– But at least with these projects, something is being built. What’s being generated by the current iteration of the state legislature, particularly the Republican-controlled State Senate (unofficial motto: “Let’s screw with the libtards in Seattle!”), is far worse.

– The Latest Anti-Choice Strategy: Less Planned Parenthood Bashing, More Insurance Bans

– I don’t want legislators talking about how colored people are committing the crimes because they’re poor to overwhelm the discussion of the actual bill to make racial impact statements.

– I know that since he’s probably recruiting someone to run against the mayor, Wyble isn’t the most unbiased source for talking about his policies. But yeah, maybe don’t do a victory lap on how great policing has become.

– If your different-sex marriage isn’t special or “sacred” or whatthefuckever just because more people are allowed to do it, then that’s not a problem with the law; that’s a problem with your marriage.

– There are some who say that Rand Paul stole his logo from Tinder. Opinions differ – my take is that people go on Tinder wanting to get fucked, but it probably doesn’t happen as often as one thinks. Supporting Rand Paul is something like the opposite of that.

I realize passing the state House is the easiest part of the minimum wage bill’s journey. But hurray :

The Washington state House has voted to raise the state’s minimum wage to $12 an hour.

Representatives voted 51-46 Tuesday afternoon to raise what was already the nation’s highest state hourly minimum wage at $9.47.

The legislation, House Bill 1355, would raise the minimum wage over a four-year period in a series of 50-cent hikes. It goes next to the state Senate for consideration.

Relief for working families all over the state trying to raise a family on or near the minimum wage is a possibility. Nobody is getting rich working the minimum wage, but it’s still better for working families. Of course, now it’s on to the Senate to be watered down or killed outright.

The Bill is currently in the Labor & Commerce committee, chaired by Michael Baumgartner, if you want to contact him, the info is at the link. If you want to contact other members of the committee, you can find them here. If you want to find your legislators, you can find them here. As always, my recommendation is to be polite but firm.

– The 2/3 rule in the Senate is stupid and undemocratic, but at least it’s probably going to be stupid and undemocratic against a bad idea.

– Fare increases at Metro are still ridiculous. But at least LIFT means it won’t be as bad for lower income people.

– The Reproductive Parity Act probably isn’t going to pass this session, but it’s still worth pushing for it.

– Of pocket lint and ‘political correctness’

– It is no small tribute to the man’s legacy that he made those ears work. And every ear as such that has ever worked is part of the Nimoy-ness.

– Maybe a better lesson to draw from Mars Hill’s implosion than be more media savvy, would be to do better at the outset.

– The Funny Thing About Privilege

– Don’t poison trees. So gross.

– Conversion Therapy: Dangerous and in Need of Banning—Take It From Someone Who Learned the Hard Way

– So, basically, the Republican chair of the environment committee just threw a snowball “to the president” to prove that global climate change is a hoax, because he has all the scientific sophistication of your conservative uncle who posts shit on Facebook like, “If global warming is real, then why is it so cold outside?!”

– I would like to invest in Speedy Heavy Falling Rocks, Inc.

I really love that only 31% of people who work in downtown Seattle drive alone to work. Transit is still the largest category, and of course, there are plenty of jobs outside the urban core. None the less, the environmental impact of fewer cars, the health impact of fewer cars on the road, the congestion impact of fewer cars, the pedestrian safety impact of fewer cars is really great.

Still, there’s a lot more work to do. Public transit needs to better serve downtown, and the rest of the city and the region. There’s plenty of improvements to make walking and biking easier — even if you ignore my obviously correct idea of flattening some of the hills like they did in Belltown.

– The new South Park connection to the Duwamish Trail looks pretty great. I can’t wait to try it out.

– Ed Murray, true to form, takes partial credit for Jean Godden’s work

– Patricia Arquette, Criticism and Progressives

– For most of its run Parks and Rec was my favorite show. I kind of fell off last season, but maybe I should go watch the last season.

– The Kinds of Things You Might Learn in an Oklahoma AP History Course

– The port dispute has been resolved. Although I still see a few boats in Elliott Bay.

– Poor Put-Upon Conservatives Get Saddled With Racism

– Olympia Zine Fest looks like it’ll be a lot of fun.

– I quite like the little free libraries.

– The Falsest of False Equivalencies

– The bill to abolish the death penalty in Washington and replace it with live without parole xdied in committee

– Yes, Seattle has a parking problem. There’s way too much of it.

– We should keep voting on class sizes until we change our mind.

– If President Obama said he loved this country any more, we’d tell him he was smothering us.

In January a trans woman was assaulted in Spokane. It’s pretty horrible stuff, and you can read the details here. It’s pretty unsettling, but the relevant bit for the police is:

Scamahorn said responding officers treated her with disrespect and referred to her as a man throughout their investigation.

One officer said Scamahorn appeared to be intoxicated, but witnesses disagreed, and she said fluid buildup in her throat after the beating made it difficult for her to talk and breathe.

She also said police would not allow the bartender to help her as she lay on the floor in her own blood and vomit.

Now the police have investigated how the police acted and found the police did nothing wrong, and now a Spokane city council member wants the Human Rights Commission to apologize.* For the fact that a trans woman spoke out about her treatment. It’s pretty gross.

But leaving that to one side. Also leave aside the fact that cops claiming an assault victim was drunk seems pretty damn unprofessional on its face. Even if “the police officers on the scene were not acting inappropriately” as Spokane City Council Member Mike Fagan says, the officers certainly left the impression with her that they called her a man and didn’t allow the bartender to help her. It seems like officers should be able to not leave that impression if they’re doing everything right. Of course, I’m more inclined to believe her than the cops, but I haven’t read the report.

And to be clear, they caught the people who did this. That’s probably progress from a few decades ago. But there’s still further to go.

[Read more…]

In a victory for common decency, the Benton County florists who wouldn’t sell to a gay couple for their wedding were in violation of the state’s Consumer Protection Act [h/t]. Here’s the text of the AG’s office press release.

A Benton County Superior Court ruling today held that a Richland florist violated Washington’s Consumer Protection Act by refusing to serve a same-sex couple seeking to buy wedding flowers in 2013.

“The law is clear: If you choose to provide a service to couples of the opposite sex, you must provide the same service to same-sex couples,” Attorney General Bob Ferguson said. “Washingtonians have enacted laws recognizing equality for same-sex couples, and I will continue to vigorously uphold these laws. I appreciate the judge’s decision and am very proud of my team’s hard work to stop this unlawful discrimination.”

I haven’t read the whole ruling but it’s here (.pdf)

It’s important that we as a state not just passively don’t discriminate but that we’re actively a place where you can’t discriminate. While the law was quite clear, it’s still good for the couple and good for the state that it was upheld.

– I had no idea who Jospeph Lane was. Interesting, if horrible, story.

– A Non-KIRO Guide to Service Animals

– How to improve transit in suburban areas is an interesting challenge. I guess Park and Rides are better than people driving the whole way.

– We just spray our waste everywhere

– Senate Republicans unveil pavement-heavy transportation plan laden with bad provisions

– The GOP braintrust is really a thing to behold.

– It has been enlightening to watch this entire spectacle play out over the past week. There are now intelligent people going on television to tell us that the president should not use the word “crusade” to describe … The Crusades. The problem is history. Or rather the problem is that there is no version of history that can award the West a stable moral high-ground.

– Pam Roach is the worst.

– I know, I know, Carl is impressed that The New York Times has heard of Washington is pretty boring. But I don’t care: I’m glad they know we’re working on weaning ourselves off of coal.

– Sometimes one note will do.

I’m feeling a lot better, and am headed back to work. But I didn’t prepare anything in the last couple sick days. So, yeah.

Still feeling kinda not great, so here’s a Thursday thread.

I’m feeling a bit blah today. It’s probably nothing, but I’m going back to bed.