Friends,

 

Democrat AG Bob Ferguson has some explaining to do – especially given his lack of accuracy in his latest financial reports. And, as always, we have you covered on what’s going on in your own backyard. Read on…

Sean O’Brien, the new Eastern Washington Director for the Washington Policy Center (WPC), joined us for this week’s Newsmaker Interview. O’Brien returned to Washington state after spending eight years in Washington, D.C. as the Deputy Chief of Staff for Congressman Dan Newhouse (R – Sunnyside) and as the Executive Director for the Congressional Western Caucus. Among other topics, O’Brien reflected on how Governor Jay Inslee misled the public about the dramatic increase in the price of gas caused by his cap-and-trade policies and how his administration failed to follow the law to exempt Washington State farmers from the significant (more 45 cents a gallon so far) rate increase. Read more. 

As the race for the next governor of Washington state continues, quite a few more financial reports will be filed. Already, Attorney General Bob Ferguson has come under scrutiny for tipping the scales in his favor illegally. His campaign reported raising approximately $2.2 million during the month, though $1.2 million of that was actually transferred from a “surplus” (ie, slush fund) account, bringing his total funds raised to around $2.4 million. State Lands Commissioner Hilary Franz, who is AG Ferguson's main financial rival, raised around $176,000 in her first month of campaigning. Read this story and more. 

 

While Seattle is often in the spotlight for drug-related issues in Washington state, the negative impact of drug problems extends beyond the city. According to the Spokane County Medical Examiner's office, there has been a significant increase in deaths investigated, with a 49% rise between 2019 and 2022, primarily due to overdoses, accidents, and heart disease. Overdose deaths make up approximately 30% of the medical examiner's workload, with 250 deaths attributed to overdoses in 2022 alone. Read this story and more.

 

Take a moment to enjoy the beautiful photography of Iron Creek Falls, courtesy of Former U.S. Congressman Rod Chandler.