Friends,

 

The sad story that is Olympia, circa 2023, continues. The State Supreme Court is ignoring the state constitution. Democrat legislators have yet to reform their failed and deadly pro-criminal laws which they jammed through in 2021. But as always, we here at Shift WA have you covered with some of this week's most read stories and insights into what is going on in your own political backyard! Read on…

This week’s Newsmaker Interview is with Senator Lynda Wilson of Vancouver. Sen. Wilson is the Ranking Republican on the powerful Senate Ways and Means Committee. She provided her thoughts on the negative consequences of the Washington State Supreme Court’s controversial and partisan decision to allow the Democrats to create a state income tax (starting with capital gains). And – among other thoughts – she also provided insights on Gov. Inslee hypocritically calling for borrowing billions for more new housing construction when it’s many of his own policies which are the reason why our state has the most severe housing shortage in the country. Read more.

Two seemingly unrelated stories from last weekend portray perfectly how unchallenged one-party rule, fueled by liberal greed, harms Washington State. Read more.

The Washington State Supreme Court chose to ignore the plain words of the state’s constitution on the illegality of a state income tax. They declared that a capital gains income tax was – in fact – not a form of income tax. The strangeness of the decision and what might come next drew national attention. The state’s foremost expert on the Democrat lust for a state income tax, the Washington Policy Center’s Jason Mercier, was featured in Forbes, pointing out that “(w)ith this ruling, the rules surrounding income taxes in Washington are now unclear. What will be the next type of income tax to be redefined by lawmakers?” Read this story and more.

 

Life can get stressful – and the current state of the economy certainly does not help. But we believe it’s important to sit back and appreciate the beauty of Washington. Here’s a selection from the work of former Congressman Rod Chandler’s beautiful photography to help us do just that:

 

P.S. Have you signed up for our Daily Briefing? If not, please take a moment to sign up now by clicking here. 

 

P.S.S. And remember you can start your Monday morning with a sneak peek at the Daily Briefing – for the rest of the legislative session – by tuning into the Commute with Carlson 570 KVI at 8:05, when he talks legislative politics with Shift co-founder Randy Pepple.