Never met the man, so such personal qualities as Steve Appleton had could only be extrapolated, from this vantage, from what public actions he made. Without getting into the kind of hagiography normal for the recently deceased, especially for the successful recently deceased, there are a few things that might be said, even

This sounds like an idea that must not be new but sure doesn’t seem familiar: Instead of each state redistricting their congressional districts, that work would be done by a national National Commission for Independent Redistricting. Starting, if the legislation were passed, in 2020. The proposal, by Oregon Representa

Striking headline in a Tacoma News-Tribune editorial: “It took Richard Nixon to go to China, Bill Clinton to reform welfare and state Rep. Jeannie Darneille to push House Bill 2588.” It’s apt, and it could mark a breakthrough. DNA evidence is something relatively new on the civil rights screen, and complex

Chris CarlsonCarlson Chronicles Governor C.L. “Butch” Otter says he will seek a third term. Good! With the way he is “mailing it in” that may provide Democrats with the first real opportunity to occupy the executive chair since then Attorney General Larry Echohawk lost to Phil Batt in 1994. In 2014 it will have been

Suzanne Bonamici Annals of a congressional district that knows what it is and what it wants: Winding up a special congressional campaign that started last summer – last spring, really, when the first challenger got in – Democrat Suzanne Bonamici was elected Tuesday, over Republican Rob Cornilles, to the U.S. Hou

The Seattle Times has a roundup of presidential campaign activity in Washington state, which often – with its relatively late March 6 caucuses – isn’t a big factor in presidential nominations. If the battle for the nomination is still alive then, though, Washington could be a hotbed. In some ways, it’

Every decade, it’s the same: As population crowds into urban areas, legislative (and congressional) districts that cover rural areas have to stretch into larger and larger areas. It’ll happen again after 2020. Even so, I’ve been looking at the Idaho Redistricting Commission’s L93 map (yes, that means

After spending a little time with the Idaho redistricting commission, things look a little more upbeat than earlier this week for the prospects of it completing its task sometime soon – possibly Saturday (they’re prepared for a Saturday session), maybe sooner, but likely not a whole lot later. This was the commi

A significant change in status that doesn’t seem to have gotten a lot of attention yet. To this point, when Washington state officially talks about its “state universities,” it means the University of Washington and Washington State University – those two and no others. (Similarly, the only official

Chris CarlsonCarlson Chronicles A former newspaper editor and sometime reader of this column recently asked who I thought, other than Cecil Andrus, were great Idaho governors. A bias I have is this: The best governors almost always first served in their State’s Legislature. Why this contributes to success is obvious. Havi

In an Idaho Statesman piece, Governor C.L. “Butch” Otter, who’s co-chair of the Mitt Romney campaign in Idaho, remarks that “I would have bet you a month ago that this would have been over with by the first of February. But things have changed.” He’s certainly not alone in that, or in mov

There seems to be an ethic in our politics these days that lengthy pieces of legislature are only lengthy to provide loopholes and work for lawyers: if it’s worth doing, surely it can be expressed in a sentence or two. Legislators who’ve been around the circle a few times come to understand that things rarely [.

The Idaho Legislature, which has before it a bill that would move the state’s long-running May primary election to August, might as well go ahead and pass it. Candidates and election officials will need the time, because the odds now are that no new legislative redistricting plan will be adopted in the short term R

There was probably a time, back in the day of William Borah, say, when there was almost a certain amount of above-it-all classiness to say that you didn’t drive a car – as it’s said he did not – and maintained a bit of elevated distance from such things as traffic signals, speed limits and [...]

The snow, then ice, then rain, then power outages at the legislative building – the very religiously inclined might almost wonder if someone is trying to keep the House Committee on Education today from holding a hearing on the charter school bill. Considering how short the session is, the delay could be fatal. The bi

Microsoft Corporation, the most successful big business in the Northwest, spoke out yesterday on a piece of Washington state legislation (which is within a single legislative vote of having enough for passage) which it said would help its business, and it got five other businesses to go along in the announcement. The legisl

It’s a little unfortunate that election schedules have to be uprooted because of legal battles over things like redistricting. But that’s what seems to be happening in Idaho. House Bill 302 (introduced by Representative Tom Loertscher, R-Iona) may be an inevitability, and is certainly something legislators were

Was said here that the legislative redistricting map produced late last year by the Idaho redistricting commission looked reasonable and ought to pass constitutional muster. That opinion doesn’t change. Has also been said here, from time to time, that you can never conclusively predict what a court will do. That one t

Here’s a thought for how to deal with street gangs: Sue ‘em. Okay, sounds like a joke. But House Bill 2594 is actually an interesting idea, providing (with rules-style specifics on how it operates) the ability for a state or local prosecutor to ask a judge for a specific street gang injunction, intended to put [

Chris CarlsonCarlson Chronicles Kathleen Parker is one of the finest syndicated columnists writing today. Thoughtful, analytical, practical, non-ideological, she offers an always insightful and informative perspective. Recently she wrote a sensitive, moving eulogy on the passing of Christopher Hitchens, the talented, prolif

This site has opted not to be among those striking in protest over the SOPA and PIPA measures in Congress; we chose to explain our view here instead. But we do strongly support the effort, and agree that those two measures – billed as anti-piracy but carrying a prospective reach much broader and much more [...]

So far 26 Washington House members (all Democrats to date) have signed on with House Bill 2463, which would impose a capital gains tax – but with a twist: Just capital gains over $10,000, amounts below that being exempted. Washington doesn’t have a capital gains tax at all, which sets it out from the other [...]

Tom Trail The Idaho medical marijuana bill has been introduced, by Representative Tom Trail, as he had said last year he would do. House Bill 370 does not have much chance of passage, or of clearing its first committee vote – if it gets one. (If it does, we’ll be curious to see who else [...]

Among the more obscure enthusiasms of much of the Tea Party and some of its acolytes (including freshman Idaho Representative Raul Labrador) is the repeal of the 17th amendment: The one providing that U.S. senators be elected directly by the voters of each state, rather than by state legislatures, as had been the scandal-ri

Our household, which is located in the Oregon 1st congressional district, has voted in that race – the first general election congressional race this year in the country. It was a fast process. The ballot area only occupied a small part of one sheet of paper, since there was only one contest on it. Ten [...]

Thanks to John Runft, for offering in a comment the opportunity to address a few items – widely various, but still – worth noting all at once. His comment, first, came in response to a post by blogger Barrett Rainey, “American democracy is drowning in a sea of money,” critical of the Citizens United

I-502 co-sponsor Salvador Mungia addresses the media while pro-502 campaign director Alison Holcomb (left) and Rep. Mary Lou Dickerson (middle) listen. I-502 opponents hold signs in the background. (Photo/Washington Secretary of State) Here’s a hot procedural fight in the making: House Bill 2500, introduced by 10 Hous

Presumably a cost-saving measure, House Bill 362 is apt to be something reviewed again in a year’s time, given the trajectory of the U.S. Post Office. The bill concerns the sending of certain legal notices – “notices of deficiency determination and notices of levy and distraints” – which tradit

Americans for Prosperity – a group founded (inter-shell) by the hard-right Koch brothers, and highly active in support of Tea Party activities – has released its list of approval and disdain of members of Congress. Whatever your view, it can be considered indicative: You may consider an A or an F from these guys

If you’re moving to Idaho, put this on your to-do list: If you’re planning to buy a car pre-move, do it more than 90 days before you hit the state line. Explanation in a moment. House Bill 359 is, in itself, not especially noteworthy. It comes from the state Tax Commission – ordinarily the source [...]