As the political season heats up, we’re going to be pointing you toward noteworthy posts, scoops, and original reporting—as well as stuff that needs to be fact checked—at some of the other dedicated political blogs around the state.
1. Brad Shannon at The Olympian Politics Blog details U.S. Congressional candidate Denny Heck’s take on the financial reform bill that the U.S. Senate passed last week.
Heck, who’s running in the crowded field of Democrats and Republicans for U.S. Rep. Brian Baird’s open seat in the 3rd Congressional District, says he agrees with U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell (one of just two Democrats who voted against the bill) that the bill was too weak. For example, Heck says the Senate should have gone with a Cantwell amendment to reinstate the Glass-Steagall Act.
Heck’s position raises an interesting question—not so much for the other Democrat in the race, liberal state Sen. Craig Pridemore, but for the GOPers in the race, state Rep. Jaime Herrera and financial adviser David Castillo, who are vying for the Tea Party vote. Where are they on the bill? Tea Party poster boy U.S. Sen. Scott Brown (R-MA), bucked the GOP by voting for it.
2. HorsesAss has an update on a story the Kitsap Sun broke last week.
WestNET—a drug task force that raided the North End 420 Club (a medical marijuana dispensary in Tacoma) and stole Initiative 1068 petitions while they were at it—has agreed to return some of the petitions. But there are complications, over more missing petitions and photo copies of the petitions. A legal battle may ensue.
I-1068 would remove state civil and criminal penalties for adults who cultivate, possess, transport, sell, or use marijuana.
3. The Spokesman Review‘s Spin Control highlights the latest move by initiative peddler Tim Eyman. He just filed an initiative that would ban red-light cameras in Mukilteo.
(We have a call in to Mulkiteo City Hall to see if their traffic cameras are provided by the same Scottsdale, Arizona firm, American Traffic Solutions, that contracts with Seattle. If so, perhaps Eyman is just doing his part to boycott Arizona.)
