Washington 2020: The Calm Before the Drizzle

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

Wow that's awesome. Might it actually happen?

The front page story on the latest City Pages interestingly is about movement toward pot legalization. I picked one up but am too lazy to read it tonight.

[redcommander]

Rumor has it that KING5 (through SUSA) is fielding a poll today about state support of legalizing marijuana, and that it will be broadcast on tonight's news.

The results are posted if anyone's wondering:

http://www.surveyusa.com/client/PollReport.aspx?g=bbf73a14-44bd-47e1-ab45-89d98b3998e6

Legalization favored by a 20% margin, including 52% of Eastern WA respondents.  That last part is quite surprising.

What's so surprising about it? West Coast Republicans are more Libertarian on the issue than the nationwide party is. I don't know why Republicans generally make such a big fuss about it.

[CultureKing]

Here is a quick update on the 3rd CD race:

Democrats Heck and Wallace have both announced their fundraising for the last quarter. Wallace raised $22,894 in the last quarter of 2009 and Heck raised $115,000 (plus $100,000 of his own money loaned to the campaign) in the last quarter, of which Heck's campaign only collected donations for the last eight days of, despite him not announcing until this January.

Meanwhile Republican Castillo had raised $53,874 raised as of Sept. 30 (I don't think he has reported his last quarter numbers yet).

http://www.theolympian.com/politicsblog/story/1103349.html


----
Let the money flow and the race begin!

[bgwah]

Here is a quick update on the 3rd CD race:

Democrats Heck and Wallace have both announced their fundraising for the last quarter. Wallace raised $22,894 in the last quarter of 2009 and Heck raised $115,000 (plus $100,000 of his own money loaned to the campaign) in the last quarter, of which Heck's campaign only collected donations for the last eight days of, despite him not announcing until this January.

Meanwhile Republican Castillo had raised $53,874 raised as of Sept. 30 (I don't think he has reported his last quarter numbers yet).

http://www.theolympian.com/politicsblog/story/1103349.html


----
Let the money flow and the race begin!

This race has been kind of hard to follow.

Are Heck and Wallace the only major Democrats running? I thought there was a third.

Does Castillo pose any real challenge to Herrera, or is Herrera basically a lock for the GOP side?

The primary could produce an interesting map. Both sides appear to be Thurston vs. Clark.

[bgwah]

State House committee kills pot legalization bill

Bummer.

Any chance the initiative will get enough signatures?

[Meeker]

Here is a quick update on the 3rd CD race:

Democrats Heck and Wallace have both announced their fundraising for the last quarter. Wallace raised $22,894 in the last quarter of 2009 and Heck raised $115,000 (plus $100,000 of his own money loaned to the campaign) in the last quarter, of which Heck's campaign only collected donations for the last eight days of, despite him not announcing until this January.

Meanwhile Republican Castillo had raised $53,874 raised as of Sept. 30 (I don't think he has reported his last quarter numbers yet).

http://www.theolympian.com/politicsblog/story/1103349.html


----
Let the money flow and the race begin!

This race has been kind of hard to follow.

Are Heck and Wallace the only major Democrats running? I thought there was a third.

Does Castillo pose any real challenge to Herrera, or is Herrera basically a lock for the GOP side?

The primary could produce an interesting map. Both sides appear to be Thurston vs. Clark.

Craig Pridemore, a liberal State Senator from Vancouver, will also be a major player on the Democratic side.

DeBolt took the interesting step of endorsing Castillo over Herrera, which indicates to me that she's by no means a lock.

[bgwah]

Here is a quick update on the 3rd CD race:

Democrats Heck and Wallace have both announced their fundraising for the last quarter. Wallace raised $22,894 in the last quarter of 2009 and Heck raised $115,000 (plus $100,000 of his own money loaned to the campaign) in the last quarter, of which Heck's campaign only collected donations for the last eight days of, despite him not announcing until this January.

Meanwhile Republican Castillo had raised $53,874 raised as of Sept. 30 (I don't think he has reported his last quarter numbers yet).

http://www.theolympian.com/politicsblog/story/1103349.html


----
Let the money flow and the race begin!

This race has been kind of hard to follow.

Are Heck and Wallace the only major Democrats running? I thought there was a third.

Does Castillo pose any real challenge to Herrera, or is Herrera basically a lock for the GOP side?

The primary could produce an interesting map. Both sides appear to be Thurston vs. Clark.

Craig Pridemore, a liberal State Senator from Vancouver, will also be a major player on the Democratic side.

DeBolt took the interesting step of endorsing Castillo over Herrera, which indicates to me that she's by no means a lock.

Castillo versus Wallace would be best geographically, I think.

[Alcon]

Washington bill in the works would recognize gay marriages performed in other states:

http://dlr.leg.wa.gov/billsummary/default.aspx?Bill=2482&year=2009

I think this is the right kind of incremental approach -- basically set it up so not having gay marriage is ridiculous, because after all we pretty much have it anyway.

[ottermax]

Washington bill in the works would recognize gay marriages performed in other states:

http://dlr.leg.wa.gov/billsummary/default.aspx?Bill=2482&year=2009

I think this is the right kind of incremental approach -- basically set it up so not having gay marriage is ridiculous, because after all we pretty much have it anyway.

I think WA will be the first state to have gay marriage here in the West permanently. This approach is better than taking it to the courts.

Does anyone else find it interesting that the two main GOP candidates for WA-3 are Hispanic?

[CultureKing]

Washington bill in the works would recognize gay marriages performed in other states:

http://dlr.leg.wa.gov/billsummary/default.aspx?Bill=2482&year=2009

I think this is the right kind of incremental approach -- basically set it up so not having gay marriage is ridiculous, because after all we pretty much have it anyway.

I think WA will be the first state to have gay marriage here in the West permanently. This approach is better than taking it to the courts.

Does anyone else find it interesting that the two main GOP candidates for WA-3 are Hispanic?

Is Herrera hispanic?

[CultureKing]

http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/kplu/news.newsmain/article/1/0/1605804/KPLU.Local.News/Washington.Gets.$590M.To.Improve.Seattle.To.Portland.Rail.Service

Washington and Oregon received a total of $598 million to help build faster rail in the Seattle-Portland-Vancouver corridor. Washington received $590 of that money (take that Oregon!).

[bgwah]

GOP caucus bans state Sen. Pam Roach, tells her to get anger counseling

LOL!!!

[Alcon]

GOP caucus bans state Sen. Pam Roach, tells her to get anger counseling

LOL!!!

hahahaha x500

[Ogre Mage]

http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/kplu/news.newsmain/article/1/0/1605804/KPLU.Local.News/Washington.Gets.$590M.To.Improve.Seattle.To.Portland.Rail.Service

Washington and Oregon received a total of $598 million to help build faster rail in the Seattle-Portland-Vancouver corridor. Washington received $590 of that money (take that Oregon!).

I suspect the federal funding Washington received is largely a result of Sen. Murray's influence as a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee and her chairmanship of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation.   As her reelection approaches, there may be more stories like this.  Our senator may fly under the radar, but she actually is very influential.

As for the story about state Sen. Roach, did someone move her roses again?

[Verily]

http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/kplu/news.newsmain/article/1/0/1605804/KPLU.Local.News/Washington.Gets.$590M.To.Improve.Seattle.To.Portland.Rail.Service

Washington and Oregon received a total of $598 million to help build faster rail in the Seattle-Portland-Vancouver corridor. Washington received $590 of that money (take that Oregon!).

Well, a railroad from Seattle to Portland would be about 97% in Washington, so it makes sense.

[Frodo]

http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/kplu/news.newsmain/article/1/0/1605804/KPLU.Local.News/Washington.Gets.$590M.To.Improve.Seattle.To.Portland.Rail.Service

Washington and Oregon received a total of $598 million to help build faster rail in the Seattle-Portland-Vancouver corridor. Washington received $590 of that money (take that Oregon!).

I suspect the federal funding Washington received is largely a result of Sen. Murray's influence as a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee and her chairmanship of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation.   As her reelection approaches, there may be more stories like this.  Our senator may fly under the radar, but she actually is very influential.

Isn't she the third-ranking member of the Senate Democratic leadership?

[Ogre Mage]

http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/kplu/news.newsmain/article/1/0/1605804/KPLU.Local.News/Washington.Gets.$590M.To.Improve.Seattle.To.Portland.Rail.Service

Washington and Oregon received a total of $598 million to help build faster rail in the Seattle-Portland-Vancouver corridor. Washington received $590 of that money (take that Oregon!).

I suspect the federal funding Washington received is largely a result of Sen. Murray's influence as a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee and her chairmanship of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation.   As her reelection approaches, there may be more stories like this.  Our senator may fly under the radar, but she actually is very influential.

Isn't she the third-ranking member of the Senate Democratic leadership?

Sen. Murray is the Conference Secretary, which I believe is the 4th ranking position behind Reid, Durbin (Assistant Majority Leader) and Schumer (Vice-Chair of the Caucus). 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Democratic_Conference_Secretary_of_the_United_States_Senate

[CultureKing]

GOP caucus bans state Sen. Pam Roach, tells her to get anger counseling

LOL!!!

hahahaha x500

I remember as a senate page we were warned about crossing Roach, she is one terrifying woman. Why is she still holding office?

[Meeker]

GOP caucus bans state Sen. Pam Roach, tells her to get anger counseling

LOL!!!

hahahaha x500

I remember as a senate page we were warned about crossing Roach, she is one terrifying woman. Why is she still holding office?

In addition to the natural Republican tilt of her district (Obama did narrowly win it but Rossi got 55%), her 2006 opponent was just as crazy as her. So far our only candidate against her is the guy that lost to her son last year with 40% of the vote, so I think we may be looking at another four years of Pam.

[bgwah]

Yeah, Roach will probably win. If the Democrats could find a decent candidate then I think it could be a possible bright spot in an otherwise dark year. It would be hard for Roach to overcome the recent news even with a favorable national climate in such a case, I think. But, since I don't think such an opponent will surface, she should win. Oh well!

My home district (5th LD) actually has two Democrats running for one seat now! Wow! They didn't even run one in 2006.

[Alcon]

The Washington State Democratic party has officially endorsed standing no chance whatsoever in WA-8.

[CultureKing]

The Washington State Democratic party has officially endorsed standing no chance whatsoever in WA-8.

I am assuming this means that we are trying to help the Burner-clone that is running there. Oh well...

As long as we hold the democratic seats I will be happy (the 3rd should be a hard-fought contest though.

[Хahar 🤔]

Time to change the thread title.

[Meeker]

Time to change the thread title.

Done.

[RI]

Time to change the thread title.

Done.

Only if it's an income tax...