Our Convening Panel for our 2018 Re-Wire Policy Conference is about to start gearing up for this fall’s annual event.  Last year, we had more legislators participate than any other event in Washington State outside of the legislature itself.  We expect that collaborative, non-partisan and policy agnostic vibe to continue this year.

If you want to be a part of hosting this year’s annual conference, just drop me a note to let me know.  We can have a conversation and see where things go.

1.  Statewide gun initiative going to ballot, and court

Initiative 1639, the comprehensive gun safety initiative brought forth by the Alliance for Gun Responsibility, has faced an uphill battle even before signature gathering began. But on Friday, I-1639 became the first of the three initiatives submitted in July to get its signatures verified and become officially certified for the ballot.

The same day I-1639 qualified for the ballot, Alan Gottlieb, founder and Executive Vice President of the Second Amendment Foundation, and the NRA-ILA filed separate lawsuits challenging the validity of the signatures and the initiative. They claim that the language used on signature gatherers’ petitions was not a “full, true, and correct copy” of the initiative and that all signatures are therefore invalid.

2.  Campaign 2018: Dispatch from Alaska

Alaska’s politics have always been a close cousin to the politics of Washington State.  No where is that more true than in the Senate, where former Sen. Ted Stevens would battlewith Sen. Maria Cantwell on ANWR or schmooze with Sen. Warren Magnuson to pass a “little amendment” about oil tankers. Recently, Independent Gov. Bill Walker put out a draft carbon tax proposal, learning from the work of the Inslee administration. Walker also recently headlined an event in Seattle hosted by Washington Independents. Less known but perhaps more powerful: the longest standing committee at the Seattle Chamber of Commerce is the Alaska Committee, given the region’s long standing economic “ties that bind.”

So, this year’s gubernatorial race is interesting to watch in part because of the potential implications for Washington State politics, but also because the entertainment value is high for political geeks. Things get a little wild in Alaska politics.  Like this. Or this. So, as I’m writing to you from Alaska this week, I thought I’d bring you up to speed on the crazy Alaska political season in 2018 with this post.

3.  This week: Ferguson’s 31st and 32nd lawsuit

Attorney General Ferguson had a busy week, filing two more lawsuits against the Trump Administration. His first lawsuit challenges the Department of Labor’s rule expanding association health plan. It is Ferguson’s third lawsuit related to the Affordable Care Act.

The second newly-filed lawsuit is an attempt to block the availability of downloadable instructions to 3D-print firearms. Defense Distributed, the organization that originally sued the federal government over the removal of their online gun instruction manual, says the blueprints for these guns will be available August 1st. The lawsuit calls for a nationwide temporary restraining order to stop Defense Distributed from posting the instructions online. The two lawsuits mark Ferguson’s 31st and 32nd lawsuits against the Trump Administration.

4.  Two interesting jobs posted for your review

The Western States Petroleum Association (WSPA) is accepting applications for a Senior Vice President of Policy and Strategic Affairs position at their headquarters in Sacramento, California. The SVP of Policy and Strategic Affairs position provides strategic legislative and regulatory oversight in all five WSPA states and provides direction to regional and state staff on issues impacting the industry. You can read the full job description here. For those interested, resumes and cover letters need to be sent to osnell@wspa.orgby August 3rd, 2018.

Premera Blue Cross is currently looking to hire a Senior Legislative Policy Manager for the Legislative Affairs Department at their Mountlake Terrace headquarters. The Senior Legislative Policy Manager is charged with conducting research and analysis on health care policy issues, participating in strategic lobbying activities, and identifying and tracking business impacts of state and federal legislation. Details can be found here with additional information located here. Interested applicants can apply here.

And, yes: the Washington State Wire can feature your jobs on our site and in our email for a modest sum, paltry really…  If you’re interested in posting a job with us, drop me a note.  I’d love to chat about it.

5. On the passing of Archbishop Hunthausen

Regardless of religious or political affiliation, Seattle lost a pioneering leader last week with the death of Archbishop Emeritus Raymond Hunthausen who passed away in Helena, Montana at the age of 96. Hunthausen led the Seattle Archdiocese from 1975 to 1991, during which time he became one the most controversial bishops in the US – and perhaps the personification of what Vatican II meant for a church trying to open up.

In this piece, Marjie High writes about Archbishop Hunthausen’s leadership, outreach, and ability to build bridges in Seattle.  From his collaboration with Christian leaders outside of the Catholic church, to his support of gay rights and expanded roles for women in the church, his message of love and openness was ahead of its time. He will be missed.

6.  ICYMI: Seattle PD lip-sync video will make you feel good about Seattle

In case you missed it, the Seattle Police Department certainly raised the bar last week with their lip-sync challenge video set to Macklemore’s “Downtown.” Seattle PD was challenged by the Norfolk Police Department in Virginia whose lip-sync of Bruno Mars’s “Uptown Funk” has over 72 million views on Facebook.

The video features kids dancing in Safeco Field, cameos from Seattle athletes and mascots, and a lighthearted, fun connection between the police department and residents of Seattle.  It’s a nice feel good video that bridges the sometimes-too-wide-gap between a Seattle police force and the community it services.