We are still getting our feet underneath us, and developing our content team. So, expect us to continue to iterate as we build our platform.
With that, here are 5 things we think are worth keeping an eye on this week as attention begins to shift away from Olympia. If you have tips, we always welcome those! Drop me a note and let me know what you’re spending your mental energy on.
1. Group fields poll to test Murray opponents
A group of labor and business leaders quietly put a poll in the field lover the weekend to see which candidates might be best to run for mayor should additional details emerge about Ed Murray. Some of these groups are already prepared to spend significantly believing that if Murray drops out, the field could be wide open for any candidate to make it through. Lorena Gonzalez was listed in the poll that also included Mike McGinn and Cary Moon.
Jenny Durkan is a name gaining steam as a candidate that might push Murray to reconsider running. She’s a former US Attorney that comes from a long line of political figures. Her father, Martin Durkan Sr., ran for governor twice having served in the legislature for 16 years. If Durkan gets in, she’d be extremely compelling as a candidate.
2. Schipper: Carbon tax, Palumbo & I-732
Sen. Guy Palumbo’s carbon tax bill SB 5930 is the latest iteration of legislation that will put a price on carbon. His bill is (at least) the fourth such legislative iteration to take shape. Palumbo says it’s a lock that the issue will appear on the 2018 ballot if nothing comes out of the legislature.
Our columnist Keith Schipper digs into the proposal, and talks through where I-732 – last year’s carbon tax initiative – fell short. He’s joined by the Executive Director from Carbon Tax Washington, Kyle Murphy, in a Q&A discussion.
The takeaway: a carbon tax can pass easily as long as its revenue neutral.
3. Breakfast tickets moving quickly
We’ve had a bit of a run on our tickets for the “Breakfast with the Wire” event coming up on May 9th – for which we’re grateful! Thank you. We still have about about 45 tickets available for our first Breakfast with the Wire event, and so we’d love to have you sign up to join us.
This conversation will be a unique one, which will include your questions from the audience. It’ll be televised by our media partner, TVW, for statewide distribution. So, join us, bring tough questions, and enjoy some good networking with other politicos.
4. Wyble: What does McGinn’s Keep Seattle mean?
When Mike McGinn announced he was running for mayor, he did so with something of cryptic slogan: “Keep Seattle.” Lots of folks were trying to figure out what he meant by that. Was it something of a mad lib, where folks could fill in the blanks?
Our columnist – and McGinn political consultant – John Wyble breaks it down for us. “It simply means keep Seattle a welcoming place for all… This is a campaign about keeping the promise of a great city for every person who lives in it. As Mike McGinn said in his announcement, “If you wanted to design a system to drive out working and middle class residents, this is what it would like. Growth that benefits the top, with the impacts paid for by those in the middle and the bottom.”
5. Senate Democrats seething over Rossi move
Senate Democrats are incensed over the Senate Republicans highlighting the lack of votes in the chamber for the House Democrats tax proposal. One told me “I’ve never seen anything like what Dino Rossi did in the entire time I’ve been here.” Another: “That poisons any chance at negotiations.” That’s a reference to a vote on the Senate floor of the House Dems tax package which failed 0-48.
This follows the 1 vs 24 showdown where Republican Sen. Joe Fain commanded the floor on his own against proposed rule re-interpretations by the Dems (Fain won). Both are stand out moments from the 2017 session that suggest that, as a caucus, the Senate Republicans have been more strategic in their use of procedure for leverage than their chamber peers this year.
Your support matters.
Public service journalism is important today as ever. If you get something from our coverage, please consider making a donation to support our work. Thanks for reading our stuff.
