[un]Divided: Bipartisan push for emergency power reform
[un]Divided: Bipartisan push for emergency power reform
A Democrat and Republican have joined forces in Olympia to push for checks on the governor’s emergency power. Senator Mark Mullet (D-Issaquah) and Senator Lynda Wilson (R-Vancouver) spoke with Brandi Kruse on the [un]Divided Podcast.
By Brandi Kruse
Gov. Inslee’s budget leaves out the middle class
Gov. Inslee’s budget leaves out the middle class
Punishing billionaires was a higher priority for the governor.
Washington is strapping itself to California’s costly and unstable energy policy
Washington is strapping itself to California’s costly and unstable energy policy
by Todd Myers, Environmental Director, Washington Policy Center With one of the highest costs of electricity in the country, California residents pay more than double the rate we do in Washington state. And yet, they have trouble keeping the lights on. Last summer, California faced widespread blackouts due to a shortage of reliable electricity. Only...
[un]Divided: Inslee pledges action on homelessness ten years too late
[un]Divided: Inslee pledges action on homelessness ten years too late
In a series of proposals ahead of the 2023 legislative session, Governor Jay Inslee outlined his vision to address homelessness. As Brandi Kruse explains on the [un]Divided Podcast, Inslee fails to identify the true cause of a crisis he helped to create.
By Brandi Kruse
Lawmakers cannot allow Washington’s drug crisis to continue
Lawmakers cannot allow Washington’s drug crisis to continue
Washington needs a serious drug policy. In 2016, Shannon Blake was arrested in Spokane, Washington. At the jail, officers found a small bag of methamphetamine in the pocket of her jeans. At trial, she testified that a friend had given the jeans to her two days before Blake’s arrest, that she had never used methamphetamines,...
[un]Divided: State starts collecting legally questionable tax
[un]Divided: State starts collecting legally questionable tax
Despite an ongoing legal battle, Washington state has decided to start collecting a tax on capital gains. Jason Mercier of the Washington Policy Center joined Brandi Kruse on the [un]Divided Podcast to discuss.
By Brandi Kruse
[un]Divided: Dems want to raise wages for inmates, end qualified immunity for officers
[un]Divided: Dems want to raise wages for inmates, end qualified immunity for officers
As bills are pre-filed in Olympia, Brandi Kruse of the [un]Divided Podcast says a few Democrat-backed proposals show misplaced priorities.
By Brandi Kruse
Inslee’s failed leadership at Western State Hospital
Inslee’s failed leadership at Western State Hospital
A recent expose by The News (Tacoma) Tribune regarding Western State Hospital, the state’s largest mental hospital that is located in Lakewood, is not only perhaps one of the closest examples of the inmates literally running the asylum as you’ll ever get, but it’s also a vivid example of Governor Jay Inslee’s failed leadership on...
Bill Bryant: ‘Democracy is not a spectator sport’
Bill Bryant: ‘Democracy is not a spectator sport’
In an interview with Brandi Kruse on the [un]Divided Podcast, former gubernatorial candidate Bill Bryant reflected on his 2016 campaign against Jay Inslee – calling it an “opportunity lost.” He said the GOP needs to build a bench of leaders “who want to govern and want to listen and learn.”
By Brandi Kruse
Be on the lookout for bad bills
Be on the lookout for bad bills
While details are still murky, here are what issues we can expect to pop up.
By Brandi Kruse
[un]Divided: Can Generation Z bring back political balance?
[un]Divided: Can Generation Z bring back political balance?
Republican Simon Sefzik, who became Washington state’s youngest senator at the age of 22, says the GOP may have to tweak its messaging if it hopes to woo the next generation of voters. He sat down with Brandi Kruse for a lengthy conversation on the [un]Divided Podcast.
By Brandi Kruse
[un]Divided: State hospital employed 27-time felon
[un]Divided: State hospital employed 27-time felon
Brandi interviews Tacoma News Tribune journalist Sean Robinson in this segment of [un]Divided to discuss further the breaking news that Washington state knowingly hired a career criminal to work with vulnerable patients. As the criminal justice reform movement in Washington state continues to grow, this story is an extreme example of giving a convicted felon...
By Brandi Kruse
Remove the barriers to building more affordable housing in WA
Remove the barriers to building more affordable housing in WA
This article is republished here courtesy of the Building Industry Association of Washington. Over the last 30 years, Washington’s population has grown by 60%; yet we’ve only increased the number of housing units by 33%. The failure to accommodate this growth has created a market so tight in Washington that median home prices have nearly tripled in the last decade to roughly...
[un]Divided: Food insecurity in Washington state
[un]Divided: Food insecurity in Washington state
In Brandi’s recent segment of [un]Divided, she reflects on gratitude and the things we are grateful for during the holidays, like family, a steady job, and income. But she also acknowledges those who are struggling – crushed under the weight of inflation and high gas prices – in Washington state. Brandi welcomes Barb Houston, Executive...
By Brandi Kruse