Taxes & Cost of Living

Make your voice heard on critical ballot measures to be decided by Everett voters in Nov. 5th General Election

This year’s General Election presents an opportunity for Everett voters to weigh in on three important ballot measures. Ballots will be hitting your mailbox now, and the last day to return your ballot is November 5th. Initiatives 24-01 & 24-02 are competing proposals which would both establish an increased minimum wage and other labor standards. Both initiatives would raise...

Election ballots arriving soon: Opportunity to continue year of historic change

Largely spurred by seven citizen-led initiatives from Let’s Go Washington, voters in our state have made their voices heard and changed laws and policy outcomes in a way previously unheard of in Washington. During the legislative session, lawmakers were constitutionally obligated to act on the initiatives – by either making them law immediately or leaving...

Center Square Washington: State highway system in ‘early stages of failure’

A Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) Deputy Director addressed the Senate Transportation Committee last week and told them, “We’ve got the state highway system in early stages of failure,” due to a lack of preservation and maintenance, according to Center Square Washington. But there are even more underlying problems: Another dilemma facing WSDOT is...

Is the CCA accomplishing anything? Literally no one knows

Washington’s Climate Commitment Act (CCA) was supposed to be a bold step forward in the fight against climate change. Yet, over a year after its implementation, there’s no clear evidence of progress—and the cost to Washington families keeps climbing. Under the CCA, Washington introduced a tax on CO2 emissions aimed at funding projects that would...

Four initiatives give Washington voters a historic chance to weigh in

This fall gives a unique opportunity for Washington voters to have a direct say in public policy. A total of seven different initiatives have been qualified this year, with three already being passed into law during the legislative session (I-2081 concerning parental rights, I-2111 prohibiting income taxes in WA, and I-2113 restoring police pursuits). This...

Washington 2024 Primary Election results: What you need to know

With turnout down 13.5 percentage points compared to the primary in the last presidential election year, nearly 6 in 10 Washingtonians opted not to return their ballots. In a state like ours with a top-two primary system – where the top two vote-earners advance to the general election, regardless of party affiliation – this lack...

Washington’s $1.1 billion blunder: Audit uncovers massive mismanagement of federal COVID funds

In a stunning revelation, a recent audit from the Washington State Auditor’s Office (SAO) has uncovered that Washington state agencies “mishandled” more than $1.1 billion in federal COVID-19 aid, as reported by The Center Square. Despite the significant mismanagement, the state’s response seems surprisingly nonchalant, portraying an attitude of “No worries! It’s not like they’re...

WSF problems entirely predictable – and avoidable

It’s no secret to anyone who’s had the pleasure of using the Washington State Ferry (WSF) system over the past several years that service and reliability have been sketchy, at best, and it seems to be rapidly deteriorating. The Orcasonian reports there have been an incredible 1,145 ferry cancellations this summer, and that was as...

What’s at stake for Washington’s primary elections

Washington state’s primary election is just around the corner on August 6, 2024, and your vote is crucial! This election isn’t just another date on the calendar; it’s your chance to shape the future of our state. In Washington, we have a top-two primary system, which means only the two candidates with the most votes...

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...

Washingtonians Reclaim Their Voice: June 2024 Marks Turning Point in Citizen Power

The political landscape of Washington state is undergoing a seismic shift, with June 2024 standing out as a pivotal month in the growing citizen-led movement to hold lawmakers accountable. Let’s examine the key developments that made June a landmark month for citizen power in the Evergreen State: Three Citizen Initiatives Become Law Last year, millions...

Rejected amendments reveal lawmakers’ true priority on natural gas ban

The driving force behind Washington’s effective ban on natural gas was the Climate Commitment Act (CCA), passed in 2021. That bill set benchmarks for reductions in natural gas emissions so urgent and so onerous that it forced the state’s largest utility company, Puget Sound Energy (PSE), to effectively tell lawmakers, “Either let us shut down...

Christine Petchnick

“You have to speak up. The time for staying silent and just going along, those days are over. We’re a typical middle class family. My dad and grandpa started a small machine shop in 1965. Today, my husband and brother run it together. People think because we own a business, we must be rich and...

Success in Snohomish and critical vote ahead in Everett!

Thank you for your continued engagement with Project 42 and Future 42 Snohomish County. Please see two important updates below on recent items of significance that we have weighed in on with hundreds of you contacting your elected officials to express your thoughts; your engagement is making a difference: SNOHOMISH COUNTY COUNCIL ADOPTS ORDINANCE TO...