Lisa Brown isn’t running for reelection (h/t).
I have decided not to seek re-election to the 3rd district Senate seat this fall. Returning home two weeks ago, I began taking stock of my twenty years in the Legislature, reflecting on what I have been able to achieve with the help of colleagues and supporters. I decided that, though it is still immensely gratifying to serve Spokane and the state of Washington in this capacity, I am ready for new challenges.
I don’t know why anyone would want to be a legislator in this climate, so I can’t blame her. But it is a loss.
I was prepared at one point to support Brown for governor. Definitely a loss. That being said, I can hardly blame her for being discouraged. That wretched stunt Zarelli and the Turncoats pulled this last session over the budget, and the farce of a special session that followed, would discourage even the most resilient person.
What a wretched state of affairs.
Attorney General Candidates Forum
Reagan Dunn (R) and Bob Ferguson (D) are in Leavenworth tonight (the Cascades tourist town, not the federal prison), and just wrapped up a candidates’ forum in front of a conference of environmental lawyers.
Dunn and Ferguson both emphasized the importance of the Attorney General being independent.
Dunn said, “The #1 credential is to run that office independently, free of partisanship.” He “agrees with [Ferguson] very much” that “you want an independent person as Attorney General” and stated, “I do not always follow the interests of my party, I do what I think is right.”
Ferguson promised to be “independent politically and in thought.”
Asked how they would prioritize limited resources, Dunn and Ferguson were identical in listing their top priorities as consumer protection, public safety, and environmental enforcement. Ferguson also included veterans’ issues on his list of top priorities, saying “every state should have [state] attorneys working on this.”
Dunn said he believes climate change is “at least in part a man-made problem” and “we need a man-made solution.” He said Hanford was a “national project” that “requires a national solution” and “we can’t tolerate radioactive waste in our state.” He also mentioned a number of preservation initiatives he has supported. Dunn also promised to support increased water storage capacity in eastern Washington, although he acknowleged that the Attorney General isn’t involved in making decisions to build infrastructure or getting the funding but would only provide legal support for such projects. He thinks there is enough water in the Columbia system to fill more storage.
Ferguson noted he has been a supporter of public transit, which he considers important in dealing with climate change.
The sharpest disagreement between the candidates involves Attorney General McKenna’s participation in the Obamacare lawsuit. Dunn called the individual mandate “unconstitutional.” Ferguson said he agrees with the state supreme court’s ruling that McKenna had authority to join the lawsuit without approval of the Governor or Legislature, but promised that if he’s elected Attorney General he will withdraw Washington from the lawsuit “on my first day in office.”
On the matter of environmental regulation, Dunn Dunn said “we can do a lot” with our existing regulations” and “we have to be careful we don’t go too far in promulgating regulations that hamstring business.” He called for a “balanced approach.”
Ferguson called water rights a “critical” private property right of individuals and said we need to “find a balanced approach to a difficult issue.” Dunn said the backlog of water adjudications is a “real problem” that creates a “competitive disadvantage” for Washington farmers and businesses, and called for streamlining the adjudication process.
Asked about McKenna, Dunn said he’s “proud” to have McKenna’s endorsement and said McKenna has run a “professional and nonpartisan” AG’s office, but said “there’s room for improvement,” in particular by the Attorney General using the “bully pulpit” and acting as a “champion” for law enforcement. He also promised to do more in consumer protection and cyber bullying. Ferguson said he has “important differences” with McKenna, specifically mentioning McKenna’s refusal to represent Lands Commissioner Goldmark in a legal appeal, and (as mentioned above) his position on the Obamacare lawsuit.
Overall, both of these candidates impressed me as competent lawyers and serious guys who meant what they said. They were speaking to a serious audience of highly intelligent and very knowledgeable lawyers, not ordinary voters, and their presentations were not “dumbed down” in any way.
My job here is to tell you what they said. I have put their representations and promises on record with this post. Now, in the coming campaign and after the winner takes office, let’s all hold them to it.
I’m not sure it’s a loss, everyone has to quit some time. Brown did good things for Spokane and the state and Andy Billig’s a good replacement. What’s a loss is being represented by a bone-head like Jan Angel.
@3
Oops, autofill strikes again.
@3 and 4
Yeah, upon reflection you’re right about that. Everybody does have to quit sometime, and twenty years seems like a good run.
The Rats are simply jumping off the sinking ship!
@6 How does it feel?