Monday, January 30, 2017

FREEDOM OF RELIGION

► From Huffington Post — It took Trump 8 days to bring U.S. to brink of a constitutional crisis — Late Friday, Trump issued an executive order forbidding millions of refugees, hundreds of thousands of visitors and 500,000 legal immigrants from seven majority-Muslim countries from entering the United States. Over the following 48 hours, massive protests erupted in cities and airports nationwide, courts temporarily blocked major parts of the order, the administration defied the courts and Democrats called for an investigation into the administration’s defiance. As the weekend drew to a close, an anonymous White House official proclaimed the whole episode a “massive success story.”

EDITOR’S NOTE — Congressional Democrats from Washington quickly blistered Trump’s Muslim travel ban this weekend. Rep. Adam Smith (D-9th) said Trump’s “reckless executive order on refugees and visa restrictions is contrary to America’s founding principles and threatens our nation’s security.” Rep. Derek Kilmer (D-6th). said it “goes against what our country stands for.” Rep. Rick Larsen (D-2nd) said “it scapegoats refugees fleeing war, terrorism and persecution — that is as low as it gets.” Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA) called it “abhorrent.” Rep. Suzan DelBene (D-1st): “Irresponsible.” Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-7th): “Inhumane.” Rep. Denny Heck (D-109th): “Flat wrong.”

Washington’s Republican members of Congress: (crickets.) Their silence is assent. If you live in their districts, call them and tell them Donald Trump’s reprehensible executive orders are contrary to American values and put our nation at greater risk. Tell them that you plan to hold them accountable for their active support or silent acquiescence.

Reps. Jaime Herrera Beutler 202-225-3536; Cathy McMorris Rodgers 202-225-2006; Dan Newhouse 202-225-5816; and Dave Reichert 202-225-7761.

LOCAL COVERAGE of Trump executive order protests at the Tacoma’s Northwest Detention Center, Sea-Tac Airport, and in Spokane, Seattle, and its ‘Burbs.

ALSO TODAY at The Stand — Trump’s Muslim travel ban ‘fans flames of racism, xenophobia’

► In today’s NY Times — Gunmen attack a mosque in Quebec, killing at least 6 — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of Canada condemned the assault in the city of Quebec, which also injured eight, calling it a “terrorist attack on Muslims.

► In the NY Times — Ban is unlikely to reduce threat (news analysis) — The unintended consequence of Mr. Trump’s directive, many experts believe, is that it will make the risk worse.

► In today’s Huffington Post — McCain, Graham: Trump’s order could become ‘self-inflicted wound’ in terror fight

► From The Hill — Giuliani: Trump asked me how to do a Muslim ban ‘legally’

► In the NY Times — Trump’s Muslim ban is cowardly and dangerous (editorial) — History has its eyes on Trump officials and members of Congress who know better, but are staying silent.

THIS WASHINGTON

► In the News Tribune — GOP senators release long-awaited plan to fix how state pays for schools — GOP state senators want to implement a new statewide property tax to comply with a court order to fully fund public schools, while taking away school districts’ ability to approve local levies to pay for basic education. Democrats, including Gov. Jay Inslee, have expressed concern that relying on a statewide property tax to solve McCleary would raise property taxes in some districts, without putting any new money into schools. Those problems persist in the plan GOP senators put out Friday, said state Sen. Reuven Carlyle (D-Seattle), adding: “On the finance side, there is virtually no new money — it is a shell game.” … Republicans also would ban teachers from going on strike, while limiting how much school districts can spend of their budgets on teacher salaries and benefits.

► In the News Tribune — Democrats fail in effort to temporarily take over the state Senate — Democrats had been hoping to bypass Republican leadership in order to force a Senate vote Monday on a bill dealing with school district levies.

► In today’s News Tribune — Detour ahead? Don’t be reckless with school levy cliff (editorial) — Washington legislators have have one more chance to avoid a “levy cliff” that’s causing unnecessary distress for thousands of public school stakeholders. Republicans should drop their opposition and seize the chance quickly.

► In today’s Yakima H-R — Ban the box: Senate bill would stop many employers from asking about criminal history at start of application process — Some lawmakers want to stop employers from automatically dismissing job applicants with criminal histories. SB 5312 would prevent employers from asking applicants about their criminal history during the initial application process.

► In the News Tribune — Washington Democrats opt for new leader — Tina Podlodowski has been elected the next chairwoman of Washington’s Democratic Party, ousting an incumbent who had been criticized by some in the party for what was seen as lackluster results in November.

AEROSPACE

► In the P.S. Business Journal — Washington state Boeing workers will get $169.7 million in bonuses — Boeing says 37,427 non-management workers in Washington state will collectively receive $169.7 million for annual bonuses next month. Companywide, Boeing is paying out $405 million in inventive plan bonuses to about 22,000 employees represented by the SPEEA union as well as 64,000 nonunion salaried employees. Boeing will include the bonuses in employees’ Feb. 23 paychecks. Boeing said it will disclose bonus payouts for its machinists in the coming days.

► In today’s Charleston (S.C.) Post-Courier — Mike Evans, local organizer for the International Association of Machinists — “The mood is that (Boeing Charleston workers) are ready for something like this. It’s an opportunity to have a voice in the workplace, to demonstrate what your concerns are and have them addressed fairly in a process that has some binding arbitration attached to it. It puts the company on an even playing field with the worker.”

THAT WASHINGTON

► In the Bellingham Herald — Fearing coverage loss, two Whatcom families tell how Obamacare helped — As Republicans move to dismantle the Affordable Care Act, two Whatcom County families share how the measure helped them and how they could be hurt if it’s repealed.

► In the Washington Post — Teachers, parents, kids protest DeVos education nomination ahead of Senate vote — A crowd of teachers, parents and children gathered near the U.S. Capitol on Sunday to protest Betsy DeVos’s nomination to be education secretary, calling the Michigan billionaire a threat to public education and urging the Senate to reject her.

► In today’s NY Times — Bannon is given security role usually held for generals — An executive order gave the right-wing agitator Stephen K. Bannon a full seat on the principals committee of the National Security Council, a startling elevation of a political adviser.

From Politico — The man behind Trump? Still Steve Bannon — Bannon, the former head of Breitbart News, has rapidly amassed power in the West Wing, eclipsing chief of staff Reince Priebus.

► In the NY Times — Trump will announce Supreme Court pick Tuesday on TV

► In the Bellingham Herald — In 25th year, Patty Murray has new role: playing defense, fighting ‘swamp creatures’ — As the top Democrat on the Senate’s Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, she’s received plenty of national attention for leading the opposition against three of Trump’s most controversial nominees: his picks to lead the departments of Health and Human Services, Education, and Labor… Next she’ll turn her sights on fast-food executive Andrew Puzder, who’s set to appear before the committee on Feb. 7.

NATIONAL

► In the Oregonian — Horizon Air pilots sue carrier, threaten strike over pay — A pilots union has accused Horizon Air of violating labor laws and threatened to strike over low pay, according to a lawsuit filed Friday. APA Teamsters Local 1224 said a staffing shortage has forced the airline to cancel flights, many of which were flown instead by Horizon’s corporate sibling, Alaska Airlines.

The Stand posts links to Washington state and national news of interest every weekday morning by 10 a.m.