I put this out on Twitter, but nobody responded. Rather than take the hint, I’m going to burn an Open Thread talking about a non-Washingotn thing for longer than I’d like. And it’s almost certainly nonsense. You’re welcome and sorry and you’re welcome.

At what point do we cross the 14th Amendment threshold for denying people office?

After the Civil War, Congress passed the 13th Amendment outlawing slavery. It also passed the 14th and 15th Amendments to try to make sure that it wasn’t just slavery, and that the slave population was integrated into society. So the 15th Amendment is an attempt to make sure you couldn’t stop people from voting based on race.

The 14th Amendment was a bit of a grab bag. People think of it as making sure that equal protection and rights apply to states. And maybe they know that’s where the if you’re born in the US you’re automatically a citizen bit of the Constitution comes from. It certainly has that. But, it also has some other stuff: We’re not going to honor confederate money or debts, and since slaves are free we’re not paying to free them.

For my question, I’m referring specifically to section 3:

No person shall be a Senator or Representative in Congress, or elector of President and Vice President, or hold any office, civil or military, under the United States, or under any state, who, having previously taken an oath, as a member of Congress, or as an officer of the United States, or as a member of any state legislature, or as an executive or judicial officer of any state, to support the Constitution of the United States, shall have engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof. But Congress may by a vote of two-thirds of each House, remove such disability.

Obviously, they meant the Civil War, but it has been used to block people from taking office since then. It doesn’t say how or when we should determine if people “have engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof” and doesn’t offer any burden of proof.

Have people in the Trump administration, or who might join it, passed that bar? It wouldn’t apply to Trump, since January 20 was the first time he took an oath to support the Constitution. On the other hand, it’s looking more and more like Flynn was working with Russia to fuck up a US election. We aren’t at war with Russia, but then again, we weren’t technically at war in Korea or Viet Nam, but surely it would have counted then. If there are other officials who subverted American democracy, do they need 2/3 of both houses before they can serve again, and what happens if they’re already serving when we get proof but they don’t resign?

Don’t sign the anti-trans garbage initiative. Come on. You’re better than that. You’re better than some of Washington’s worst people trying to push a bathroom bill the state again. You’re better than even if we’ll probably win, we don’t need a months long campaign demeaning trans people. Don’t sign their bullshit hateful initiative.

*Thread is open to all legal posters. Some restrictions apply.

I’ve been looking to see if a Washington State GOP Congressperson would actually have a town hall for a while. And the answer is sort of? Dave Reichert is going to have a virtual town hall through Facebook Live.

I mean, I guess. Great. It’s going to be hosted by KCTS, so it’s not a total run away half measure. But there still won’t be an audience for that incredulous laughter or booing at his bullshit answers. But still, if you’re a constituent, and you’re free at 1:00 on Thursday the 23rd, you might want to ask a question.

I wrote this this morning, but forgot to actually hit publish. Sorry.

When the recreational marijuana initiative passed, I was a bit worried that Governor Inslee would sort of let it go by the wayside if challenged by Federal authorities. But I’m glad to see he’s going to defend it fully. Hopefully the Trump administration will have worse garbage to deal with and not want to prioritize this.

So proud of Seattle for divesting from Wells Fargo. If you do enough crap for long enough, you start to make enemies. For the foreseeable future banking is probably going to be ugly and harmful (it doesn’t have to be that way, but it does need to be regulated better). But at least the city can collectively stop spending its money on the worst of banks.

I was going to write about how you should contact Council Member Sawant if you were harassed by SPD at the airport demonstration, and obviously, please do that.

But instead: Snow. It’s snowing, y’all. Snnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnoooooooooooooooooowwwwwww.

Between Reuven Carlyle opposing light rail to Ballard last year and now Sharon Tomiko Santos wanting to restructure Sound Transit, there really should be some primary elections. You can’t keep opposing this vital institution in the Puget Sound and expect no consequences. I don’t know if they have an eye toward statewide office and think pissing on Sound Transit is the way to go, or if they genuinely think it’s a problem. But either way, they’re wrong.

I couldn’t be prouder of the fact that Washington State is leading the legal fight against Trump’s immigration order. I’ve been saying on this blog since Trump won the presidency that much of the resistance will be local. Our local officials are doing great work.

Another weekend another massive protest against the horror of the Trump administration. The SeaTac and Westlake protests against the anti-refugee, anti-immigrant garbage. It’s going to be tough to maintain it throughout 4 years. But for now it is very heartening to see, and to be a part of these.

There will be more loses than victories for liberals over the next few years. And the victories will often times be things like people who shouldn’t have been detained at all are allowed to go about their lives.

While I’ve had problems with Mayor Murray before, I have to say, his stance on keeping Seattle a sanctuary city has been pretty great. The federal money could be a hit in places. But it’s not even near as bad as turning the city into an arm of Trump’s anti-immigrant goon squad.

I was also heartened to read the outlines of a legal strategy. I’m not a lawyer, but Trump’s usual strategy of bullying people with an incentive to settle probably won’t work as well in this case. Our elected officials have a much greater incentive to fight him.

In the mean time, I’m all for creative ways to make up the money.

A while ago, I wrote my Seattle elected officials asking to keep Seattle a sanctuary city. Now here’s one asking my legislators (find yours here) to keep, and hopefully improve our health care system:

I don’t know exactly how Donald Trump and the GOP Congress plan to change healthcare in America, but I’m urging you to make sure Washington residents still have access to healthcare after the Republican Congress repeals Obamacare. I hope that means a health care exchange, and I would love to see a public option included in that. Or if you can find the votes, just universal health care.

If Congress allows sales across state lines, I would hope we sell a public option as widely as possible. Without a motive to skim off the top, it might be able to make money for the state and provide better health care for the rest of the country.

Thank you,

Carl Ballard

HorsesAss.org

I’m glad to see that homeless people are suing Seattle and Washington State about the sweeps (h/t to Geov on Facebook, I’d recommend a follow if you aren’t already). As long as Seattle is mostly going to be sticks, there has to be this sort of push back.

Well, the Womxns March in Seattle was a grand success. Great crowds, amazing energy. You can see some great pictures at the link above or the hashtag on Twitter.

I will note 2 things: First off, it was pretty white. You can “Imeanit’sSeattle” it if you want. And it was certainly more diverse than a lot of protests and marches I’ve been to. But it is worth noting.

The other thing, I was thinking was that the only 2 other protests I’ve seen of a similar magnitude were WTO and the Anti-Iraq war ones. While they were both important, and probably had many positive long-term reverberations, they didn’t succeed in their initial goals. I hope that’s a note of let’s keep working rather than of despair.

It’s the last few hours of the Obama administration. The last few hours of decency at the top of our government for at least 4 years.

I’ve talked to a lot of people who aren’t political who are going to the Womxns March in Seattle tomorrow.

The Republican Senate, and particularly Matt Manweller, are sure into local control. Let the locality make its own decisions, they say. You wouldn’t want the state to micromanage where it’s not even their business.

You know what, I can’t keep this joke going. It’s pretty bad, but their desire to not let Seattle do commercial rent control is bad policy on its own. And hypocrisy is the laziest charge in politics.

Also, when a literal socialist cares more about small business than the freemarketwillsolveeverything guy, it’s time to just ignore labels.