If Inslee wants to find a threat to democracy, he should look in a mirror

While Governor Jay Inslee warns of threats to democracy, his own actions reveal he might be one of its biggest adversaries. As Brandi Kruse aptly pointed out on her show [Un]Divided, “The people who scream the most and the loudest about democracy in peril, democracy at risk, are the first ones to stomp on our democracy when it benefits them.”

Governor Inslee’s extended use of emergency powers during the COVID-19 pandemic is a stark reminder of how democracy can be bent to the will of a single individual. For 975 days, Washingtonians watched as their governor unilaterally decided which businesses were “essential” and which were not. These decisions, made in secrecy and involving non-elected officials, starkly contrasted with the transparent legislative process that involves public comment and debate.

This unchecked power had consequences. The Governor’s directives impacted the financial, economic, and mental well-being of Washington residents.

Remember when he unilaterally decided all state workers must be vaccinated? Remember how that strained public services, leaving agencies understaffed and diminishing the quality of life for residents relying on services like the ferry system or state highways during snowstorms? Not to mention the businesses that closed and never reopened, the families who were plunged into further debt, and the inflation that hasn’t completely recovered. The actions of this power-wielding governor have had a real and measurable impact that Washingtonians are still recovering from.

Can the governor be a friend to democracy when he wielded emergency powers allowing him to prohibit any activity he believed should be banned to “maintain life, health, property, or public peace?”  Can he be a friend to democracy while claiming the Supreme Court “kneecap[s] government’s ability to effectively protect public health, workers, and the environment?” During the pandemic, he even asserted that he alone has the capability to save lives.

The broad and vague authority he wields is not only a direct threat to the democratic process, but so is his attitude that he has all the solutions and should make huge decisions without consulting the public or our legislators.

As we reflect on Inslee’s tenure, we’re left with a troubling question: What’s to stop the next governor from following this playbook? Thanks to a poorly thought-out state law, governors can declare emergencies at will with no legislative approval needed, a far cry from other states where legislators are involved as a check on executive powers.

Will Gov. Inslee, the newfound champion of democracy that is, petition the state legislature to right-size the power of the Washington governor when it comes to declaring a state of emergency? We won’t hold our breath.