By a vote of 314–117, the House adopted the so-called Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023, which “increases the federal debt limit, establishes new discretionary spending limits, rescinds unobligated funds, and expands work requirements for federal programs,” as summarized by Congress’ official legislative website.
Monthly Archives: May 2023
Posted inPolicy Topics
Scrapping the Alaska king salmon troll season will hurt fishing communities without helping our endangered southern resident orcas
A lawsuit that seeks to halt the southeast Alaska commercial salmon troll fishery has become a big topic of discussion in the Last Frontier and in the PNW’s fishing communities after a federal court judge recently ruled in favor of the plaintiffs, putting the upcoming fishing season in jeopardy.
Posted inPolicy Topics
Slimy Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton gets impeached by his fellow Republicans
The saga of Paxton, now suspended from office pending a Senate trial, carries national lessons in the lengths to which the political right shows loyalty, and meet out punishment to those who dare to question even conduct that is outrageous.
Posted inLegislative Advocacy
Last Week In Congress: How Cascadia’s U.S. lawmakers voted (May 22nd-26th)
The week’s major votes included House passage of a Republican resolution that would void President Biden’s student loan forgiveness plan and an EPA rule intended to protect Americans from harmful pollution.
Posted inLegislative Advocacy
Biden, McCarthy say they’ve reached a deal to respond to Republicans’ ransom demands
The White House announced late Saturday night that it has reached a deal with Kevin McCarthy and his deputies in the United States House of Representatives to avert a fiscal crisis that Republicans have been enthusiastically prepared to manufacture by refusing to provide the votes needed to raise the debt ceiling.
Posted inLitigation
With most of his estate now liquidated, Tim Eyman’s bankruptcy is finally winding down
Judge Marc Barreca’s May 19th order granting trustee Virginia Burdette’s motion to abandon the property of the estate (“other than the funds on deposit in the estate’s bank account”) indicates that the case has moved into its final stages.
Posted inParty Politics
The oil sands province of Alberta: Where extreme weather meets extreme politics
The political climate of Canada’s oil producing province is being upstaged by Mother Nature. Prolonged heat and lightning have produced a natural climate emergency with fires blackening the skies and consuming more than 2.3 million acres in a not-so-merry month of May.
Posted inPolicy Topics
Housing policy leaders discuss ways to get people into homes at 2023 YDWA Convention
Read a recap of the 2023 Young Democrats of Washington Convention’s housing-focused panel, which brought together local and state leaders in Spokane for a conversation moderated by NPI’s Kamil Zaidi.
Posted inCivil Liberties, Events, Policy Topics
Issues facing LGBTQ+ community take center stage at 2023 YDWA Convention in Spokane
Though Washington has historically been one of the safer states to be queer, the LGBTQ+ experience east of the Cascades is a very different one due to the Republican-leaning local governments. After all, it wasn’t that long ago that it wasn’t very safe to be out in Spokane, the biggest city in the region.
Posted inLegislative Advocacy
Last Week In Congress: How Cascadia’s U.S. lawmakers voted (May 15th-19th)
The week’s major votes included House redirection of a measure to expel George Santos to the Ethics Committee and Senate confirmation of three Biden judicial nominees, along with Senate passage of two Republican resolutions to overturn policies adopted by the D.C. city council and Department of Homeland Security.
Posted inPolicy Topics
Amazon has a big opportunity to be a leader in plastic packaging reduction
In 2022, Amazon stopped packing products in single-use plastic delivery bags shipped from their European fulfillment centers, and stopped using plastic air pillows in Europe and Australia. Yet, Amazon has not made similar commitments in the United States, its largest market.
Posted inElections
Democrats win spring mayoral contests in Jacksonsville, Florida and Colorado Springs
Two large cities in red and purple states that have been run by Republicans will soon have Democratic governance.
Posted inLegislative Advocacy
Washington State Legislature swiftly agrees on a Blake fix after going into special session
“This bill recognizes the harm that public use causes our communities by creating the crime of public use,” said Representative Jamila Taylor. “More importantly, it focuses on the most up-to-date science on recovery, working to connect people to treatment, housing, services, and employment opportunities.”
Posted inLegislative Advocacy
Last Week In Congress: How Cascadia’s U.S. lawmakers voted (May 8th-12th)
The week’s major votes included House passage of a Republican scheme to block immigrants and refugees from coming to America and Senate passage of two Republican resolutions to void rules protecting endangered species.