Free Republic

The results of a recent poll that asked Washington voters who should run for governor if Jay Inslee decides to not run for a fourth term were released Thursday. On Mar. 7 and 8, the Northwest Progressive Institute asked 874 voters if the 2024 election for governor was held today, would they vote for Democrat Hilary Franz, Republican Bruce Dammeier, Democrat Dow Constantine, or Democrat Bob Ferguson? The poll revealed 35% would pick Dammeier, 21% would pick Ferguson, and 7% would back Constantine and Franz.

The Washington State Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) tried to quietly release sexually violent predators, including a child molester, into an unsecured, rural residential neighborhood in Tenino. It’s less than half a mile from a school bus stop and will cost taxpayers hundreds of thousands per year — per sex offender — to house. The Washington Department of Corrections noted its security concerns, but they appear to have gone unaddressed. Supreme Living, LLC is a privately-run supportive housing provider for what it calls “behaviorally challenged individuals.” They purchased a location in Tenino, described by the sheriff as a...

A local elementary school has a student club that excludes students based on their race, according to a parent. Centennial Elementary in Olympia established a 5th-grade BIPOC (“Black, Indigenous, People of Color”) student group that the principal says excludes white students, according to a screenshot of an email shared with the Jason Rantz Show on KTTH. The email, which the district has confirmed is real, shows principal Shannon Ritter admitting the “group is limited to students who identify as BIPOC.” The club meets once a week during their lunch period, and the school is reportedly in the early stages for...

The death of famous conservative radio personality Dori Monson sent shockwaves across Seattle and the talk radio world. He was just 61-years-old when he had a “cardiac event” at his home that put him in the hospital for two days. He died just before the new year. According to his report on a show he did April 13, 2021, he had an adverse reaction to his second dose of the Moderna Covid jab and had to take a rare sick day. During the show, he expressed his desire to be vaccinated based on his age and the fact that he...

SEATTLE—Today, a Seattle family partnered with the Institute for Justice, a nonprofit public interest law firm, to file a lawsuit challenging the city’s Mandatory Housing Affordability (MHA) ordinance—a law that makes it too expensive for them to build housing on their own property. At the center of the case is Anita Adams. She’s a lifelong Seattleite who grew up and raised a family in the city’s Central District. With Seattle’s housing costs remaining stubbornly high, Anita’s two children cannot afford to live near her. That didn’t sit right with her, so she started to dream about building an addition to...

The Attorney General of Washington State filed a consumer protection lawsuit against Federal Way Discount Guns, claiming the store illegally sold magazines that held more than 10 rounds of ammunition. It has generally been illegal for anyone to sell magazines that hold more than 10 rounds of ammunition in Washington State, since July 1st of 2022, this year. There are some specific exceptions. The law is being contested in the courts. From the complaint:Plaintiff State of Washington, by and through its attorneys Robert W. Ferguson, Attorney General, and Ben Carr, John Nelson, and Bob Hyde, Assistant Attorneys General, brings this...

A new proposal coming to the Washington Legislature for consideration next year aims to break the cycle of poverty that’s trapped families like Bereskin’s and lift future generations of low-income residents toward a path of financial independence. The Washington Future Fund would create a pool of money that every child born under the state’s Medicaid program, Apple Health, could access a portion of upon adulthood to use toward homeownership, education or pursuing a small business. The trusts are intended to even the financial playing field for lower-income residents by providing a chance to catch up to their wealthier peers. Beginning...

SEATTLE — Patty Murray defeated GOP challenger Tiffany Smiley in her bid to retain her seat in the U.S. Senate. Murray led Smiley with 57% of the vote following an initial ballot count on Nov. 8. Murray, a Democrat, will serve for a sixth term in the U.S. Senate. Washington state hasn’t elected a Republican to the Senate since 1994.

A Washington school board approved a policy on Aug. 24 prohibiting the teaching of Critical Race Theory (CRT) in classrooms. The Kennewick School Board in Kennewick, Washington, voted 5-0 on a policy which bans educators from teaching students CRT or that “their race determines their value or worth.” The policy requires that students learn “factual” U.S. history in all disciplines at school.

A King County infant has become infected with the monkeypox virus as the outbreak grows in Washington, prompting public health leaders to again remind medical providers of possible symptoms and call attention to the seriousness of the disease. While the threat of infection to the general public remains low, the pediatric case serves as the latest reminder that while the current outbreak has spread primarily among men who have sex with men, anyone can become sick, state Secretary of Health Dr. Umair A. Shah said Thursday morning. This week, Public Health – Seattle & King County said three of the...

In Washington state’s 3rd Congressional District, Joe Kent has defeated incumbent republican Jaime Herrera Beutler, who voted to impeach President Trump.

Challenger Joe Kent has nearly overtaken U.S. Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler in vote counts released Friday, leaving the six-term incumbent teetering on the brink of defeat amid Republican backlash over her vote to impeach former President Donald Trump. But Kent, her Trump-endorsed Republican challenger, has surged in later tallies, cutting deeply into Herrera Beutler’s lead and threatening to push her into third place. Kent has gained ground every day, in a trend line that points to him surpassing Herrera Beutler when more votes are counted next week. Herrera Beutler “needs a miracle,” wrote Dave Wasserman, an editor and election expert...

A vicious beating at the Bellevue Transit Center sent a disabled man to the hospital with a fractured skull...Sixty-three-year-old Eric Larson, who was sitting in his wheelchair when he was attacked, died from his injuries Tuesday...Police tracked down the suspect [Gabriel Vargas-Garcia] and discovered he was just released from prison on July 8 on a sexual assault conviction.

We are waiting to see what happens. The automotive industry is already bracing for this one. One year after it passed (2021) but was vetoed by Gov. Inslee, the state Democrat-controlled legislature passed a bill (2022) that if signed by Inslee, will ban sales of new gas-powered vehicles in our state after 2030. Autoweek took a look at the legislation a few days ago. The bill would ban the sale of new light-duty cars, SUVs, trucks, vans, etc. after 2030. It would allow continued sales of vehicles 10,000lbs. and up, and also allow emergency vehicles. The reason last year's bill...

Covid force to go door to door in Perth this weekend conducting voluntary tests About 875 people expected be tested for virus over the next two weekends Belmont, Bassendean, Claremont and Melville will be targeted by testing blitz WA is just days away from reaching its peak in Omicron cases, premier warns The state recorded 7,151 new cases and one Covid-related death on Thursday A Covid detection force will go door to door in Perth this weekend and conduct random testing amid fears Omicron is lurking undetected in the community. About 875 people are expected be tested over the next...

Amazon is closing one of its Seattle offices due to an uptick in violent crime, the company told KOMO News. It comes after a wave of deadly shootings in the city’s downtown area, forcing police to set up a temporary precinct and patrol the area on bicycles. “We are hopeful that conditions will improve and that we will be able to bring employees back to this location when it is safe to do so,” it said in a statement. The move will affect about 1,800 employees, though the company said many are working remotely and will be given a temporary...

Senate Democrats in Washington state have once again passed a bill that creates a pathway to early release for a variety of incarcerated people serving long sentences or even life without parole, including those sentenced for aggravated murder and murder in the first degree. The bill doubles the membership of the Clemency and Pardons Board, and requires certain representation on the board to ensure equity. The board would consider petitions for early release for incarcerated people who have served 15, 20, or 25 years of their sentence, depending on the crime they’re serving time for. “This bill is about understanding...

Tri-Cities, WA — Governor Inslee recently announced his support for legislation that would outlaw attempts by elected officials to spread lies about free and fair elections when it has likelihood to stoke violence. State Representative Brad Klippert attended MyPillow Chief Executive Mike Lindell's cyber security symposium in August. Action news spoke with Klippert about why participating was so important to him. "I don't get it with this guy [Inslee], has he not read the Constitution, has he not read that we in the United States of America and we in Washington state have freedom of speech," said Klippert. "So if...

EVERETT — Ryan Leenders collapsed and wept in the arms of his defense attorneys Thursday as the verdict in his murder trial was read aloud. Not guilty of first-degree murder. Not guilty of second-degree murder. Not guilty of first-degree assault. It took a jury of five women and seven men less than two days to acquit Leenders, 36, of all charges related to the deadly shooting of William Harper, 28, who was a guest at a party in 2020. Leenders walked out of the courtroom a free man, two days before Christmas. The jury sat through nearly four weeks of...

PARKLAND, Wash. — Dramatic new surveillance video shows a store employee making a risky move to stop a shoplifter in Pierce County. The store owner said they are fed up with thieves targeting their stores again and again, and the worker was striking back. It was the last straw for 27-year-old Gabby. The ‘Iconic Workwear’ store employee was seen on surveillance video, jumping into action, and closing the door on a would-be shop lifter. She blocks him from taking off after another guy got away. “She was shaking," said Pedro Gonzalez, Iconic Workwear owner. "She was angry. She was frustrated....