DAILY NEWS
Funding raises, Pierce Co.’s bacon, Trump turns on the hate…
Tuesday, November 15, 2016
STATE GOVERNMENT
► From WFSE — United, we show lawmakers why our ratified contracts and negotiated pay raises matter — Washington Federation of State Employees members decked out in AFSCME Green t-shirts packed a Senate budget hearing Monday — and the senators got the message that ratified contracts and negotiated pay raises will go a long way to keeping the employees who provide vital social services, public safety, health and other public services.
► In today’s Seattle Times — Sen. Benton rebuked for remarks about undocumented immigrants getting driver’s licenses — Bringing echoes of the Trump campaign to Olympia, Washington state Sen. Don Benton (R-Vancouver) called for the state to end the practice of allowing undocumented immigrants living here to have driver’s licenses.
► In today’s News Tribune — If Trump repeals Obamacare, will Washington state foot the bill? — The repeal of the Affordable Care Act would cause a flood of low-income people to lose health coverage if it isn’t replaced with something comparable. That could leave the state facing a hefty tab if state legislators decide to replace the federal money that paid for the expansion of Medicaid. The fix could cost the state billions of dollars, said state Rep. J.T. Wilcox (R-Yelm). “It’s going be to like McCleary,” he said.
LOCAL
ALSO at The Stand — Spokane Tribe breaks ground on $400M STEP project
► In today’s Spokesman-Review — Crowd pushes Spokane City Council on sick-leave policy — The Spokane City Council on Monday stood by their decision made nearly a year ago to enact a requirement that employers provide sick leave to their workers. The revised city law passed by a 6-1 vote, with Councilman Mike Fagan voting no.
STATE ELECTION REDUX
► From PubliCola — Minimum wage measure outperforms Clinton in blue Washington — An analysis of this year’s minimum wage/paid sick leave measure shows that while it won in 16 counties across the state (out of 39) scoring a 58.05 to 41.95 win overall, Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton only won in 12 counties.
► In today’s Seattle Times — Where Sound Transit 3 projects could speed up or slow down — Political energy, less red tape or simpler design can speed projects. So can money, say, from the federal government. Disputes about track alignments, inaccurate cost forecasts, elaborate stations or tunnels, or a recession can create delays.
► In today’s Bellingham Herald — Lynden man charged with hate crime for racist threats against Democrat candidate for House — Skip Edward Saunders, 33, is charged with sending state House candidate Sharlaine LaClair, a member of the Lummi tribe, a stream of racist, homicidal texts.
THAT WASHINGTON
► In the Wall St. Journal — Trump poised to revamp NLRB, lawyers say — The board could begin to roll back the Obama administration’s agenda of expanding employee and union rights, according to employment litigators.
► From Politico — GOP and Trump put deficit on back burner — For eight years, Republicans hammered President Barack Obama for exploding the national debt. But now a GOP-led spending spree is coming, with Donald Trump riding to the White House on trillion-dollar promises and a Republican Congress that looks likely to do his bidding.
► From CBS News — How would deporting undocumented workers affect the U.S. economy? — It would cost at least $400 billion in new federal spending to handle the exodus, according to research published earlier this year from a free-market think tank. It also measured the economic hit from losing those roughly 11 million workers: a reduction of $1.6 trillion in America’s GDP.
EDITOR’S NOTE — Imagine for a moment if a Democrat had just been elected president with the support and active involvement of Russia. He or she would likely be criminally charged, perhaps with treason. But when it’s a Republican and a Republicans control Congress, there won’t even be a hearing. Is this making America great?
Here’s what Russia’s up to these days — Airstrike hits 3rd Syrian hospital in 24 hours — An air campaign by Syria’s military backed by Russia’s air force hit the hospital with rockets, injuring medical staff and patients, including some who had just moved there from a hospital hit in nearby Kafrnaha on Monday.
THIS WASHINGTON
► In today’s News Tribune — Students protest Trump at Pierce County high schools — Students from at least three Pierce County high schools walked out of school Monday afternoon to protest the presidential election of Donald Trump and what they say is a dangerous direction that threatens their futures.
EDITOR’S NOTE — Meet Trump’s leading choice for Secretary of State…
► From TPM — Giuliani dismisses protesters as ‘goons and thugs’
NATIONAL
► A related story from The Onion — Area man considers self ally to women unless they threaten his status in literally any way
► In today’s NY Times — The Grace of Gwen Ifill (by Brent Staples) — As a black woman in journalism, Gwen Ifill, who died on Monday at the age of 61, had spent her entire career proving people wrong.
TAKE A STAND TODAY!
The Stand posts links to Washington state and national news of interest every weekday morning by 10 a.m.