Its primary election day in Washington and as of last night, approximately 22 percent of the state’s 4,284,438 ballots have been returned. In this edition of the Morning Wire, we have a rundown of the legislative and congressional races we will be keeping an eye on, as well as links where you can watch live results tonight. Make sure to return to www.washingtonstatewire.com during the rest of the week where we will be reporting on results, trends, surprises, and the races to watch as we head toward the November election.
1. Primary election results tonight
A few weeks ago, we outlined some of the primary races we will be keeping an eye on as results start to roll in tonight. These include 12 races where incumbents are facing challengers from their same party (such as the contentious 35th and 48th LD races) as well as several districts with retiring legislators. While we focused our reporting on state legislative races, there are also several noteworthy federal races to watch including the competitive 8th Congressional District.
If you haven’t already turned in your ballots (which for the first time include statewide prepaid return postage), ballots drop boxes are open until 8:00 pm tonight. Results will begin to be announced this evening – you can follow statewide and local results here. Kansas, Missouri, and Michigan are also holding their primaries today. Axios.com will post live results all evening.
2. Two other initiatives qualify for ballot
The Secretary of State’s office announced the certification of Initiative 1631, the carbon pricing initiative, and Initiative 1634, related to grocery taxation, on Thursday afternoon. These two initiatives will join the comprehensive gun initiative, I-1639, on the ballot in November.
Supporters of the “carbon fee” initiative have raised over $3.68 million from donors like the Nature Conservancy and the Washington Environmental Council. Meanwhile, the group opposing the initiative (“No on I-1631”), which is sponsored by the Western States Petroleum Association, has raised about $1.94 million. Supporters of I-1634, which would prohibit local governments from imposing new taxes or fees on grocery items, has raised over $6 million thanks to large donations from groups like the Coca-Cola Company, Pepsico, and the Dr. Pepper Snapple Group.
3. Judge dismisses Eyman’s Rainy Day Fund lawsuit
Last week, a Thurston County Superior Court judge dismissed Tim Eyman’s recent lawsuitthat claimed the state legislature unconstitutionally diverted funds away from the “Rainy Day Fund” during the 2018 legislative session. In March, on a 25-23 vote, the state Senate passed an education funding bill that, in part, added $935 million to the Education Legacy Trust Account. Senate Republicans argued that the additional revenue should instead go to the state’s Rainy Day Fund as specified by a 2011 voter-approved initiative.
At the end of March, Eyman filed his lawsuit against the legislature and State Treasurer Duane Davidson. Friday morning, Judge John C. Skinder heard oral arguments after which he said he was able to draw a “clear conclusion” and he swiftly dismissed the case. A quick rundown of the oral arguments can be found here.
4. Candidate Claire Torstenbo on WA mental health care system
Claire Torstenbo is the Republican candidate running against Rep. Frank Chopp for State Representative of the 43rd Legislative District. In this op-ed, Torstenbo outlines her proposal for improving Washington’s mental health care system and addressing homelessness.
Specifically, she recommends dedicating state funding toward creating “crisis residential centers” throughout the state and she proposes that the legislature should develop incentives to encourage individuals to becomes psychiatric nurses and physician’s assistants. Inspired by the California model, Torstenbo also recommends adopting a legal conservatorship model to assist those with serious mental illness with their care decisions.
5. Orca task force meets today
Images of a mother orca, Tahlequah (J35), carrying her dead calf have captured the nation’s attention and brought a new spotlight on the plight of the Puget Sound’s Southern Resident Killer Whales. There are now only 75 of these whales and this population has not had a successful birth since 2015. In recent days, preparations to attempt to feed and assist the ailing 4-year-old J50 have also been underway.
This year during session, Senator Kevin Ranker brought forth a bill to create the Orca Protection Act, but the bill ultimately failed to make it out of the legislature. In March, Gov. Inslee signed an executive order creating a task force of state agencies, tribal leaders, and stakeholders to identify short-term and long-term solutions to protect Southern Resident Killer Whales in Puget Sound. The task force is meeting today in Wenatchee. Today’s agenda is available here and you can watch the live-streamed meeting here.
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