Thursday, April 25, 2019

THIS WASHINGTON

► In today’s Seattle Times — Where’s the future of clean energy? Right here in Washington (by Larry Brown and Scott Farris) — The Washington State Legislature has approved and Gov. Jay Inslee is poised to sign landmark legislation to address our state’s climate impact and build investments for a clean, healthy and livable future for all of us. The foundation to transition our economy is 100% clean-electricity legislation. SB 5116 will ensure that all our state’s electricity comes from 100% clean, efficient and affordable sources (like sun, wind and current hydro), phasing out coal by 2025. We’re one of the best-positioned states to help lead the clean-energy transition across the nation and show how transitioning off fossil fuels is more than just a dream — it’s possible, economically feasible and a launch point for new, good-paying, clean-energy jobs that contribute holistically to the lives of Washingtonians… SB 5116 prioritizes projects that pay workers a living wage; incorporate apprenticeships; prefer local, women, minority and veteran businesses and workers; and encourage community workforce agreements in project development. Our growing renewable-energy economy can be one that combats climate change and deepens our societal commitment to a fairer, more just economy.

► In today’s Olympian — Lawmakers pass nursing bill that drew viral ‘playing cards’ comment from Sen. Walsh — Unionized nurses and hospital technicians flooded the halls of the Legislative Building on Wednesday and hours later the state Legislature approved a bill to require uninterrupted meal and rest breaks, as well as protections against mandatory overtime. At a rally on the steps, about 300 workers cheered as union leaders said a House-Senate conference committee hashing out the final version of HB 1155 removed “dangerous amendments” on Tuesday.

ALSO TODAY at The Stand — A major victory for nurses and patient safety

MORE coverage in today’s Spokesman-Review and Tri-City Herald.

► In today’s Seattle Times — Democrats have days left to negotiate a new state budget — and decisions on taxes — Democratic lawmakers Wednesday were working to complete a final deal on a 2019-21 state operating budget. And they faced hard decisions about how much money to raise through taxes — or what spending they should skip.

► In the (Aberdeen) Daily World — Hoquiam school board approves cuts — The Hoquiam School Board approved the reduction of 19 school district positions at a special meeting Tuesday. The cuts are being made to address a projected $2 million budget shortfall in the district for the 2019-2020 school year, due in part to the Legislature’s “McCleary fix” legislation.

► In today’s Spokesman-Review — Mead families urge board to save alternative programs and schools amid budget cuts

► In today’s News Tribune — Tacoma’s state Rep. Laurie Jinkins says she might run for speaker of the House –House Democrats announced Wednesday they will meet July 31 to elect a successor to Frank Chopp. If Jinkins enters the race, she will join three other candidates who would become the state’s first female speaker: Reps. June Robinson (D-Everett), Monica Stonier (D-Vancouver), and Gael Tarleton (D-Seattle).

► In today’s (Everett) Herald — Capital budget funds vital projects in communities (editorial) — As lawmakers make their final choices on what to include, we’ll make a final pitch for two programs.

LOCAL

► In today’s (Longview) Daily News — Deputy DeRosier remembered as courageous, loyal ‘boy wonder’ — Cowlitz County Sheriff’s deputy Justin DeRosier was remembered Wednesday as a loyal and courageous lawman who “had a heart the size of a mountain” at a funeral service in the University of Portland’s Chiles Center that attracted thousands of law enforcement officers. DeRosier was honored at a two-hour service after an hour-long funeral procession that brought his body on a winding path through Longview and Kelso and ended with funerary pomp, motorcycles, bagpipers and thousands of uniformed personnel on the University of Portland campus.

► In today’s Tri-City Herald — Worries about Hanford job losses, cuts and contract changes is creating plenty of angst — A major changeover in the contracts for the Hanford nuclear reservation is adding to the uncertainty in the Tri-Cities community and with Hanford unions as the Trump administration proposes a budget cut. That’s what U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) heard during her visit to Hanford and the Tri-Cities on Wednesday as she prepares to dive into Congressional work on the proposed Hanford budget for the next fiscal year.

► In today’s Spokesman-Review — Spokane chosen for electric sports car factory with promise of 850 jobs — A California company wants to build high-end electric sports cars in a new factory on the West Plains. The ambitious project by Mullen Technologies would create 863 jobs within seven years, the company said. The company signed a letter of intent with the West Plains Public Development Authority calling for the agency to build and lease 1.3 million square feet for a factory along with a research and development area for creation, production and assembly of the $150,000 Qiantu K50. The company said it will initially bring 55 jobs to the Spokane region.

► In today’s News Tribune — Port of Tacoma selects Pierce County native as its new executive director — Eric Johnson, executive director of the Washington Public Ports Association, was chosen Tuesday.

► From KNKX — Man barred from running Oregon charter schools now runs online school in Washington

BOEING

► In today’s Seattle Times — Boeing acknowledges legal fallout from 737 MAX crashes, but skirts issue of criminal probe — Boeing publicly acknowledged Wednesday that it is the subject of “lawsuits, investigations, and inquiries” stemming from two fatal crashes of its troubled 737 MAX jetliner. But the company stopped short in a securities filing of describing any of those actions as a criminal investigation, despite multiple news reports that the U.S. Justice Department’s Fraud Division and a federal grand jury in Washington, D.C. are looking into the development and certification of the plane.

ALSO at The Stand — Tell Boeing CEO to reinstate wrongly fired S.C. inspectors

► In today’s Seattle Times — Norwegian Air uses 737 MAX crisis to wring new deal from Boeing — Cash-strapped Norwegian Air Shuttle ASA secured a deal to delay deliveries of Boeing 737 MAX jets, aided by the bargaining power granted by the model’s global grounding after two fatal crashes.

► In today’s Seattle Times — Have questions about the Boeing 737 MAX? Ask reporter Dominic Gates anything (on Reddit) — Join Seattle Times aerospace reporter Dominic Gates for an Ask Me Anything (AMA) conversation on Reddit. The Q&A thread will go live at reddit.com/r/IAmA at 9:30 a.m. Pacific time on Thursday, April 25. Gates will join at 10 a.m. to begin answering your questions.

THAT WASHINGTON

► BREAKING from the Washington Post — Acting defense secretary cleared of wrongdoing in probe of his ties to Boeing — The Pentagon’s watchdog office has cleared acting defense secretary Patrick Shanahan of wrongdoing in an investigation examining whether he used his influence in the Defense Department to favor Boeing, his former employer. The results seemingly clear the way for President Trump to nominate Shanahan to take over as Pentagon chief.

► From Politico — Unions crank it up for Biden launch — Amid concerns about fundraising and a late start, the former vice president is relying on his longtime labor allies for a show of force at his official campaign rollout. After announcing his 2020 bid in a video to be released Thursday, Biden is expected to formally kick off his campaign with a Monday rally at a Pittsburgh union hall. United Steelworkers President Leo Gerard said Biden can count on steelworkers to turn out on Monday, including many “wearing their USW gear.” The same holds true for the International Association of Fire Fighters, according to an IAFF spokesman.

► In today’s Washington Post — Mueller documented a serious crime against all Americans. Here’s how to respond. (by Hillary Clinton) — Our election was corrupted, our democracy assaulted, our sovereignty and security violated. This is the definitive conclusion of special counsel Robert S. Mueller III’s report. It documents a serious crime against the American people. The debate about how to respond to Russia’s “sweeping and systematic” attack — and how to hold President Trump accountable for obstructing the investigation and possibly breaking the law — has been reduced to a false choice: immediate impeachment or nothing. History suggests there’s a better way to think about the choices ahead… We have to get this right. The Mueller report isn’t just a reckoning about our recent history; it’s also a warning about the future. Unless checked, the Russians will interfere again in 2020, and possibly other adversaries, such as China or North Korea, will as well. This is an urgent threat. Nobody but Americans should be able to decide America’s future. And, unless he’s held accountable, the president may show even more disregard for the laws of the land and the obligations of his office. He will likely redouble his efforts to advance Putin’s agenda, including rolling back sanctions, weakening NATO and undermining the European Union.

NATIONAL

► From Tikkun — Worker strikes as liberation — way back then, and today (by Jonathan Rosenblum) — In this season of commemorating the Exodus, the first general strike in recorded history, let us praise the return of the strike weapon to the American political landscape. Workers in 2019 are showing greater readiness to flex the strike muscle. Just look at the 31,000 Stop and Shop supermarket workers in southern New England, who struck for 11 days and beat back company demands for healthcare and retirement concessions.

► In today’s Washington Post — A beloved postal carrier tried to stop a fight between a mother and son. The teenager shot him, police say. — The makeshift memorial is a tribute to Jose Hernandez, a longtime postal worker and Army veteran, who was killed in a residential neighborhood of Albuquerque on Monday.

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