Politics unPacked: Week 8
Politics unPacked: Week 8
Brandi Kruse has everything you need to know about what happened this week during the legislative session.
Olympia wants to take away local control on homelessness
Olympia wants to take away local control on homelessness
Olympia has done a terrible job handling Washington’s homelessness crisis. Now, they want to take away local control and force cities to allow encampments on public land. Say hello to HB 1380: Sponsored by Rep. Mia Gregerson (D–SeaTac), this bill would tie the hands of cities and force them to allow homeless encampments on public land....
Lawmakers revive proposal to extend unemployment benefits to striking workers
Lawmakers revive proposal to extend unemployment benefits to striking workers
A proposal that failed to pass last year has returned to the legislature, reigniting debate over whether striking workers should be eligible for unemployment benefits. Senate Bill 5041 would allow workers who go on strike to collect unemployment insurance (UI) benefits, a program that is traditionally reserved for individuals who lose their jobs through no...
[un]Divided: Is Bob Ferguson setting his fellow Democrats up for failure?
[un]Divided: Is Bob Ferguson setting his fellow Democrats up for failure?
As Governor Bob Ferguson is busy announcing cuts to help dig Washington out of a $14B budget hole, he seems to be leaving legislative Democrats the difficult job of pushing new taxes. Brandi Kruse breaks it down on the unDivided Podcast.
Lynnwood Times: Who is voting for what? Future 42 releases its scorecard for local governments
Lynnwood Times: Who is voting for what? Future 42 releases its scorecard for local governments
The Lynnwood Times has covered Future 42 Snohomish County’s scorecards: Future 42 Snohomish County has analyzed key 2024 votes in the Snohomish County Council, and the city councils of Edmond, Everett, and Lynnwood into a custom scorecard for each to help inform residents if local council members are reflecting their values with their votes. Links to the...
Politics unPacked: Week 7
Politics unPacked: Week 7
Brandi Kruse has everything you know about what happened this week during the legislative session in Olympia.
Washington lawmakers push for recycling scheme at your expense
Washington lawmakers push for recycling scheme at your expense
Washington lawmakers are considering legislation, known as the “bottle bill,” that would impose a new bottle deposit system on residents, despite concerns that similar programs in other states have led to higher costs, fraud, and declining recycling rates. House Bill 1607, sponsored by Rep. Monica Stonier (D-Vancouver), would require consumers to pay a 10-cent deposit...
[un]Divided: House Democrats refuse to hear bill protecting kids from fentanyl
[un]Divided: House Democrats refuse to hear bill protecting kids from fentanyl
A bill that would hold parents accountable if they expose their children to deadly drugs at home did not get a hearing in the House Public Safety Committee. On unDivided, Brandi Kruse says the excuse used by the chair of that committee is beyond comprehension.
Politics unPacked: Week 6
Politics unPacked: Week 6
Brandi Kruse has everything you need to know about what happened this week during the legislative session in Olympia.
Washington lawmakers move to weaken the initiative process and repeal the Parental Notification Law
Washington lawmakers move to weaken the initiative process and repeal the Parental Notification Law
Washington Democrats are moving forward with two bills that undermine citizens’ influence over state policy. Senate Bill 5382 would impose new restrictions on the state’s initiative process, making it significantly harder for grassroots campaigns to place measures on the ballot. Meanwhile, Senate Bill 5181 seeks to repeal a recently enacted parental notification law— one that...
Property taxes are going up—here’s what’s changing in Snohomish County
Property taxes are going up—here’s what’s changing in Snohomish County
As we enter into tax season, the high cost of living and taxes have been a significant topic of discussion in our community and throughout the state. Local governments throughout Snohomish County adopted different strategies to address their planned expenditures in their final budgets for 2025. We can anticipate slight tax increases from time to time for essential services...
[un]Divided: Serious ethical concerns as Dow Constantine eyes Sound Transit CEO job
[un]Divided: Serious ethical concerns as Dow Constantine eyes Sound Transit CEO job
As his time as King County Executive comes to an end, Dow Constantine confirms he’s a finalist to be the next CEO of Sound Transit – a job that could pay more than $600K a year. On unDivided, Brandi Kruse says hiring Constantine would be a clear case of cronyism.
Politics unPacked: Week 5
Politics unPacked: Week 5
Brandi Kruse has everything you need to know about what happened during the legislative session in Olympia this week.
Announcing Future 42 Snohomish County’s 2024 Scorecard for the Everett City Council
Announcing Future 42 Snohomish County’s 2024 Scorecard for the Everett City Council
Future 42 Snohomish County is a local county project dedicated to advocating key issues such as public safety and tax relief. We are a grassroots effort mobilizing Snohomish County citizens to make their voices heard at the local level. We have recently completed our first set of local scorecards which highlight key votes taken by...