WHEREAS, on August 19, 2020, I issued Proclamation 20-68, proclaiming a State of Emergency for all counties throughout the state of Washington as a result of the impacts on the people of Washington of multiple wildfires that have occurred throughout the state; and
WHEREAS, there were a large number of wildfires throughout Washington State this fire season, caused in part by unusually hot and dry conditions this summer and exacerbated by a historic wind event in early September that brought high winds from the east to the west, and elevated temperatures and windy conditions throughout the State that continued
through most of September; and
WHEREAS, in September alone, in excess of 640,000 acres of land burned, destroying hundreds of homes, businesses, agricultural interests, and public and private infrastructure; and
WHEREAS, the effect of these fires continues to impact the life and health of our citizens, as well as the property and transportation infrastructure of Washington State and is a public disaster that affects life, health, property, or the public peace; and
WHEREAS, under RCW 74.04.660(6), during a state of emergency, the Governor is authorized to extend eligibility for benefits under the Family Emergency Assistance Program to individuals and families without children; and
WHEREAS, the property damage caused by the wildfires has caused economic hardship on individuals and families without children who usually would not be eligible for the Family Emergency Assistance Program in RCW 70.04.660; and
WHEREAS, as a result of the economic impacts of the global COVID-19 pandemic on Washington State, many families have received benefits under the Family Emergency Assistance Program, established by the Department of Social and Health Services under
RCW 74.04.660; and WHEREAS, under RCW 74.04.660, households are only eligible for Family Emergency
Assistance Program once in a 12-month period and therefore, households who already received Family Emergency Assistance Program for COVID-19 related issues would not be eligible for aid related to wildfires in the same 12-month period unless that statutory provision is waived; and
WHEREAS, the provisions of RCW 74.04.660 have already been extended to families without children in proclamations related to the COVID-19 pandemic, specifically Proclamations 20-18, 20-52, 20-65 and 20-66; and
WHEREAS, on September 10, 2020, I issued Emergency Proclamation 20-72, which clarified that the statutory waiver in RCW 74.04.660 is applicable to families with or without children who are suffering economic impacts from Washington’s wildfires and also waived statutory language in RCW 74.04.660(2) limiting eligibility for aid to one period of time during a twelve-month period; and
WHEREAS, on October 2, 2020, in Emergency Proclamation 20-72.1, I extended the statewide wildfire state of emergency, 20-68, as well as the provisions of 20-72 through 11:59 p.m. on October 10, 2020; and
WHEREAS, although fire activity has diminished and there is no longer an emergency situation with respect to firefighting, the aftermath of the fires continues to impact the life and health of our citizens, as well as the property and transportation infrastructure of Washington State, and is a public disaster that affects life, health, property, or the public peace.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, Jay R. Inslee, Governor of the state of Washington, as a result of the continuing impacts of the wildfires and under RCW 38.08, 38.52 and 43.06, do hereby proclaim that a state of emergency continues to exists in all 39 counties, and that the declaration of emergency in Proclamation 20-68 remains in effect as it relates to the continuing impacts of the wildfires, and that Proclamations 20-68 and 20-72 are hereby amended to extend them until 11:59 p.m. on November 9, 2020.
I again direct the plans and procedures of the Washington State Comprehensive Emergency
Management Plan be implemented. State agencies and departments are again directed to
utilize state resources and to do everything reasonably possible to assist affected political
subdivisions in an effort to respond to and recover from the event. My order into active
state service of the Washington State organized militia also remains in effect. The Washington State Emergency Operations Center is instructed to continue monitoring the
event and coordinating all event-related assistance to the affected areas.
Signed and sealed with the official seal of the state of Washington this 9th day of October,
A.D., Two Thousand and Twenty at Olympia, Washington.
Editorial Comment: Inslee's polices on forest management caused these people for losing their homes, and even lives.
Cantwell, Murray, Colleagues Press EPA on Implementation of Trump Order to Withhold Federal Funding from Seattle, Portland, Major U.S. Cities.
Letter comes as EPA considers withholding funds for cleaning up contaminated land and drinking water in Seattle and Portland
WASHINGTON DC – U.S. Senators Maria Cantwell (D-WA) and Patty Murray (D-WA) joined Oregon Senators Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Jeff Merkley (D-OR), New York Senators Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), and Senator Tom Carper (D-DE), the top Democrat on the Environment and Public Works Committee, in a letter this week to Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Andrew Wheeler requesting information about EPA’s implementation of the White House memorandum ordering federal agencies to withhold federal funds from cities that President Trump falsely claims are being run by “anarchists.”
“We have learned that EPA, in its internal meetings related to the policy, has begun to identify funding sources that could be subject to the directive, some of which are vital for the provision of safe drinking water and the remediation of contamination,” the senators wrote. “Setting aside the legally questionable and abhorrent nature of the President’s directive, EPA’s implementation thereof could endanger human health and the environment.”
More than $1 billion of recent EPA funds to Seattle, Portland, New York City, and Washington, D.C. could be at risk if EPA were to implement the White House memorandum. In their letter, the senators cited multiple examples of funding the EPA may seek to halt, deny, or rescind as a result of President Trump’s directive. These include a $192,200,000 Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) loan that the city of Seattle received to reduce combined sewer overflows, and as well as $27,914,000 awarded to the state of Washington in FY 2020 for the Clean Water State Revolving Fund, and $24,598,000 for the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund.
“We strongly urge you not to take any action that could result in the collective loss of more than a billion dollars of funding intended to clean up contamination and drinking water in these American cities,” the senators continued. “To do so would be antithetical to EPA’s mission of protecting human health and the environment.”
The senators requested that EPA provide an initial response no later than October 9, 2020.
Editorial comment: Serves these cities right loosing funding after they allowed Marxist thugs to riot and destroy peoples lives. Serves them right for losing funding because they decided to defund the police.
Today's headlines news...
WORLD NEWS:
Remarks at a UN Security Council Arria-Formula Meeting on Mediation (via VTC)--US Mission to the UN.
Secretary Michael R. Pompeo With Greg Kelly of Greg Kelly Reports on Newsmax TV
INTERVIEW---US STATE DEPT.
NATIONAL HEADLINE NEWS:
Operation Warp Speed Makes Swift Progress--DOD
Singaporean National Sentenced to 14 Months in Prison for Acting in the United States As an Illegal Agent of Chinese Intelligence
SECRETARY INVESTIGATES ALLEGED RELIGIOUS DISCRIMINATION IN SENIOR HOUSING COMPLEXES
Bibles Allegedly Removed from Resident Library and Common Areas.
BUSINESS & FINANCE HEADLINES:
SBA and Treasury Announce Simpler PPP Forgiveness for Loans of $50,000 or Less--US TREASURY DEPT.
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR’S OSHA ANNOUNCES $913,133 IN CORONAVIRUS VIOLATIONS
ICYMI: 'Made in America' starts with Minnesota mining--Dept. of Interior
STATE NEWS HEADLINES:
Winter recreational crabbing open in several marine areas around Puget Sound--WDFW
WDFW invites public comment on spring black bear hunting seasons--WDFW
Update on vaccine planning from Washington State Department of Health
IN OTHER HEADLINES...
Left Wing Group Desperately Tries To Capitalize on Lame Harris Quote from VP Debate--WJ
Sciascia: This November, If You're Stupid Don't Vote--WJ
Civil Rights Attorney Calls Out Michelle Obama's Trump Attack: She 'Lied in That Video'--WJ
Biden-Harris Would Deal a Huge Blow to Religious Liberty--Patriot Post
Push for 25th Amendment Commission Isn’t About Trump, Pelosi Claims--Daily Signal
Biden: Voters ‘Don’t Deserve’ To Know Whether I’ll Pack The Court---The Federalist
LOCAL MEETINGS & AGENDAS
CLALLAM COUNTY MEETINGS...
Clallam County Commission work session for 10/12/20
https://clallam.granicus.com/GeneratedAgendaViewer.php?view_id=2&event_id=1232
Clallam County regular session for 10/13/20
https://clallam.granicus.com/GeneratedAgendaViewer.php?view_id=2&event_id=7234
Clallam County Lodging Tax Advisory Committee
Friday, October 14, 2020
BUDGET MEETING NOTICE
CLALLAM COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS for 10/14/20
PORT OF PORT ANGELES MEETING FOR 10/ 13/ 20
https://www.portofpa.com/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_10132020-453
CITY OF SEQUIM COUNCIL MEETING 10/12/20
https://www.sequimwa.gov/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/2320
Clallam County PUD meeting for 10/12/20
https://clallampud.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/10-12-20-WEB-Packet.pdf
JEFFERSON COUNTY MEETINGS...
Jefferson County Board of Commissioners agenda for 10/12/20
Port of Port Townsend Commission Meeting 10.14.2020
https://portofpt.com/event/regular-business-meeting-2020-03-11-2020-05-13-2020-10-14/
