45 Mayors Across America Call for Action on Cantwell, DelBene Affordable Housing Bill

In bipartisan letter to congressional leaders, mayors push for passage of legislation that would build 550,000 new units nationwide in the next decade; Mayors representing 8 of 10 most populous U.S. cities, communities in 19 states sign letter

Press release 12/ 9/ 19

WASHINGTON, D.C. – In a letter sent today, a bipartisan group of 45 mayors representing communities in 19 states throughout the country and the District of Columbia urged congressional leaders to include affordable housing legislation introduced by U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) and U.S. Representative Suzan DelBene (D, WA-01) in any tax package considered by Congress before the end of the year. The list includes mayors representing 8 of the 10 most populous cities, and 14 of the top 25, in the United States.

The letter was led by the mayors of Seattle, WA, and Tacoma, WA. It was also signed by the mayors of: Anchorage, AK; Mesa, AZ; Phoenix, AZ; Tucson, AZ; East Palo Alto, CA; Los Angeles, CA; Newark, CA; Oakland, CA; Oceanside, CA; Rancho Cordova, CA; Sacramento, CA; San Francisco, CA; San Jose, CA; San Leandro, CA; Santa Monica, CA; Denver, CO; Washington, D.C.; Chicago, IL; Carmel, IN; Louisville, KY; New Orleans, LA; Boston, MA; Minneapolis, MN; Saint Paul, MN; St. Louis, MO; New York, NY; Newburgh, NY; Rochester, NY; Akron, OH; Cleveland, OH; Columbus, OH; Philadelphia, PA; Pittsburgh, PA; Dallas, TX; San Antonio, TX; Montpelier, VT; Vergennes, VT; Winooski, VT; Alexandria, VA; Colville, WA; Everett, WA; Madison, WI; and Milwaukee, WI.

“Our nation is facing one of the worst housing crises in our history,” the mayors wrote in a letter to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy. “The Affordable Housing Credit Improvement Act would have a critical impact in addressing our rental housing shortages and increasing access to affordable housing for hard-working families, seniors, veterans, and people with disabilities.”

Calling the Housing Credit a “model public-private partnership,” the mayors continued: “the Affordable Housing Credit Improvement Act would provide a much-needed investment in our nation’s housing infrastructure, while also generating $48.5 billion in wages and business income, $19.1 billion in additional tax revenue, and 510,000 jobs.”

In June, Cantwell and DelBene introduced the bipartisan Affordable Housing Credit Improvement Act of 2019. The bill would expand the Affordable Housing Tax Credit – also known as the Low Income Housing Tax Credit – creating more than 550,000 new units than would otherwise be built, including almost 10,000 in Washington state. The bill would also support more than 11,000 jobs in Washington and add over $1 billion to the state’s economy in wages and business income.

In recent years, the United States has experienced a severe housing affordability crisis. In Washington state between 2006 and 2015, the median rent increased by 18%, while the median income in the state increased only three percent. In 2017, more than 500,000 households – nearly 37% of all households in the state – spent more than 30% of their monthly income on rent, and nearly 400,000 of these households paid more than half of their monthly income. These statistics are even more drastic among extremely low-income renters in the state – 71% pay half or more of their monthly income on rent.

In addition to building thousands of new units, the Cantwell-DelBene legislation would enable the Housing Tax Credit to better serve at-risk and underserved communities by increasing the number of credits available for housing developments serving extremely low-income populations, those with special needs, and those in Indian Country. The legislation would also strengthen veteran-specific housing options and allow states to increase the credits available for projects in rural areas.

Affordable housing has long been a priority issue for Senator Cantwell. In 2018, she successfully secured a nearly $3 billion down payment toward addressing the affordable housing crisis, helping to build over 28,000 units and support an additional 32,000 jobs. Earlier this year, she joined colleagues to introduce bipartisan legislation that would establish a task force on the affordable housing crisis. DelBene has been a leading voice in the House of Representatives on affordable housing legislation. She has held numerous round table with local organizations in Washington state to find solutions to the affordable housing crisis facing so many families throughout Washington state. 

Cantwell Introduces Legislation to Provide Technical Assistance for Trade Enforcement Programs

Technical assistance, capacity building programs help grow international trade

Press release issued 12/ 9/ 12

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) introduced legislation to provide $75 million to the U.S. Department of Labor and the U.S. Agency for International Development for technical assistance and trade enforcement programs. The funding will help support critical programs and infrastructure to grow trade between the United States and Mexico.

Trade with Mexico is critical for Washington state’s economy:

“In the state of Washington, we export $2 billion worth of goods to Mexico,” Senator Cantwell said. “It accounts for 107,000 jobs in the state of Washington. And when we’re talking about these things, we should be talking about expanding economic opportunity. There’s a big market outside the United States, but we have to have the tools and the enforcement mechanisms to make sure these agreements are lived up to.”

Last week, Cantwell and Representative Suzan DelBene (D, WA-01) sent a letter to United States Trade Representative (USTR) Robert Lighthizer urging him to include U.S. technical assistance for labor enforcement programs in Mexico in the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement.

“Capacity building is key to strengthening enforcement of labor rights – an essential element of the USMCA. Furthermore, the United States must also have the requisite resources to monitor and enforce the labor obligations in the USMCA in order to protect workers throughout North America,” Cantwell and DelBene wrote to Ambassador Lighthizer. “Whether it be through capacity building support or monitoring and enforcement mechanisms, we need to make clear that the United States is committed to supporting Mexico's labor reform process.”

Senator Cantwell has long prioritized capacity building and technical assistance programs. In 2015, she worked to create the Trade Enforcement Trust Fund, which provides resources for enforcement actions and helps agencies in charge of enforcing international trade agreements build capacity with trading partners on environmental, labor, intellectual property, and other issues.

She also raised the issue at a Senate Finance Committee hearing earlier this year, questioning Michael Wessel, a staff advisor to the United States Trade Representative and Department of Labor’s Labor Advisory Committee and the Advisory Committee for Trade Policy and Negotiations, about the importance of capacity building assistance:

“Earlier this year, Mexico entered into new labor laws ensuring Mexican workers the right to organize and bargain collectively. And now they have to create their independent labor courts,” Cantwell said at the hearing. “So now they have to implement these reforms. So what do we need to do to build capacity in this area? And don’t we need to put in place enforcement tools to build capacity to protect and enforce labor rights?”

“The market opportunities you’re talking about are enhanced by having workers be able to enjoy their rights so that they are good consumers of our products. So having labor rights in Mexico will enhance opportunities for our exporters of all products,” Wessel replied. “Mexico has a number of things it needs to do on its own, and they have set out a work plan to do some of that… So the U.S. helping on capacity building in Mexico is vital to help those workers who have not had rights or understood their rights for so long… to make sure that we don’t have to go to enforcement where injury has occurred, but that we can build the capacity to be able to make sure the agreement is a success.”

WORLD NEWS HEADLINES

------------------------------------

‘Embrace the transformation’ to a carbon-neutral world by 2050, UN chief tells COP25

With millions of workers increasingly affected by the climate crisis the route to securing livelihoods in the future lies in a wholesale transformation of how we power the planet and manage our resources, the UN chief said on Thursday, at a COP25 climate action event focused on greener jobs.

https://news.un.org/en/story/2019/12/1053331

South Sudan famine threat: UN food security agency in ‘race against time’

The World Food Programme (WFP) is warning against potential famine in South Sudan as hunger deepens due to drought, floods and an uncertain political future. 

https://news.un.org/en/story/2019/12/1053321

Universal Health Coverage will ‘drive progress’ on 2030 Development Agenda

Last September world leaders at the United Nations endorsed an ambitious political declaration on universal health coverage, “reaffirming that health is a human right”, Secretary-General António Guterres said on Wednesday in his message for International Universal Health Coverage Day.

https://news.un.org/en/story/2019/12/1053271

North Korea missile tests ‘deeply troubling’: senior UN official

Recent developments concerning North Korea’s nuclear and ballistic missile programmes are “deeply troubling”, the UN’s Assistant Secretary-General for the Middle East, Asia and the Pacific said on Wednesday, briefed the Security Council.

https://news.un.org/en/story/2019/12/1053281

COP25: Support business efforts to tackle climate change, urges Guterres.

The UN Secretary-General has called on business and civil society leaders to press Governments into articulating policies that support private sector efforts to address climate change. 

https://news.un.org/en/story/2019/12/1053231



MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Senator Murray Statement on New Trump Administration SNAP Rule.

Press  Release issued 12/ 4/ 19

(Washington, D.C.) – U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) released the statement below following final approval on a Trump Administration rule that will remove nearly 700,000 people from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

“It’s hard to see this as anything but the President being cruel for cruelty’s sake. There is absolutely no reason to deny struggling individuals the food assistance they need. President Trump may not understand how much damage steps like this cause—but I do and I’m not going to stop fighting to get this heartless rule and others like it reversed.”

Cantwell, Murray, Washington State Delegation Denounce Proposed Trump Administration Rule that Would Gut Food Assistance Program in Washington State

New Trump administration rule would significantly reduce Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits for more than 350,000 Washington state families

Press release issued 12/ 3/ 19

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Patty Murray (D-WA), and U.S. Representatives Kim Schrier, M.D. (D-WA, 8th), Adam Smith (D-WA, 9th), Suzan K. DelBene (D-WA, 1st), Denny Heck (D-WA, 10th), Derek Kilmer (D-WA, 6th), Rick Larsen (D-WA, 2nd), and Pramila Jayapal (D-WA, 7th), yesterday sent a letter to Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue, blasting the Trump administration for the third proposed rule this year that would reduce Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits for children, families, elderly individuals and more in Washington state and across the country.

This proposed rule would remove states’ flexibility in calculating the gross income of SNAP recipients by setting a single method for calculating Standard Utility Allowances (SUA) under SNAP, which are how states determine the impact of utility costs, such as heating or electricity, on a family or individual’s ability to put food on the table. This change will dramatically reduce the amount of SNAP funding that hundreds of thousands of Washington state families will receive.

“As Members of Congress representing Washington state we share a commitment to guaranteeing that our constituents receive SNAP benefits in accordance with Congressional intent, which is to ensure that low-income people can afford nutritious food and thereby reduce hunger, malnutrition, poverty, and improve child and adult health and employment outcomes,” the Members wrote. “The Proposed Rule… will result in over 350,000 Washington state families seeing a significant reduction in their SNAP benefits.”

The Members continued: “…This rule will hurt Washington state residents, harm public health, and negatively impact local economies.”

SNAP is a critical program in Washington state and across the country that helps to reduce food insecurity, improve nutrition, and reduce poverty for low-income people and families. According to the National Academy of Sciences, SNAP is, “by far the single most important tax and transfer program for reducing deep poverty” in children. However, should the Trump Administration rule go into effect, states would lose the flexibility to consider the impact of utility costs on household income, and instead have to use a nationally-set standard that would effectively lower the value of Washington state’s SUA—leading to more than 350,000 Washington state families having their SNAP benefits reduced, as more than 75% of Washington state SNAP households receive a utility allowance. Moreover, the rule will have a disproportionate impact on Washington state, as the average loss in SNAP funding in Washington state will be $47 per month per household, which is much greater than the national average cut of $32.20 per month.

In addition to the harm it would inflict upon low-income families and individuals across the state, the proposed rule would also negatively impact the state’s government and economy. According to the Washington State Department of Social and Health Service (DSHS), implementing the changes mandated by the new rule would require the state to hire more than 52 new full-time employees, placing an increased administrative burden upon DSHS and financial burden upon state taxpayers. Finally, by reducing the amount of money available to more than 350,000 Washington state families to spend on food, the rule would also inflict direct harm upon the state’s economy.

The members have vehemently denounced the Trump administration’s previous attempts to reduce SNAP benefits for Washingtonians in need, voicing their opposition to the administration’s proposed Categorical Eligibility rule and Public Charge rule. 

USDA Restores Original Intent of SNAP: A Second Chance, Not A Way of Life.

Press release 12/ 4/ 19

(Washington, D.C., December 4, 2019) – At the direction of President Donald J. Trump, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue today announced a final rule to move more able-bodied recipients of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) towards self-sufficiency and into employment. The rule restores the system to what Congress intended: assistance through difficult times, not a way of life.

“Americans are generous people who believe it is their responsibility to help their fellow citizens when they encounter a difficult stretch. Government can be a powerful force for good, but government dependency has never been the American dream. We need to encourage people by giving them a helping hand but not allowing it to become an indefinitely giving hand,” said Secretary Perdue. “Now, in the midst of the strongest economy in a generation, we need everyone who can work, to work. This rule lays the groundwork for the expectation that able-bodied Americans re-enter the workforce where there are currently more job openings than people to fill them.”----USDA press release

WORLD NEWS HEADLINES:

----------------------------------------

Partnerships key to taking landlocked countries out of poverty: UN Chief.

The challenges faced by landlocked developing countries (LLDCs), some of the poorest in the world, can be overcome through more effective partnerships, UN Secretary-General António Guterres declared on Thursday, at a conference held at UN Headquarters in New York.

https://news.un.org/en/story/2019/12/1052861

Soil erosion must be stopped ‘to save our future’, says UN agriculture agency

Although soils are essential for human well-being and the sustainability of life on the planet, they are threatened on all continents by natural erosion, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said on World Soil Day, calling for their protection.

https://news.un.org/en/story/2019/12/1052831

Malaria: Focus on pregnant women and children, stresses UN health agency report

While more pregnant women and children are being protected against malaria than before, more fast-tracking and greater funding are needed to reinvigorate the global response, according to a new United Nations report launched on Wednesday. 

https://news.un.org/en/story/2019/12/1052751

From landlocked to land-linked: how the UN is helping some of the world’s poorest countries

How can the international community turn some of the world’s poorest, landlocked countries, into thriving, land-linked nations? On Thursday, at UN Headquarters, Member States will renew commitments they have made, to lift the 32 countries designated as Landlocked Developing Countries, or LLDCs, out of poverty.

https://news.un.org/en/story/2019/12/1052771

Only one in five countries has a healthcare strategy to deal with climate change.

Protecting people’s health from climate change dangers such as heat stress, storms and tsunamis has never been more important, yet most countries are doing too little about it, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Tuesday.

https://news.un.org/en/story/2019/12/1052631





Christmas music

Senator Murray Introduces Bicameral Refugee Protection Act of 2019.

Press release issued 11/ 25/ 19
https://www.murray.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/newsreleases?ContentRecord_id=71004E8B-73FF-49B2-AD4F-4787F86ADEAC
(Washington, D.C.) – On Thursday, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) helped introduce the bicameral Refugee Protection Act of 2019. Building upon previous versions of the Refugee Protection Act, the Refugee Protection Act of 2019 is a comprehensive blueprint for restoring and reinvigorating U.S. refugee and asylum systems in response to the Trump administration’s attempts to shut the nation’s doors to refugees and asylum seekers. The legislation comes on the heels of reports that the Trump administration did not allow a single refugee into the country in October, the first time this has occurred since the United States began tracking the number of refugees resettling in the country.

“As the world faces an unprecedented refugee crisis, President Trump’s cruel and inhumane immigration policies have been an unmitigated disaster, both for those already in our country and those seeking safety and security,” Senator Murray said. “The United States has long welcomed refugees, and this bill gets us back on the path to installing comprehensive and fair immigration reform and once again making our country a beacon of hope for children and families across the globe fleeing violence and persecution.”

Senator Murray has been a strong champion for comprehensive immigration reform and other efforts to support the fair treatment of refugees and those seeking asylum, including fighting back against the Trump Administration’s efforts to limit refugee resettlement in the U.S., and demanding President Trump put an end to his Remain in Mexico policy, which unnecessarily places asylum seekers in danger. Additionally, Senator Murray has fought for resources and representation for immigrant and refugee communities in Washington state and across the country.

The Refugee Protection Act of 2019 is endorsed by a wide range of refugee, asylum, immigration, and faith-based organizations. A short outline of the bill can be found here, and a sectional analysis can be found here. Text of the legislation can be found here.
https://www.leahy.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/Refugee%20Protection%20Act%20of%202019%20text.pdf


Inslee statement on I-976 injunction
Press release issued 11/ 27/ 19
https://www.governor.wa.gov/news-media/inslee-statement-i-976-injunction

We are taking action today in response to the court order and in consideration of the vote on the initiative. The state will take a fiscally prudent approach by effectively continuing to act as if the initiative is still in place from a state spending perspective.

“Accordingly, state funds from car tabs will be held separately and set aside to function as an escrow account. We will effectively go forward as if the initiative is still in place and these funds will be available for refunds as determined by any further court order. The Department of Licensing will continue to collect car tab fees unless further instructed by the court.

“In addition, today’s court injunction does not change our plans to pause a number of projects across the state as detailed by the Department of Transportation yesterday. We are doing so in order to maintain these funds to be available for further determination by the Legislature. This plan is intended to allow us to preserve essential services.

"I know that Washingtonians want funding preserved for a safe, reliable transportation system which includes provisions for people with disabilities, state troopers on the road, and bus and ferry services.

“I will work collaboratively with the Legislature on a plan to move forward during this period of uncertainty.”


How Washington’s ocean acidification research and action is drawing global interest
Similar coasts, similar stories: How Washington’s ocean acidification research and action is drawing global interest
From the Governor's Medium page
https://medium.com/wagovernor/similar-coasts-similar-stories-how-washingtons-ocean-acidification-research-and-action-is-5d8f78c9c8fd

Washington is unique because we were the first area to create a comprehensive action plan after experiencing ocean acidification. Ocean acidification happens when our oceans absorb carbon dioxide. This means our ocean life ends up living in more acidic environments. It isn’t a good thing because it messes with the ideal living conditions that the organisms need to thrive in. And as climate change worsens, our oceans are only getting more acidic.
Ocean acidification makes it harder for shellfish to build and maintain their shells. But that’s just the start. Today’s scientific research is uncovering a host of other ocean health issues because of acidification. For example, ocean acidification makes it hard for salmon to detect predators. And ocean acidification may also cause plants in the ocean (algal blooms) to produce more toxins.
While this is a global problem, the Pacific Northwest is particularly vulnerable to impacts. Like Washington, Chile’s long coastline rests along the Eastern Pacific Ocean — a place where ocean currents bring nutrient-rich water to the surface. This rich water fosters a highly productive marine environment and creates a greater risk of ocean acidification impacts, since these rich waters also carry the fingerprint of our previous carbon emissions from 50 years ago (this process is called upwelling). And, just like us, Chile has strong cultural and economic ties to fisheries and aquaculture. That means the country is highly vulnerable to how climate change impacts ocean conditions and coastal communities.
Our ocean absorbs nearly one-third of carbon dioxide emissions. The open ocean already has 30 percent more acidity than before the Industrial Revolution took off in Washington.
When ocean acidification first affected the shellfish industry in the Pacific Northwest, we had no idea where our state’s efforts to address this problem would take us. The shellfish growers had dying oysters. They engaged the scientists from the start because they knew they had to act fast. From there, they informed government leaders and other community groups about the issue. Gov. Christine Gregoire created a Blue Ribbon Panel on ocean acidification to look into this. The panel created a plan of action that Washington still uses and updates today — leadership at the highest level really helped solve the issue and Gov. Jay Inslee said the support won’tstop anytime soon.
“Ocean acidification is already negatively affecting the West Coast,” Inslee said. “We know that healthy oceans sustain jobs, support coastal economies and feed billions of people. Now all of this is at risk and will cause great damage to our shellfish industry and coastal communities.”
As Gov. Inslee’s policy expert on ocean acidification, I was part of the group that traveled to Chile. I joined Washington State shellfish growers, a scientist from Washington’s Ocean Acidification Center, and the ocean acidification program staff at The Ocean Conservancy.
We visited a lab in Quintay, on Chile’s coast where Chilean researchers study how ocean acidification and rising water temperatures affect native species.
We talked to small-scale fishing communities in Quintay and Valparaiso where changing ocean conditions affect the species they catch. Our shellfish growers particularly enjoyed meeting mussel farmers in Puerto Montt where they discussed how ocean acidification weakens mussels.
We also met with university scientists who monitor and research ocean acidification and with government officials who want to know how they can better address the impacts of ocean acidification.
We shared Washington’s experience with how we approached ocean acidification — how it impacted shellfish growers and led to collaboration among scientists, government, growers and other local groups to improve our understanding and put our knowledge into action. Through this information exchange, both of our regions learned we need a diverse set of people engaged in this work. We also learned we need a way to coordinate the flow of scientific information and knowledge to decision makers.
Thanks to the governor and the Legislature, we are weaving ocean impacts and solutions into the fabric of our environmental and climate policy work. As a result, we have a more robust, integrated and sustainable approach for addressing ocean acidification and other climate impacts on our ocean.
We’ve also successfully partnered with Oregon, California and the Province of British Columbia to understand how acidification affects our entire west coast region.
With these partners, Washington launched the International Alliance to Combat Ocean Acidification in 2016. This is how states, nations, tribes and cities can take collective action against ocean acidification. We’re elevating the importance of ocean issues in climate forums, and sharing lessons-learned. We’re leveraging our assets. We’re investing together. And we’re growing our region’s climate policy leadership.
(Continued on pg 2)

WORLD NEWS HEADLINES
-------------------------------------

Is the world ready to end the coal era and embrace clean
Access to electricity has transformed the world, helping countries to develop their economies, and lifting millions out of poverty. However, this success has come at a great cost: the energy sector, heavily reliant on fossil fuels, is responsible for some 40 per cent of global carbon dioxide emissions – one of the so-called greenhouse gases, which trap heat in the atmosphere and warm the Earth – and almost two-thirds of these emissions come from coal.
https://news.un.org/en/story/2019/11/1052271

Violence in DR Congo Ebola hotspot leaves people ‘caught in crossfire’
Attacks on communities in an Ebola outbreak hotspot in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) have sparked a humanitarian crisis and threatened aid distribution, the UN said on Friday, amid reports of serious civil unrest.
https://news.un.org/en/story/2019/11/1052441

Iraq: UN ‘deeply concerned’ at continued protester deaths
UN chief António Guterres has expressed deep concern over reports of the continued use of live ammunition against demonstrators in Iraq.
https://news.un.org/en/story/2019/11/1052461

COP25: UN climate change conference, 5 things you need to know
Climate change is happening—the world is already 1.1°C warmer than it was at the onset of the industrial revolution, and it is already having a significant impact on the world, and on people’s lives. And if current trends persist, then global temperatures can be expected to rise by 3.4 to 3.9°C this century, which would bring wide-ranging and destructive climate impacts.
https://news.un.org/en/story/2019/11/1052251

270 million people are migrants, who send home a staggering $689 billion
The number of international migrants in 2019 is now estimated at 270 million and the top destination remains the United States, at nearly 51 million, the UN migration agency said on Wednesday.
https://news.un.org/en/story/2019/11/1052331

Enya - May It Be


This week's Commentary:  God blessed us with animals to care for and show mercy.

Kilmer Honored for Work to Reform Congress and Reduce the Role of Money in Politics.

Press release issued 11/ 19/ 19

Washington, DC – Representative Derek Kilmer (WA-06) has been awarded the inaugural “Teddy Roosevelt Courage Award” by Issue One, a leading cross-partisan political reform organization, for his efforts to fight to fix the broken political system and secure American elections. The Teddy Roosevelt Courage Award is given in the spirit of the 26th president of the United States who was a staunch defender of good, ethical government and the U.S. political system.

In receiving the award, Kilmer was recognized for his leadership in chairing the Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress, a committee tasked with identifying reforms to Congress more responsive to the needs of the American people. In addition, Issue One highlighted Kilmer’s leadership on campaign finance reform and working to reduce the role of money in politics.

“For a long time, folks have been justifiably frustrated with the performance of the government. There’s been too much money, too many special interests, and too little accountability. I’m working every day to fix that and ensure Congress takes concrete steps toward creating a government that works better for the American people,” said Rep. Kilmer. “I’m honored to receive this award and I thank Issue One for supporting the ongoing efforts to modernize Congress and get our government back on track.”

“It's hard to find profiles in courage in Congress these days because our political environment doesn't reward it,” said Issue One Executive Director Meredith McGehee. “But Congressman Kilmer continues to step up and tackle the hard issues like fixing our broken political system and making Congress work better for all Americans. That's why he deserved the Teddy Roosevelt Courage Award.”

“Congressman Kilmer is an example of what real bipartisanship in this town is all about,” said former Representative Zach Wamp (R-TN), Co-Chair of the ReFormers Caucus. “We need more leaders like him.”

“Nothing could be more important to the American people than the work that Chairman Derek Kilmer (D-WA) and Vice Chair Tom Graves (R-GA) are doing with the Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress,” said former Ambassador Tim Roemer (D-IN), Co-Chair of the ReFormers Caucus.

“Senators James Lankford (R-OK) and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), and Representatives Mike Gallagher (R-WI) and Derek Kilmer (D-WA) have consistently reached across the aisle and championed political reform when Washington is at its most divided. They are working to rebuild public trust in our great experiment of self-government at a time when it is cratering,” said Issue One CEO Nick Penniman. “Every day, Americans yearn for leadership and evidence that their concerns about our broken political system are being heard. These four leaders are listening and working in a bipartisan fashion to protect our elections, fix our politics, and modernize Congress. Issue One is proud to work with them to strengthen our democracy as they carry on the tenacious spirit of the 26th president.” 

Kilmer has taken the lead in Congress on campaign finance reform and continues to push for legislation that would improve transparency, create publicly financed elections, and fix the commission charged with enforcing federal election laws.

He co-sponsored and voted to pass H.R. 1, the For the People Act of 2019, a sweeping package of reform bills aimed at strengthening the voice of the American people in their democracy by making it easier to vote, reducing the role of big money in the political process, and ensuring public officials work for the public interest. This comprehensive reform package includes two bipartisan bills led by Representative Kilmer, the Honest Ads Act and the Resorting Integrity to America’s Election Act, which aim to increase transparency in our campaign finance and election laws. 

Kilmer also served as an original co-sponsor of the SHIELD Act, legislation to combat foreign interference in American elections by closing loopholes that allow foreign spending in our elections, boosting disclosure and transparency requirements with the inclusion of Kilmer’s Honest Ads Act, and creating a duty to report illicit offers of campaign assistance from foreign nations or governments.

Kilmer was appointed in January to serve as the Chair of the House Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress, which was created by an overwhelming bipartisan vote at the beginning of the 116th Congress to produce recommendations to promote a more modern and efficient Congress. The Select Committee has issued 29 recommendations to increase transparency in Congress by making congressional operations and legislative updates more accessible and understandable for the American people; improve the way Members of Congress can communicate and connect with their constituents; increasing staff retention on Capitol Hill; improve accessibility in the House for Americans with disabilities, and; overhaul the current onboarding and education processes for new and current Members of Congress. Last week, the U.S. House of Representatives voted to extend the Select Committee through the end of the next calendar year to continue its work delivering bipartisan reforms to make Congress work better for the American people.

Op-Ed in The Oregonian: Giving the green light to a new Columbia River bridge 

Co-authored with Oregon Governor Kate Brown

The only stoplight on Interstate 5 between Canada and Mexico is on the bridge over the Columbia River. As the governors of Washington and Oregon, we know that for too long the antiquated bridge has held our region back, literally and figuratively.

More than 138,000 vehicles cross the I-5 bridge each weekday. People travel between Vancouver and Portland for work, recreation, shopping, and visiting friends and family. The bridge’s importance to the entire region and our connectivity cannot be overstated.

This crucial link has become a major congestion point, and instead of moving the entire region full speed ahead, the bridge has become a symbol of traffic and frustration. Congestion can be so severe during morning and evening commutes that speeds on this interstate highway can be reduced to 15 miles per hour.

We’ve been stuck behind the traffic accidents – the rate of which quadruple during bridge lifts ­– and stuck behind one of our country’s worst freight bottlenecks that constrains the economy. We’ve been stuck with insufficient high-capacity transit and active transportation options even as our population centers grow. And we’ve been stuck behind a century-old structure built on river sand that’s susceptible to damage in even moderate earthquakes.

None of that benefits Oregonians, Washingtonians, and the millions of people who drive this stretch of highway every year.

For safety, traffic relief and jobs, we are recommitting to replacing the I-5 bridge.

Govs. Inslee, Brown announce plans to begin joint project to replace I-5 bridge.

Press release issued 11/ 18/ 19

Govs. Inslee, Brown announce plans to begin joint project to replace I-5 bridge

Gov. Jay Inslee joined Oregon Gov. Kate Brown in Vancouver Monday to announce a bi-state effort to replace the Interstate 5 bridge that spans the Columbia River and connects the two states.

“This is a new day,” Inslee said. “We need to replace the I-5 bridge over the Columbia River to benefit both Washingtonians and Oregonians. Our states are separated by a magnificent river but our values are consistent on both sides of the river. We are starting this process anew, moving forward with resources for a project office and a transparent, data-driven process that listens to the community’s needs.”

The aging bridge poses significant safety risks to drivers during an earthquake, and locals consider the bridge a source of major congestion. Brown said seismic resilience is the project’s first priority. The governors are also exploring options around high capacity transit that could reduce overall congestion.

“The current interstate bridge is over 100 years old, and it’s showing its age,” Brown said. “Replacing the interstate bridge is critical to the safety and economies of both Oregon and Washington. Our states are more interconnected than ever, and by working together, we can make our communities and roads safer while we improve mobility and support the economic vitality of our communities.”

During the event, the governors signed a Memorandum of Intent, an official agreement that reopens the transportation project and lays out next steps.

The two states have allocated $44 million in funding to open an office for the I-5 bridge project. Brown said the new office will gather community input, explore available federal funding options, incorporate past progress and research, and report back to both state legislatures with a plan.

Roger Millar, secretary of transportation at the Washington State Department of Transportation, also attended Monday’s event. He said he looks forward to working with various groups now that the project is back on the table.

“These are complex and difficult problems to solve but we have the partnership to see this through,” Millar said.

Kris Strickler, director at the Oregon Department of Transportation, said the state-to-state partnership is the most important thing going forward because hundreds of thousands of people cross the bridge each day.

“Those bridges have been out there for more than 100 years — at least one of them has — and we need to build something that lasts that long or at least longer,” Strickler said.

In 2017, Washington re-established a baseline of planning information that kept the focus on I-5 and helped move the project forward. This year, the state secured an important extension from the federal government to keep transportation funding options open.

And, in 2015, Washington secured more than $98 million for key infrastructure projects. The money went toward projects such as the I-5 Mill Plain Boulevard interchange (an integral part of the I-5 bridge project) to ease traffic congestion.

Inslee and Brown met with area transportation leaders, stakeholders and legislators during their time in Vancouver.

WORLD NEWS HEADLINES

------------------------------------------

Missile strike kills at least 12 civilians, including children, in Syria’s Idlib: UN humanitarians.

Violence in Syria continues to kill and maim civilians with reports that missiles fired into settlements for people fleeing conflict in the country’s northwest on Wednesday night, killed at least 12 people and wounded dozens more, including children, UN humanitarians said on Thursday.

Wednesday’s Daily Brief: Israeli settlements, World Children’s Day, fossil fuel overuse.

A recap of Wednesday’s stories: UN envoy reiterates position on illegality of Israeli settlements, World Children’s Day marked with calls for rights of children to be upheld, new report highlights major gap between use of fossil fuels and commitments to limit global warming.

Serious concerns over Sahel, require ‘urgent action’: Senior UN Africa official

The situation in Africa’s Sahel region continues to be “of serious concern and urgent action is needed”, a high-level United Nations official told the Security Council on Wednesday, attributing a rising number of attacks to terrorist armed groups.

UNICEF reports uneven progress in 30 years of child rights treaty.

Although the world has made historic gains over the past three decades in improving children’s lives, urgent action is required if the poorest children are to feel the impact, a new UN report published on Monday warns.

UN ‘regrets’ new US position on legality of Israeli settlements.

The longstanding position of the UN regarding Israeli settlements in Occupied Palestinian Territory – that they are in breach of international law – is unchanged, Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said during a press briefing on Tuesday in New York, reacting to the policy reversal announced by the United States.

*********************
Creedence Clearwater Revival: Who'll Stop The Rain

********************************

Senator Murray Delivers Speech on Need for Gun Safety Legislation Moments Before News of California School Shooting.

Press release issued 11/ 14/ 19

(Washington, D.C.) – This morning, moments before news broke of a school shooting in Santa Clarita, California, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) decried President Trump and Senate Republicans for failing to address the gun violence epidemic that continues to plague families across America, and called for a Senate vote on bipartisan background check legislation, HR 8. Despite HR 8 passing the House more than 250 days ago, Senate Republicans have refused to hold a vote on the bill, abdicating their responsibility to address the gun violence crisis to President Trump, who last week went back on his promise to pursue gun safety legislation following several mass-shootings this summer.

“Earlier today, as my Democratic colleagues and I were on the Senate floor calling out President Trump for breaking his promise to act on gun violence and urging Majority Leader McConnell to stop blocking a vote on House-passed, bipartisan universal background check legislation, devastating news broke of yet another school shooting. My heart is shattered by this news and the knowledge that this far-too-common tragedy has now hurt more children and families,” Senator Murray said in a statement following news of the shooting. “As I made clear this morning, the House passed bipartisan, commonsense gun safety legislation more than 250 days ago. There is now nothing standing in the way of this critical step except President Trump, Majority Leader McConnell, and the NRA—and Democrats are going to keep making our case and working as hard as we can for action that helps protect communities from this senseless epidemic.”

The speech this morning is just the most recent step by Senator Murray in her continued push for common-sense legislation to curb gun violence, and follows another effort by the senator to push for universal background check legislation following mass-shootings in Dayton, Ohio and El Paso and Midland, Texas. Senator Murray has long been a strong supporter of gun safety reforms, and as the top Democrat on the Senate health and education committee, has repeatedly fought to invest federal resources in gun violence prevention research.

“Thank you, M. President.

“M. President, I want to thank Senators Murphy and Blumenthal for their tremendous leadership that we are here on the floor today to speak about.

I come to the floor today not just as a member of the Senate, representing my home state of Washington, but as a former educator, as a mother, and as a grandmother devastated by how the gun violence epidemic is tearing apart our families and ravaging our communities, in every state, and I am furious at Republican leaders who continue to stand by and do nothing while more and more lives are lost.

“Just as I was after Newtown, and Parkland, and Sutherland Springs, and Marysville in my home state of Washington, I could go on.

“M. President, we don’t have to continue this cycle of violence, and heartbreak, and inaction.

“And we are here today to emphasize that there is action we can take right now, because earlier this year, the House passed HR 8—meaningful, bipartisan gun safety legislation to address this terrible crisis through universal background checks and other popular reforms.

“But in the two hundred and sixty days since HR 8 passed the House, it has languished here in the Senate despite repeated calls from myself and my Democratic colleagues for a vote.

“And that’s why fifty eight days ago, following the tragic events at El Paso, Dayton, and Midland, I joined my Senate Democratic colleagues here on the floor to try and break the cycle, and demand we address the scourge of gun violence in this country by taking a vote here in the Senate on HR 8, which would install universal background checks, a policy—that by the way–is supported by an overwhelming majority of Americans.

“And in the face of Republican apathy, people across our country raised their voices even louder, demanding action to end the endless waves of gun tragedies, so much so that after this summer’s string of horrors, President Trump bowed to public pressure and made a commitment to finally act to address the gun violence epidemic.

“After months and years of inaction, and far, far too many lives lost, it was the first sliver of hope in a long while that the President and Senate Republicans would finally put the safety of our families over their allegiance to the NRA, and do something substantive about ending this nation’s gun violence epidemic—working with Democrats towards commonsense reforms to end gun violence, and keep people safe.

“Now, more than two months later, President Trump has betrayed his pledge to address this tragic epidemic, as if the past summer never even happened.

“Once again, he’s chosen to abdicate his responsibility to keep our families and communities safe, and has broken yet another promise he made to the American people, kowtowing to the NRA and its unpopular, hard-right agenda to stymie commonsense gun reform as soon as mass shootings were out of the headlines.

“Well, I can assure you Senate Democrats and I are going to keep fighting for commonsense gun safety reforms like universal background checks, even when gun violence isn’t making a headline that day.

“Because while President Trump continues carrying water for the NRA and Senate Republicans continuing hiding behind President Trump, Democrats here understand that Congress has a duty to act to protect lives, and that the President’s cowardice absolutely should not set Congress’ agenda.

“While President Trump’s backtracking on this serious issue is disgraceful, I ask my Republican colleagues to remember that we are not beholden to the President or the gun lobby—that we do not need President Trump’s permission to vote on bills, or to act to save lives.

“In fact, in states across the country, we have been able to take on the gun lobby and make meaningful progress to address this crisis.

“In my home state of Washington, we have closed background check loopholes, and enacted Extreme Risk Protection Orders.

“We were able to accomplish those things because of the advocacy of groups like Moms Demand Action, across my state, the Washington state Alliance for Gun Responsibility, Everytown for Gun Safety, March for our Lives,  so many more.

“As well as the dedicated volunteers and activists behind these organizations—the brave people who have been out making their voices heard and putting pressure on lawmakers to do their jobs to end this senseless epidemic.

“People like Jane Weiss who lives in Mill Creek, Washington.

“After she tragically lost her niece to gun violence, Jane joined the fight to pass lifesaving legislation in Washington state by putting pressure on her state lawmakers—and won.

“There are people like Jane all across the country, who are speaking up, fighting back, even when it means reliving some of the hardest moments of their lives, in order to prevent others from suffering as much as they have.

“M. President, that is hard and brave work to do.

“But there is absolutely nothing hard, or brave, about simply having a vote on a bipartisan, House-passed legislation to ensure universal background checks.

“To the contrary, it is the height of cowardice not to hold that vote while families across the country wonder which movie theater or shopping mall or synagogue or mosque or church, or community space is next, and while students spend their time in school on active shooter drills while they should be learning. 

“But unfortunately, cowardice is what we’re seeing from far too many Republicans—here in the Senate and in the White House—when it comes to protecting families from the scourge of gun violence.

“So I want to be very clear. I hope my Republican colleagues allow this legislation to pass today, but if they don’t, for Jane and so many others, Senate Democrats are going to keep shining a spotlight on the inaction on gun violence here in the Senate, and the broken promises coming out of the White House.

“We’re going to keep making our case, building support, and we’re not going to give up until this is done.

“Thank you and I yield the floor.”

Inslee statement on Referendum 88

Press release issued 11. 13. 19

Gov. Jay Inslee released a statement on the outcome of Referendum 88, which was on the ballot in last week’s general election.

“Washington state has long been a place where we work to promote equality and opportunities for everyone regardless of the color of their skin, gender, country of origin, faith or language. These are Washington values and that will not change.

“We know systemic inequities remain that cause communities of color, veterans, people with disabilities and women to face persistent barriers to work and education opportunities.

“Referendum 88 was an attempt to address some of those inequities. While it was not successful, I am deeply committed to continue efforts that address opportunity for all Washingtonians consistent with current law.

“We currently have work underway to address the disparities that exist in state contracting, which is being led by the Office of Minority and Women Business Enterprises. This past legislative session, an Equity Office Task Force was created and the group is scheduled to present recommendations to me within the next month. Their input will help move our state forward and help ensure equal opportunities for everyone. But that is not enough.

"In partnership with the Legislature, we will continue to explore options that increase access to equitable opportunities and resources that reduce inequality -- including racial and ethnic disparities -- and improve outcomes for everyone statewide.”

Christmas tree inspections allow Washington trees to travel the world.

WSDA press release issued 11/ 13/ 19

It was a chilly, foggy morning a week before Halloween when WSDA plant protection inspectors Sue Welch and Haley Palec pulled up to a remote Christmas tree farm near Cinebar, just west of Mount Rainier National Park. While most people were still carving pumpkins and designing costumes, at Bear Canyon Tree Farm, the smell of fir was in the air. The farm’s freshly-cut Christmas trees were waiting for WSDA inspections so they could be shipped around the world. 

Bear Canyon Tree Farm’s trees were destined for markets in Hong Kong, Japan, and Singapore. In past years, they’ve even sent Christmas trees to Dubai.

To export Christmas trees to these and other countries, an inspection is usually required to make sure the trees don’t harbor any pests that might cause problems in the destination country. WSDA inspectors will visually examine both baled trees (trees that have been cut and wound with string to tightly secure the branches to the trunk) and cut, loose trees.

While baled trees get a close inspection, it’s the loose trees that get the action with a forceful, lengthy machine shaking that will knock loose needles and pests from the trees.

To the untrained eye, the shaking just appears to create a pile of dead tree needles. But inspectors know what to look for. They bend down to carefully examine the pile, looking for needles showing signs of disease or insects that have fallen out.

On this inspection, several insects had lost their grip on the tree, but none were pests of concern and inspectors did not find evidence of any diseases. This was great news for the tree farm waiting to export their trees.

As for the baled trees, they also get a good shake prior to being bound and are then visually inspected.

Washington ranks fourth nationally in the production of Christmas trees, with all of those trees grown on about 400 tree farms statewide.

Noble and Douglas fir trees are the most popular Christmas trees sold in Washington, accounting for 90 percent of all sales.

But many of our state’s Christmas trees end up in Hawaii, California, Canada, Mexico, Asia, and U.S. military bases worldwide.

WORLD NEWS HEADLINES

-------------------------------------------

UN mosquito sterilization technology set for global testing, in battle against malaria, dengue.

With more than half the world now at risk from mosquito-transmitted dengue fever, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), the UN has taken the lead on a global effort to eradicate the disease – and many others – by measuring the impact of releasing millions of sterilized pests across several continents, it announced on Thursday.

Human rights experts call for ‘paradigm shift’ on arbitrary detention in Qatar.

A group of independent UN human rights experts is calling for a “paradigm shift” in Qatar to protect people in the Gulf State from arbitrary detention.

UN leads bid for cheaper insulin, expanding access for diabetics worldwide.

Overly expensive insulin could be a thing of the past – and life-changing news – for millions of diabetics under a plan launched by the World Health Organization (WHO) on Wednesday to diversify production globally, just ahead of World Diabetes Day.

Zero new confirmed cholera cases in Haiti for nine months: UN envoy.

Although Haiti is in the “homestretch” of defeating a cholera outbreak first declared nine years ago, the battle is far from over before the country is free of the deadly disease.

Iraqis paying an ‘unthinkable price’ to be heard, UN envoy tells politicians in Baghdad 

Noting that the people of Iraq were at “a critical juncture”, the top UN Envoy in the country told parliamentarians there on Thursday that over the past six weeks, hundreds of thousands have been peacefully voicing their “genuine, legitimate, demands, loud and clear”. 

 **************************

 DAVE CLARK FIVE

Because

*****************************

******************************
NEWS FLASH!
****************************

NEWS FLASH: Port Angeles City Councilman Jim Moran as passed away.
According to a press release from the Port Angeles Business Association press release issued on Sunday by John Brewer.
Qouting from the email sent by the PABA: " PORT ANGELES CITY Councilman Jim Moran is dead.  His wife, Marie, said he died in his sleep Friday night or Saturday morning (Nov. 15-16).
Marie found him in bed at about 4:15 p.m. Saturday after returning to their Port Angeles home from a trip to see family members in Kent. She had talked to him by phone Friday evening.
 Funeral services are pending.  Harper-Ridgeview Funeral Chapel is handling arrangements. Jim and Marie have two adult sons who live in southern King County.
 Moran, 71, began his four-year City Council term in January 2018. The City Council will be called upon to appoint a successor to fill his remaining term which runs through December 2021. "

Murray, Cantwell, Larsen Announce $15.5M Grant for Improvements at Everett Waterfront

.
Press release issue 11. 6. 19
https://www.murray.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/newsreleases?ContentRecord_id=6E8E8D1E-4CC6-4C68-88A6-2BC24D044993

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Patty Murray (D-WA), a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Maria Cantwell (D-WA), the Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, and U.S. Representative Rick Larsen (WA-02), a senior member of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, announced the Port of Everett will receive $15,500,000 in federal funding to make improvements to 58 acres of land on Everett’s waterfront. The funds will help prepare the area for future freight transportation on the site.

“This grant award is a win-win for the Port of Everett that will clean-up a neglected environmental hazard while also restoring the former Kimberly-Clark mill site to support maritime freight and commerce—stimulating Everett’s waterfront economy, and creating hundreds of new jobs in our state’s fastest growing county,” Senator Murray said. “I will continue fighting to strengthen federal infrastructure investments, and pushing to ensure the federal government remains a ready partner in addressing critical infrastructure needs in Puget Sound and across Washington state.”

“Investing in Everett’s working waterfront creates more maritime jobs and more economic development for the entire community. Cleaning up the former Kimberly-Clark mill site will expand opportunities for the port to continue investing in Everett’s cutting-edge maritime workforce,” Senator Cantwell said.

“This is great news for the businesses and jobs that depend on the Port of Everett to connect local goods and services with global markets,” said Larsen. “I will continue to be a strong supporter of strengthening federal investment in Washington’s infrastructure to help sustain and build on local projects, put people to work and keep our economy moving.”

The grant will allow the port to acquire a 58-acre brownfield site, part of which is currently submerged tideland, and construct utilities, storm water improvements, and paving in support of future container-on-barge service in the area. The funds come from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT) Better Utilizing Investment to Leverage Development (BUILD) program.

“I am thrilled that the Port of Everett has received this award, and thank our congressional delegation as well as the Department of Transportation for supporting this investment in our community. These dollars will go a long way toward restoring this former mill site back into productive economic use, adding even more jobs to our working waterfront," said Everett Mayor Cassie Franklin.

“The Port of Everett is thrilled to receive this BUILD grant to help us purchase the former Kimberly-Clark mill site for maritime development. We will now be able to put this strategic site back into productive use, creating hundreds of jobs for the Everett-area economy. The Port greatly appreciates the strong support given to our grant application by Senators Murray and Cantwell and Congressman Larsen,” said Lisa Lefeber, the CEO and Executive Director of the Port of Everett.

Previously known as Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery, the DOT’s BUILD program invests in important road, rail, transit, and port projects, including Washington state’s ferry terminal in Mukilteo and terminal modernization projects at the Port of Everett. Senator Murray helped create the BUILD program in 2009, and advocated for federal investments in the Port of Everett project to the Department of Transportation, including writing a letter of support. Additionally, Senator Cantwell has long supported BUILD and has helped projects throughout Washington state receive funding through the program. In August, Larsen sent a letter to Transportation Secretary Chao urging support for the Port of Everett’s BUILD grant application, citing the project’s importance to the local and regional economy. Further, Larsen supported an increase in funding for BUILD grants in the FY2020 House Appropriations bill.

Inslee welcomes refugee resettlement in Washington

Press release issued 11. 5. 19
https://www.governor.wa.gov/news-media/inslee-welcomes-refugee-resettlement-washington

Gov. Jay Inslee notified the U.S. Department of State today that Washington will continue to welcome refugees, pursuant to the president’s executive order (EO 13888) that requires state and local consent.

“As the state that resettled the second highest number of refugees last year, we are honored to remain a place of safety and security for those fleeing persecution and violence,” Inslee wrote. “Refugees contribute to all sectors of our economy – as teachers, service members, doctors and more – while adding to our cultural landscape. They are an integral part of Washington’s past, present and future.”

In the letter, Inslee committed to work with localities across Washington on the written consent that the federal government now requires of them. Later this week, Washington state’s refugee coordinator at the Department of Social and Health Services will send a letter to local jurisdictions with further information on the new executive order and how to ensure refugee resettlement can continue unimpeded.

The letter also documents Inslee’s concerns with the Trump administration’s cuts to refugee resettlement and the imposition of new written consent requirements.

“I remain troubled by this administration’s deep cuts to refugee resettlement and disappointed that my call for a considerably higher number of refugees went unanswered,” Inslee wrote. “Further, I have significant concerns about the imposition of written consent requirements upon states and local jurisdictions as a condition to receiving new refugees for resettlement.”

Despite the call from hundreds of state and local leaders for resettling at least 95,000 refugees in 2020, the president has slashed the refugee cap to 18,000 next year — its lowest level in history.


Inslee statement on I-976
Press release issued 11. 6. 19
https://www.governor.wa.gov/news-media/inslee-statement-i-976

Gov. Jay Inslee released a statement on the results of Initiative 976 from yesterday's general election.

“It is clear that the majority of voters objected to current car tab levels. It is also clear that this vote means there will be adverse impacts on our state transportation system.
“I believe Washingtonians recognize the need to support a safe and reliable transportation system which includes buses, light rail, and ferries and is essential to support our robust economy, ease congestion and fight climate change.

“Accordingly, in response to the will of the people, I am taking immediate action. I have directed the Washington State Department of Transportation to postpone projects not yet underway. I have also asked other state agencies that receive transportation funding, including the Washington State Patrol and Department of Licensing, to defer non-essential spending as we review impacts.
 “I will work with legislators, agency leadership and stakeholders on how best to respond to the impacts of this initiative.
“I remain committed to finding solutions to meet Washington’s growing and urgent transportation needs.”





WORLD NEWS HEADLINES
---------------------------------------

Terminator’ warlord Bosco Ntaganda sentenced to 30 years in prison for DR Congo atrocities
The International Criminal Court (ICC) on Thursday handed down a maximum 30-year prison sentence for mass murder and numerous other atrocities, to Bosco Ntaganda, the heaviest sanction yet imposed by judges at The Hague, in the Netherlands.
https://news.un.org/en/story/2019/11/1050841

‘Everyone needs to do more’ to help suffering Venezuelans, says UN Emergency Relief Coordinator.
“Ordinary women, men and children face overwhelming challenges” just to survive in Venezuela today, UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Mark Lowcock said on Wednesday in the capital, Caracas.
https://news.un.org/en/story/2019/11/1050791

‘Violence, atrocities and impunity’ reign throughout Libya, ICC prosecutor tells UN Security Council
Libya remains entangled in a “cycle of violence, atrocities and impunity”, International Criminal Court (ICC) Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda told the UN Security Council on Wednesday, nearly a decade since the Court began its work in the country.
https://news.un.org/en/story/2019/11/1050771

Palestine refugee agency chief resigns amidst mismanagement probe
The Commissioner-General for the UN relief and works agency serving Palestine refugees, UNRWA, resigned on Wednesday, hours after the UN announced preliminary findings of an investigation into misconduct allegations.
https://news.un.org/en/story/2019/11/1050801

NEWS FLASH: Bloomberg threatens to shake up 2020 primary--THE HILL
https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/469639-bloomberg-threatens-to-shake-up-2020-primary




IN THIS WEEK'S EDITION:

PAGE 2
Murray, Cantwell Announce $11.3M Grant for Spokane Airport Freight Project.


PAGE 3

Cantwell, Colleagues Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Close Cybersecurity Talent Gap in Washington, Across Country

PAGE 4

Cantwell, Washington State Lawmakers Push for Final Approval of Federal Way Link Extension Funding


PAGE 5

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR DETERMINES NO U.S. MINING OPERATIONS MET PATTERN OF VIOLATIONS CRITERIA FOR 5TH CONSECUTIVE YEAR.



PAGE 6

Statement from Rep. Kilmer on H. Res. 660
Washington, DC – Today, Representative Derek Kilmer released the following statement regarding his vote to support H. Res. 660:

PAGE 7

SPOKANE FEDERAL JUDGE AGREES WITH AG FERGUSON, STRIKES DOWN UNLAWFUL TRUMP ‘CONSCIENCE RULE’


NEWS STORY COMMENTARY : MAYOR SISSI BURCH'S HABIT OF BEING POLITICAL CORRECT, AND BITES HER

"Mansions of the Lord" performed by the Cadet Glee Club of West Point

Amid Delay, Senator Murray Urges Trump Administration to Prioritize Children’s Health and Keep Promise to Ban Flavored E-Cigarettes.

Press release issued 10. 30. 19
Washington, D.C.) – U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), the top Democrat on the Senate health committee, sent a letter to Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar denouncing his delay in addressing the growing epidemic of youth tobacco use in Washington state and across the country. In her letter, Senator Murray also urged the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to finalize its promised compliance policy and clear the market of unauthorized, flavored e-cigarette products, including mint and menthol flavors.

There have been twelve cases of vaping-related illness in Washington state alone, and e-cigarette use has increased by more than 75 percent amongst high school students across the country—largely fueled by the appeal of products with flavors like candy, fruit, mint and menthol. Nearly two-thirds of youth that use e-cigarettes use mint and menthol products. Though the Trump Administration has promised to address the epidemic, the FDA has yet to take meaningful action and is even reportedly considering exempting mint and menthol flavors, despite its promise to include them in the compliance policy. As delays persist and President Trump continues to play politics with public health, e-cigarette use among children continues to increase with no signs of stopping.

“Because of the ever-increasing epidemic of youth e-cigarette use that has been fueled by flavors that include mint and menthol, we implore the Administration to finalize a compliance policy removing all unauthorized, non-tobacco flavored e-cigarettes from the market immediately,” wrote Senator Murray. “It must not bow to industry or political pressure at the expense of the public health.”

Full text of the letter is below and the PDF is HERE.

October 29, 2019

The Honorable Alex M. Azar II                   

Secretary       

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services     

200 Independence Avenue, SW

Washington, DC 20201

Dear Secretary Azar,

We write with significant concerns about the continued delay by the Trump Administration in issuing a compliance policy to address the terrible epidemic of e-cigarette use among children. After years of delay and inaction, which fueled this epidemic, the Trump Administration announced on September 11, 2019, that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) intended to “finalize a compliance policy in the coming weeks that would prioritize the agency’s enforcement of the premarket authorization requirements for non-tobacco flavored e-cigarettes, including mint and menthol, clearing the market of unauthorized, non-tobacco flavored e-cigarette products.”[1] We have long advocated for this action and were encouraged that the Administration had finally decided to act. As of today, however, the FDA has neither finalized nor announced when it will finalize the compliance policy and is reportedly considering significantly weakening this policy by exempting mint and menthol products, which your agency’s own data have demonstrated are incredibly popular among children.[2] While the Administration continues to permit the sale of unauthorized, non-tobacco flavored e-cigarette products, each day more children are becoming e-cigarette users – driven primarily by flavors.[3] We strongly urge the Administration to fulfill its promise to clear the market of all unauthorized, non-tobacco flavored e-cigarettes – including mint and menthol flavors – immediately.

It is imperative that the Administration promptly finalize the compliance policy. E-cigarette use among children continues to rise at an alarming rate. Approximately 20 percent of high school students reported using e-cigarettes in 2018, which is more than a 75 percent increase in use from 2017.[4] Furthermore, high school students who used e-cigarettes reported using them more often in 2018 than in 2017. E-cigarette use among middle school students increased nearly 50 percent from 2017 to 2018.[5] This appetite for e-cigarette use by children has been largely fueled by the appeal of non-tobacco flavors such as fruit, candy, and menthol or mint.[6] There are no recent signs that e-cigarette use by children is decreasing: preliminary data from the 2019 National Youth Tobacco Survey shows a continued rise in youth e-cigarette use.[7]

Although the full scope of the dangers remains uncertain, it is well-known that e-cigarettes pose a serious health risk to youth. On October 11, 2018, the Washington Post published an op-ed by you and then-FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb. In it, you acknowledged that “the steps we have taken thus far are not enough,” noting that e-cigarettes have been the most popular nicotine product among American teenagers since 2014; nicotine is highly addictive and can harm brain development; and children who start on e-cigarettes are more likely than non-smoking peers to end up using traditional tobacco products.[8] You stated you were “actively reconsidering our policy under which certain e-cigarettes — particularly the products with flavors that might appeal to children — can remain on the market ….”[9] In the year since, the epidemic has worsened, and we have learned that e-cigarettes are associated with a nationwide outbreak of lung illnesses, some of which have resulted in death.

On September 11, 2019, you joined President Trump, First Lady Melania Trump, and Acting FDA Commissioner Norman Sharpless in the Oval Office to announce your intent to finalize the compliance policy removing unauthorized, non-tobacco flavored e-cigarettes from the market.[10] You stated the Administration’s intent to “clear the market of flavored e-cigarettes to reverse the deeply concerning epidemic of youth e-cigarette use that is impacting children, families, schools and communities,” and Acting Commissioner Sharpless noted that “finalization of the compliance policy will be an important step in ongoing work to ensure e-cigarettes are not marketed to, sold to, or used by kids.”[11]

With each day, more children continue to be lured to e-cigarettes by flavors such as fruit, candy, and mint or menthol. We are therefore deeply troubled that there is no final compliance policy more than six weeks after the Oval Office announcement. Instead, the FDA provides assurances that the agency is working “as quickly as possible” to finalize a compliance policy.[12] It is increasingly unclear what the FDA’s final compliance policy will look like.

The Trump Administration is reportedly considering allowing mint and menthol flavors to remain on the market even if and when the FDA does finalize a compliance policy, despite nearly two-thirds of kids who use e-cigarettes using mint and menthol flavored products.[13] This is unacceptable. The Administration has already delayed action for far too long to address this public health crisis.

Further fueling our concerns, on October 25, 2019, news reports indicated that this reconsideration follows warnings from President Trump’s campaign manager, Brad Parscale, that a policy removing flavored e-cigarettes from the market “could backfire in the 2020 election” and that “Trump supporters who use e-cigarettes could abandon the president if he follows through on a ban.”[14] We are outraged that the President appears to be playing politics with children’s health.

Because of the ever-increasing epidemic of youth e-cigarette use that has been fueled by flavors that include mint and menthol, we implore the Administration to finalize a compliance policy removing all unauthorized, non-tobacco flavored e-cigarettes from the market immediately. It must not bow to industry or political pressure at the expense of the public health. If you have any questions regarding this letter, please contact Andi Lipstein Fristedt with the HELP Committee Staff at (202) 224-7675.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

ATTORNEY GENERAL BOB FERGUSON STOPS KING COUNTY COFFEE SHOP’S PRACTICE REQUIRING BARISTAS TO SIGN UNFAIR NON-COMPETE AGREEMENTS

Press released issued 10. 29. 19

OLYMPIA — Attorney General Bob Ferguson today announced that King County coffee chain Mercurys Coffee will void all of its existing non-compete agreements. Today’s announcement is the result of Ferguson’s investigation into Mercurys Coffee’s unfair use of non-compete agreements – the first of its kind for the Washington Attorney General’s Office.

As a result of Ferguson’s action, the company cannot require hourly baristas to sign non-compete agreements. In addition, the company must pay $50,000 to reimburse the Attorney General’s Office for its attorneys fees and costs associated with the investigation.
For years, Mercurys Coffee required all employees — including low-wage, hourly workers — to sign restrictive non-compete agreements. These agreements prevented employees from working at any coffee shop within 10 miles of a Mercurys Coffee location. The prohibition extended for eighteen months after leaving the company. This policy had the practical effect of preventing Mercurys baristas from working at most coffee shops in King County and parts of Snohomish County. For example, a barista working at Mercurys’ Redmond location would need to drive at least 40 minutes to find another coffee shop where they were allowed to work.

Furthermore, the company enforced the agreements. Mercurys Coffee filed several lawsuits against workers who found employment at other coffee shops. Ferguson asserts that the company’s non-compete practices limited employment options and mobility for workers and unfairly limited competition for labor.

 “Non-compete agreements targeting low-wage, hourly employees give companies an unfair advantage at the expense of workers,” Ferguson said. “Any company that makes their employees sign unfair contracts should expect to hear from my office. A coffee shop barista, or any low-wage worker for that matter, should not fear retaliation just for moving to another job that’s better for them.”

According to Ferguson’s complaint, Mercurys’ non-compete agreements violated the Washington Consumer Protection Act, which prohibits companies from engaging in “unfair methods of competition.” Non-compete agreements limit low-wage workers’ options, mobility and ability to advocate for better pay and working conditions. This gives the employer an unfair advantage in competing for their labor — one of many reasons wages have stagnated even as employment rates have gone up.

Mercurys’s non-compete agreements

Mercurys Coffee has about 120 employees in eight locations in King County. The company required all employees, including those making near minimum wage, to sign non-compete agreements as a condition of their employment. Mercurys has employed more than 700 people in the last five years, all or most of whom were required to sign the non-compete agreement.

In general, these non-compete agreements prevented the former employee from working for any other local coffee shop within a 10 mile radius of any Mercurys location for 18 months after termination of employment. For a barista trying to find a job after working at a Mercurys, this agreement prohibited employment at coffee shops in much of King County, including Bellevue, Mercer Island, Kirkland, Sammamish, Redmond and most of Seattle.

For years, the non-compete agreements barred employment at all types of coffee shops. In 2016, Mercurys began including an exception allowing former baristas to work at coffee shops with more than 40 locations.

Under the non-compete agreements, employees were required to provide a copy of the agreement to any potential new employer — regardless of industry or geography — for two years after employment with Mercurys, six months longer than the non-compete restriction itself.

Mercurys has sued or threatened to sue former employees to enforce the non-competes. For example, Mercurys filed suit against one of its former baristas, a store manager who made $17 per hour. The barista left Mercurys to work for a competitor about one and a half miles from a Mercurys location. Mercurys threatened to sue another former employee who left to work at a nearby Starbucks.

The Attorney General’s Office learned about Mercurys’ non-compete agreements after receiving a consumer complaint from one of the attorneys representing a former Mercurys barista.

Assistant Attorneys General Rahul Rao and Eric Newman are leading the case.

Washington’s legislature recently passed a bill explicitly limiting non-compete agreements. Among other protections, the bill makes unenforceable non-compete agreements with employees making less than $100,000 a year. The bill, sponsored by Sen. Marko Liias, D-Mukilteo, and then-Rep. Derek Stanford, D-Bothell, goes into effect Jan. 1, 2020. This enforcement action is not directly related to the new law.

Going forward, even though the new law does allow non-compete agreements for employees making more than $100,000 per year, this resolution requires Mercurys Coffee to get approval from the Attorney General’s Office for managers and other employees making that amount. If the company believes a non-compete agreement is necessary for an employee making more than $100,000 per year, the company must submit the agreement to the Attorney General’s Office for approval within three days of presenting it to the employee.

Worker Protection Initiative

This action is part of Ferguson’s ongoing Worker Protection Initiative, which also includes an effort to eliminate no-poach clauses — a practice that economists believe stagnates wages. As a result of this effort, 155 chains have signed legally binding commitments to end no-poach practices nationwide at an estimated 160,000 locations. The changes benefit millions of workers across the U.S.








WORLD NEWS HEADLINES
--------------------------------------------

As urbanization grows, cities unveil sustainable development solutions on World Day.
Over half of the world’s population now live in cities, with numbers expected to double by 2050, but while urbanization poses serious challenges, cities can also be powerhouses for sustainable development; something the UN is spotlighting on World Cities Day, marked 31 October.
https://news.un.org/en/story/2019/10/1050291

‘Historic’ new Syria talks should focus on relief for war-weary civilians, says UN negotiator
Work on drafting a new foundational text for war-torn Syria officially began at the UN in Geneva on Wednesday with representatives from the Syrian Government and opposition sitting face to face and preparing to discuss the country’s future for the first time in the nearly nine-year conflict.
https://news.un.org/en/story/2019/10/1050241

UN calls for shipping ‘propulsion revolution’ to avoid ‘environmental disaster’
If emissions from the maritime industry are not cut, we are headed for “an environmental disaster”, Isabelle Durant, the deputy head of the UN trade body, UNCTAD, told the Global Maritime Forum summit on Wednesday.
https://news.un.org/en/story/2019/10/1050251

From ‘strength to strength’ UN-African Union security partnership growing, Security Council hears
The Security Council highlighted the growing partnership on matters of peace and security between the United Nations and African Union (AU) on Wednesday amidst calls to bolster overall effectiveness.
https://news.un.org/en/story/2019/10/1050311

Reparations for sexual violence in conflict – ‘what survivors want most, yet receive least’
Ten years ago, the UN Security Council established a mandate to prevent and address the scourge of conflict-related sexual violence. At a commemorative event on Wednesday, the UN deputy chief described that commitment as essential to “highlight, prevent and seek justice for this crime”.
https://news.un.org/en/story/2019/10/1050271





IN THIS WEEK"S EDITION


----------------------------------Page 2-----------------------------

Cantwell Questions NTSB Chair on Automation, Risk-Based Safety Management in Aviation Industry




------------------------------------Page 3------------------------------------

ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF PANDERING TO THE LGBTQIA AGENDA.
They want special treatment!




----------------------PAGE 4------------------------

 Cantwell Presses Boeing CEO on 737 MAX Testing, Disclosures to FAA
Last week, Cantwell introduced safety legislation to help aviation industry address safety challenges posed by automation.





---------------------------------PAGE 5-----------------------------

Treasury and IRS Announce Proposed New Tax Form to Collect Opportunity Zone Fund Data.



-----------------------------Page 6---------------------------

Wolf post-recovery scoping public comment period extended two weeks



-----------------------------PAGE 7-------------------------------

Cleaning up: An affordable housing milestone
News Story Commentary: Reason for voting the November 5th

HAPPY BELATED HALLOWEEN💀

The Monster Mash---