Joel Connelly
KOMO News
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Past articles by Joel:
Inslee to Legislature: 'Let's bring Washingtonians in from the cold'
Gov. Jay Inslee drilled down on two goals in his 2020 State-of-the State speech, putting a roof over the heads of our state's homeless, and enacting a clean fuel standard to combat climate change. The Legislature heard from a focused Inslee, a dropout from the 2020 presidential race, seeking this fall to be only the second Washington governor elected to three consecutive terms. "Let's bring… → Read More
Business, labor build war chest to fight Eyman's $30 car tab initiative
A broad spectrum of business and labor interests has raised a seven figure war chest to fight and defeat Tim Eyman's Initiative 976 on the November ballot, and will "start communicating with votes" this week. The campaign, called Keep Washington Rolling, has raised $1. 413 million, with another $400,000 about to come in from Amazon. The donors include big corporate names (e. g. → Read More
Canadian pleads guilty to human smuggling at Peace Arch border crossing
VANCOUVER, British Columbia - A Vancouver, B. C. , man, accused of playing a major role helping Chinese emigres "jump the border" at the Peace Arch, on Monday pleaded guilty in a British Columbia courtroom to four counts of human smuggling. Michael Kong, 62, was charged with helping bring 34 Chinese migrants north over the border, after which most flew to Ontario and filed refugee claims in… → Read More
Two-hour morning delays on U.S. 101 at Lake Crescent this week
Coast-bound travelers on U. S. 101 through Lake Crescent in Olympic National Park can expect two hour delays this week, along with "normal half-hour delays" and four-hour delays expected to begin just after Labor Day. The much-traveled highway will be blocked from 9 a. m. to 11 a. m. on the mornings of June 23, 24 and 25, according to an Olympic National Park release, so crews can finish "center… → Read More
Washington's new overtime rule: Relief for the stressed, underpaid workers?
A proposed revision to Washington's overtime rules, unchanged since Gerald Ford was president, is a needed catch up for workers dealing with eroding pay and job stress, backers told a Department of Labor and Industries hearing Tuesday. "It would give us a little bit of time and a little bit of money," said Elizabeth Kwan, a research scientist. Sarah Damian, a University of Washington student,… → Read More
Smoke from Alaska fires has reached the Northwest, Cliff Mass says
Seattle is experiencing smoke from an estimated 120 wildfires burning in interior and south-central Alaska, as the 49th State goes through a late spring-early summer heat wave, according to University of Washington atmospheric sciences Prof. Cliff Mass. "Although there are no wildfires in the Pacific Northwest right now, there are many large fires burning over Alaska producing lots of smoke. → Read More
Judge refuses to let Eyman back out of bankruptcy
Initiative promoter Tim Eyman won't be able to pull out of the filing for bankruptcy that he announced with fanfare last November, U. S. Bankruptcy Court Judge Marc Barreca ruled Thursday. "But once you voluntarily filed for bankruptcy, the mere fact that the bankruptcy isn't really doing what you hoped it would do for the debtor isn't of itself grounds for backing out of it," the judge told… → Read More
Kshama Sawant has raised $76,725, leads Seattle City Council fundraising
SEATTLE - Incumbent socialist Seattle City Councilmember Kshama Sawant is far ahead in both raising and spending money for this fall's election, having taken in $76,725 and spent $37,429 according to her end-of-March filing. Claiming big business will be out to get her, Sawant has declined to participate in Seattle's democracy voucher program, which provides public support but imposes spending… → Read More
Eyman lawsuit contempt fines doubled to $1,000 a day
A Thurston County judge has doubled contempt sanctions against initiative promoter Tim Eyman and a signature gathering firm from $500 to $1,000 a day, as part of an Attorney General's civil suit charging that Eyman put campaign donations to personal use. The Washington AG's office has charged that Eyman has failed to turn over financial documents although ordered to do so months ago. Eyman… → Read More
Goat roundup planned for Olympic National Park
Olympic National Park is finally ready to get its goats.After years of study, the park will begin using helicopters to capture and relocate its unwanted, non-native mountain goats over the period of Sept. 10-21.The goats were introduced to the high Olympic → Read More
Costs of Federal Way light rail link soar by $460 million
The cost of extending Sound Transit light rail service to Federal Way has soared $460.3 million over cost figures offered to voters when they were pushed to approve the massive Sound Transit 3 light rail package in 2016.The increase raises from $2.09 billi → Read More