Serving Whitman County since 1877
Serving Whitman County since 1877
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The house of origin cutoff was this week, meaning all House bills not necessary to implement the budget must pass the House and be sent over to the Senate (and vice-versa) or else they are considered “dead” for the year. At this time of the session, it’s not unusual to spend long nights on the House floor debating amendments, procedures, and voting on bills. However, one floor fight that occurred on Feb. 21 is worth mentioning. This nine-hour floor session on House Bill 1837 began around 9 p.m...
Ireland: Clean, Greener and Reopening When St. Patrick’s Day rolls around March 17, the Irish have lots to celebrate. Ireland is still clean and green. Now, it is spending $15 million to bring visitors back. Irish tourism officials are targeting 35 million people living in the U.S. with Irish heritage. They are key to generating $3 billion in pre-coronavirus yearly revenue. Ireland is an island nation roughly one-third the size of Washington state with 5 million people. It is no longer an a...
“Wear masks!” “Social distance!” “Wash hands!” “Do not gather!” “Don’t be a danger!” “Quarantine!” “Vaccinate, vaccinate, vaccinate!” “Follow the science!” “Listen; do not speak!” “Stay in your lane!” “No room for rebels!” That was the narrative in the beginning. It was void and without form. But the narrative grew – and quickly. While it still had little form and virtually no substance, somewhere in its early growth, the narrative developed its own self-perpetuating energy supply called “agenda.” Later, adherents to the narrative sup...
It’s been three weeks since I testified in writing on Senate Bill 5909 before a state Senate committee Jan. 28. At that time, my testimony facetiously pointed out the measure that purportedly would limit gubernatorial powers was a “step in the right direction” that accomplished nothing. Nothing has changed since that testimony. Proponents tell us the bill would make it possible for the legislative leadership — the majority and minority leaders in the House and Senate — to end a governor...
At a recent press conference, Gov. Jay Inslee was asked several questions about the state’s nursing shortage, a problem that existed long before the COVID-19 era. Reporters were stabbing around at various solutions being proposed in the Legislature. Should we regulate hospital working arrangements? Should we limit what contract nurses are paid? How does the government protect nurses from burnout? Gov. Inslee summed up the concerns well: “The best solution is to produce more nurses that are ava...
We have been on the House floor all week with most legislators participating remotely. This is the time of session where long days and nights are spent briefing all House members on bills that have passed through their respective policy committees. We debate, draw up amendments, and vote on legislation that will have an impact on your life in some way or another. TRANSPORTATION This week, the majority party introduced their transportation plan. Here are a few key points: • It would begin in 2...
Washington Sen. Patty Murray and Gov. Jay Inslee announced in October, they’ll listen to diverse viewpoints with open minds to recover salmon and potentially breach the four Lower Snake River dams. Their focus on restoring Snake River salmon and steelhead runs is too limited. It needs to be expanded to cover the entire Snake River drainage. Currently, the four lower dams — all in Washington — are targeted to determine if they should be torn down to improve ocean-going fish runs while ignor...
It was heartbreaking when the Nooksack River submerged Whatcom County farming communities, swept livestock away and decimated dairies, farmland and homes. Equally sad was when heavy rains overflowed the Chehalis River and nearby tributaries, sending water through homes and property. Gov. Jay Inslee opened his Dec. 13 climate policy press conference by voicing concerns about the flooding, wildfires that have destroyed forests and filled the skies with smoke, drought that has caused reduction of...
Last year, Gov. Jay Inslee attempted an end run around the legislature by banning natural gas in new homes and commercial buildings via the state’s building codes. It was a bad idea. Now, some fellow Democrats who control the legislature are working on legislation trying to do the same — also a bad idea. Inslee’s proposed regulations forbid the use of fossil fuels for heating and hot water in new structures. Prohibiting natural gas is expensive for home and building owners many of whom insta...
Palouse Falls has long been one of my favorite places to hike. Over the years, I’ve hiked the mile or so trek to the top of the main falls on numerous occasions. I’ve hiked it by myself, with friends and even my daughter when she was very young. I’ve meandered along the Palouse River to the upper falls and descended the basalt rim to the pool at the base of the falls about 189 feet below. For those of us who grew up in Eastern Washington, hiking Palouse Falls trails has long been a rite of passa...
I am writing to encourage the Colfax community to support the school levy with their votes on Feb. 8. As a teacher in the Colfax School District for 21 years, I was, and I am, aware of what the levy money supports. First, and foremost, the levy money contributes significantly to a quality education when we have up to date textbooks and technology. Second, even though our schools are small, we offer a good variety of activities where students can explore their talents and abilities in the form of extra-curricular programs. Without this levy...
Most rural residents are still waiting to see the fruits of their taxes that they willingly passed because of what Whitman County Public Works Director Mark Storey said the money would go towards. When will one of the commissioners step up and do what is right and deliver on what was said? Still patiently waiting for the three extra road positions to be filled where there is work that needs to be done. Two maintenance worker entry spots have been filled but why are you hiring people that don’t have a CDL or the experience? Now hiring a shop f...
Most of the school districts in this county have levy proposals on next week’s election, and I want to add my voice in support of those measures. Study after study have shown that every dollar invested in children’s education returns dividends to the community many times over – including reduced crime. From my perspective, it makes great sense: fight crime, invest in kids....
The Colfax School District challenges itself to provide a positive learning environment. My husband and I have watched our four children go through the Colfax educational system well prepared to enter their higher education careers. As graduates, they entered professional careers thankful for their educational foundation and the work ethic learned while in the district. I was fortunate to teach in the district for 35 years, retiring from the classroom in 2010. The last 12 years I have been contracted by the district to serve as a curriculum...
We are only a couple of weeks into 2022 and it is already shaping up to be another challenging year for America’s 5.5 million family businesses dealing with the coronavirus pandemic. Rampant inflation, supply chain bottlenecks, and acute worker shortages continue. Family businesses are vital to America. According to the Conway Center for Family Business, they account for two-thirds of our nation’s GDP, just over 60% of U.S. jobs, and 78% of all new jobs created. They’re really resilient and n...
Last week, I wrote that two bills addressing the state’s flawed and controversial long-term care program (LTC) (nicknamed the “short-term care program”) and the costly payroll tax (dubbed the “long-term tax”) funding it had come over to the Senate after being passed by the House. The Senate fast-tracked these two measures this week, as the Ways and Means Committee held public hearings on them Monday and then approved them Tuesday. The full Senate yesterday passed the two bills, sending them to G...
In the Jan. 27 edition of the Whitman County Gazette, in the article “Colfax’s barber puts his scissors away,” we incorrectly stated Terry Vietz was the last barber in Colfax. We apologize for the mistake and any inconvenience it may have caused....
On Jan. 8, “The Gateway Pundit” published a piece with a sensational headline: “Bill Filed In Washington Would Authorize ‘Strike Force’ To ‘Involuntarily Detain’ Unvaccinated Families – Zoom Meeting on Proposed Agenda on Jan. 12, …” When the story hit, friends from all across the state began reaching out to me, some of them in panic. On one hand, I’m glad when Washington state politics make national news headlines. A bright light needs to be shined on the political process that is driving the t...
This House debated and voted on legislation impacting Washington state’s Long-Term Care Insurance and Payroll Tax, a plan created through House Bill 1087 during the 2019 legislative session. House Bill 1732 would delay implementation of the program by 18 months and delay the collection of premiums until July 1, 2023. House Bill 1733 would create four new voluntary exemptions from the program. I am grateful the governor and more legislators are starting to understand the many inherent problems wi...
House Bill 1838 asks Washingtonians to save fish habitat at the expense of rural communities. The bill proposes an expansion of riparian mitigation areas from their current range of 50 to 100 feet from the high-water mark to between 100 and 249 feet depending upon the site. Buffer zones of 150 feet along 1 mile of riparian zone are the equivalent of 18 acres of farmland. Most urban areas are exempt from the rules of the bill. If a landowner must remove more than half an acre of land from...
On Feb. 8, Colfax School District taxpayers will have the opportunity to vote for the next two year replacement enrichment levy. Since the Washington State Legislature began designating school district funds, the local levies have been given the title of “Enrichment Levy.” An enrichment curriculum includes music, arts, field trips, highly capable programs, college in the high school, credit retrieval, and elective course offerings. This levy will provide and enhance extracurricular programs such as FFA, FCLA, FBLA, Knowledge Bowl, clubs, athlet...
As residents of the Colfax School District, we can show once again how much we value the high-quality education provided by our district. Resolution 511 renews the levy for 2023 and 2024. It requests voter approval to continue to fund programs and services already in place, such as nursing, counseling, arts and vocational programs, and athletics, along with operational expenses like insurance and utilities. State funding just doesn’t go far enough, and the district is allowed to fill the gap by requesting these levy funds. They show prudence b...
The Colfax School District has proposed a renewal of the current levy in the Feb. 8 special election. That levy passed in 2020 by a 2-to-1 margin, and we Thrifty Grandmothers urge voters to continue their strong support of our local schools by approving its renewal. Although the state allows levy rates of up to $2.50 per $1,000 of assessed property values, the renewed Colfax levy proposes a rate of only $1.99 in 2023 and $2.00 in 2024. This levy will help fund essential programs such as nursing, counseling, the arts, and extracurricular...
The first order of business when Washington’s Legislature convenes in Olympia is replacing the state’s new long-term care law. It is fatally flawed. Gov. Jay Inslee and Democrats who control the state legislature wisely postponed implementing the sweeping “Long-Term Services and Supports Trust Program” but it is beyond repair. It is time to find a better alternative. The new law, also known as the Washington Cares Act, is a mandatory, public, state-run long-term care insurance program. Beginni...
The 2022 legislative session began this week much like the 2021 session. It will be a mostly-remote session with online committee meetings and floor votes and very few legislators or staff in attendance in Olympia. Because of the increase of COVID-19 cases statewide due to the Omicron variant, this is what the majority party in Olympia has decided. It may not be what I would want, but it is the reality in which we’re living at the moment. TOP 5 ISSUES 1. Repealing and replacing the long-term c...
