 Republicans: Adams, Benton, Chelan, Columbia, Douglas, Ferry, Franklin, Grant, Kittitas, Klickitat, Lewis, Lincoln, Okanogan, Pend Oreille, Skamania, Spokane, Stevens, Walla Walla, Whitman, Yakima

2 Republicans, 1 Democrat: Clark, Grays Harbor, Island

2 Republicans, 1 Independent: Garfield

1 Republican, 1 Democrat, 1 Independent: Asotin, Clallam, Cowlitz

2 Independents, 1 Democrat: Mason, Wahkiakum

2 Democrats, 1 Republican: Skagit

3 Democrats: Jefferson, Kitsap, Pacific, Thurston

County Councils: Pierce (5-2 R-D with a D executive), Snohomish (4-1 D-R with a D executive)

Non-partisan Councils: King (in reality 5-4 D-R with a D executive), San Juan (I have no real idea what these people are), Whatcom (in reality 4-3 D-R with an R executive)

We lost Democratic commissioners in Cowlitz, Ferry, Grays Harbor, Island, Mason, Pend Oreille, Wahkiakum and Whitman this fall. No pick-ups to speak of.

[Meeker]

Something unexpected: the race in the 47th LD for State House, Pos. 1 went from not being in recount territory to being in hand recount territory with today's report. The Republican incumbent leads by 134 votes.

[Meeker]

Yes, that's the impression people have given me as well.

Down in Clark County, Benton leads by 82 votes today; Stonier by 135.

[Meeker]

^ lolz

Senate Democrats are out with something of a peace offering in regards to chamber control. Not clear to me if this a serious offer or just an effort to make one so they can say they tried.

- Tim Sheldon would become President Pro Tem, so he and Brad Owen would chair/vice chair the Rules Committee (both are from Mason County). The current President Pro Tem, Paull Shin, would become Vice President Pro Tem, a position which I don't think exists right now.

- Conservative Democrat Jim Hargrove of Hoquiam would chair the budget-writing Ways & Means Committee, a position being vacated by Ed Murray. The vice chair would be liberal Democrat Sharon Nelson of Vashon Island (the vice chair is in charge of the capital construction budget).

- Rodney Tom would get to keep his position as chair of the Higher Education, and it looks from a quick glance that all the other Democratic chairs stay the same as well (most notably Rosemary McAuliffe of Bothell would keep her chairmanship of the K-12 Education Committee. McAuliffe is perceived as a close ally of the WEA.)

- Meanwhile, a new "Select Committee on Education Finance and Results" would be co-chaired by David Frockt of Seattle and a Republican to-be-named. Since it's a select committee it wouldn't have any real power but would instead be more of a fact-finding task force.

- The Democrats would only have one more member than Republicans on all the committees, which is basically unheard of power for a minority party.

I guess this is better than Majority Leader Rodney Tom but... ugh.

[Meeker]

Sheldon seems pleased with the PPT offering, but it's not clear yet whether a crisis has been averted: http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2012/11/27/conservative-dems-snag-key-committee-posts-as-state-democratic-caucus-names-new-leaders

[Meeker]

Busy day in Washington politics. Seattle City Councilman Tim Burgess is running for mayor: http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2012/11/27/its-official-tim-burgess-is-running-for-mayor

[Meeker]

...aaand for my third post in a row, certification is in from all the counties.

Turnout: 81.25%

President
Obama: 56.16%
Romney: 41.29%
Others: 2.55%

Governor
Inslee: 51.54%
McKenna: 48.46%

Senator
Cantwell: 60.45%
Baumgartner: 39.55%

R-74
Approve: 53.70%
Reject: 46.30%

I-502
Yes: 55.70%
No: 44.30%

Hand recount for LD 17 State Senator (Republican leads by 78 votes); machine recounts for LD 17 State Representative Pos. 1 (Democrat leads by 139 votes) and LD 47 State Representative Pos. 1 (Republican leads by 157 votes).

[Meeker]

Mark Schoesler of Ritzville has been elected Senate Republican leader.

[Meeker]

Finkbeiner % in Seattle neighborhoods? Precinct map of Chopp v. Sawant? Please please please?

[Meeker]

The 47th LD recount was today. The Republican gained one vote, the Democrat none. GOP victory.

The 17th LD State Senate recount should be finished tomorrow. On Thursday they'll start the one for the State House seat.

[Meeker]

No; neither Sheldon nor Tom have indicated anything definitive. Last heard from Sheldon was a statement indicating his appreciation at being nominated for PPT (though there was no commitment from him to vote for the arrangement). Schoesler, the new Republican leader, has indicated he likes the coalition idea.

We may get some clarity tomorrow once Benton's victory is confirmed. Or we could be waiting until mid-January.

[Meeker]

That seems a pretty good indicator Murray doesn't think he'll end up Majority Leader.

[Meeker]

Marijuana has been proven to be a gateway to using other drugs. 

No, that has not been proven.  Perhaps, there's a statistical correlation but correlation does not equal causation.  No study has come close to showing that marijuana use causes hard drug use. 

And as for gay marriage, I support equal rights for homosexual couples, but don't redefine marraige to do that.  Call it a "civil union" and give them the rights, but don't be changing a religious definition.

How does changing the law change the religious definition?  We have a separation of church and state and ultimately, nobody can force you to support gay marriage.  And really, if it's the same in everything but name, doesn't that imply gay people's relationships are lesser compared to "real" marriages. 

I might get to pot later, but by sanctioning "gay marriage" you are violating the religious beliefs of those who do not recognize that as a marriage.

My religious beliefs don't recognize a union between a man and a woman as a marriage. I guess we'll need to change the law because now it's violating my religious beliefs.

[Meeker]

Leavenworth? That surprises me, though I guess I don't really have any idea what sort of people actually live there. How did it vote for President?

[Meeker]

NPR reporter tweets:

You must be logged in to read this quote.

sigh

[Meeker]

It happened: Rodney Tom will be Majority Leader, Tim Sheldon will be PPT. 6 Republican Chairs, 6 Democratic Chairs and 3 co-chairs.

Democrats get to appoint their own six chairs (Natural Resources, Agriculture, Trade and Economic Development, Financial Institutions, Higher Education, Environment)

Republican chairs are:
- Andy Hill, Ways and Means (gets to write the budget)
- Janéa Holmquist Newbry, Commerce and Labor
- Steve Litzow, K-12 Education
- Pam Roach, Government Operations (!!!)
- Mike Padden, Law and Justice
- Randi Becker, Healthcare

Co-Chaired committees are Human Services (Mike Carrell and a D), Transportation (Curtis King and a D) and Energy and Telecommunications (Kirk Ericksen and a D).


Awful. Just awful.

[Meeker]

I think it was just as wrong back then as it is now, but this has actually happened once before: After the 1962 elections Democrats held 50-48 majority in the State House. Dan Evans and Slade Gorton, who were members of the State House at the time, convinced a half-dozen or so Democrats to join with Republicans and installed a conservative Democrat from Spokane as Speaker of the House.

Then began the epic redistricting battle between Gorton and a young Democratic State Senate aide named Dean Foster, a battle which would continue for the next 50 years...

[Meeker]

Thinking about this more, I suspect Roach threatened to bolt unless they gave her that chairmanship. She also got her caucus privileges reinstated. By giving her both of those things, there's nothing the Democrats could realistically enchant her with to draw her to vote with them (unless she wanted to be Majority Leader or PPT, but that was probably too unpalatable even if majority control hung in the balance).

Perhaps the Democrats should see if Steve Litzow wants to be Majority Leader though

[Meeker]

Thinking about this more, I suspect Roach threatened to bolt unless they gave her that chairmanship. She also got her caucus privileges reinstated. By giving her both of those things, there's nothing the Democrats could realistically enchant her with to draw her to vote with them (unless she wanted to be Majority Leader or PPT, but that was probably too unpalatable even if majority control hung in the balance).

Perhaps the Democrats should see if Steve Litzow wants to be Majority Leader though

Roach even talked about being the 25th vote earlier this year when the Republicans took over the budget and how she used it to let make them let her back in.

Ah, now that you mention it I do remember that.

[Meeker]

The few suspects who might be vulnerable to something like that were given plum committee chairmanships in the coalition. They have no motivation for switching over.

The one from Walla Walla is in the State House.

[Meeker]

President and Governor results by LD: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AsXAV_drKEX_dHBjSmRLV0JYTFIyanBOX0k3eEdXenc

Not a whole lot of surprises here. Obama outperformed Inslee by the most in the Eastside LDs (the 41st by 11%, the 45th and 48th by 9%, the 5th by 8%). Inslee didn't outperform Obama anywhere but came closest in the Tri-Cities and the Yakima Valley (less than 1% under Obama in the 8th and the 16th and less than 2% in the 9th and the 15th). 

[Meeker]

Republicans in Obama/Inslee LDs: Rep. Linda Kochmar (30)

Republicans in Obama LDs: Rep. Jay Rodne and Rep. Chad Magendanz (5), Senator Barbara Bailey, Rep. Norma Smith and Rep. Dave Hayes (10), Sen. Bruce Dammeier and Rep. Hans Zeiger (25), Rep. Jan Angel (26), Sen. Mike Carrell and Rep. Steve O'Ban (28), Rep. Drew MacEwen (35), Sen. Kirk Pearson, Rep. Dan Kristiansen and Rep. Elizabeth Scott (39), Sen. Steve Litzow (41), Sen. Doug Ericksen, Rep. Jason Overstreet and Rep. Vincent Buys (42), Rep. Mike Hope (44), Sen. Andy Hill (45), Sen. Joe Fain and Rep. Mark Hargrove (47)

Democrats in McKenna LDs: Sen. Mark Mullet (5), Rep. Dawn Morrell (25), Derek Kilmer's replacement in the Senate and Rep. Larry Seaquist (26), Rep. Tami Green (28), Sen. Tim Sheldon and Rep. Kathy Haigh (35), Rep. Marcie Maxwell and Rep. Judy Clibborn (41), Rep. Hans Dunshee (44), Rep. Roger Goodman and Rep. Larry Springer (45), Rep. Pat Sullivan (47)

Democrats in Romney/McKenna LDs: Rep. Monica Stonier (17), Rep. Chris Hurst (31)

For reference, the Obama/McKenna LDs are: 5, 10, 25, 26, 28, 35, 39, 41, 42, 44, 45 and 47

[Meeker]

I thought Sen. Jerome Delvin (R-8th) was going to do the Tim Sheldon routine of serving in both the State Legislature and the County Commission simultaneously, but apparently not. He's resigning which means there will be two solid R vacancies (the other in the 7th): http://www.tri-cityherald.com/2012/11/13/2168948/jerome-delvin-to-serve-in-legislature.html

Kilmer also resigned a few days ago.