Majority Democrats in Olympia last week released their plans to add more than $1 billion to the state’s 2019-21 operating budget that was enacted last… Continue reading
Employers are looking at additional benefits to help workers who are stressed out over paying rent, transportation and food, and student loans. Even though job… Continue reading
In last month’s column (January 2020), I wrote about housing concerns. At the end I said this month I would share innovative housing ideas. However,… Continue reading
When emotions run high, is civility or a civil discussion still possible? Why do we find ourselves reacting emotionally to difficult, complex issues? How can… Continue reading
Following the second or was it the third time my relative’s car was slammed into by an uninsured driver, I started calling my relative’s car… Continue reading
In marathon floor sessions lasting late into the evening, including a rare Sunday session in the House, lawmakers approved more than 500 bills this week… Continue reading
A year ago, much of America’s heartland was inundated by Missouri River flood waters. At least 1 million acres of U.S. farmland in nine major… Continue reading
Twenty years ago, West Coast groundfish stocks such as sole and rockfish were in serious trouble. Decades of overfishing had brought their populations to the… Continue reading
State lawmakers introduced nearly 4,000 bills over the past two legislative sessions, but as of last this session’s cut-off deadline for voting bills out of… Continue reading
This is supposed to be a column focused on water conservation by the local agricultural sector, but with all the rain in January and early… Continue reading
Whether I’m backpacking among the alpine country of Hurricane Ridge or the rugged coastline, I can gaze across expansive vistas of Olympic National Park. Here… Continue reading
Lawmakers were busy with committee work this week ahead of a Feb. 7 deadline for passing policy bills out of their originating committees. Non-fiscal related… Continue reading
I bring a heavy heart to writing this, my annual column on sexual abuse in childhood. Some of you may recall I started writing about… Continue reading
To sell my books, I often attend arts and crafts shows. There are basically two types; some are local with ‘juried’ artisans. My experience is… Continue reading
With a third of the legislative session nearly gone, lawmakers are starting to focus on matters of most importance. Exactly what are those? With 1,341… Continue reading
At this legislative session’s fourth week, state lawmakers in both chambers took time for lengthy floor debates week to pass several bills. The Senate debated… Continue reading
It would be easy to blame the Puget Sound Partnership’s failure to clean up Puget Sound on a lack of leadership, funding and meaningful authority… Continue reading
Matt Shea can’t take a victory lap around the state Capitol quite yet. But the Republican representative from Spokane Valley can certainly start stretching his… Continue reading
It seems that any person, presentation or speech labeled “political” takes on its own set of rules, a set that doesn’t have to include facts… Continue reading
A new year is the perfect time for fresh new beginnings. It provides the opportunity to reassess our life’s journey and to make any desired… Continue reading
