#WA-Gov

[npi]

A tale of two elections: Washington and Oregon get more Democratic as battleground states swing to Donald Trump

If you go to the website of any national or international media outlet this morning — The New York Times, Politico, The Washington Post, CNN, The Guardian, the BBC, and so on — you’ll see big headlines talking about Donald Trump’s apparent sweep of all of the battleground states. Yes, all seven of them: Georgia, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, Nevada, and Arizona. Several…

[silversoulstardust]

watching atarashii joushii wa do tennen for the BL but I'm amused at how accurately they portray traumatic work experience

a simple thing could be triggering

and yet it could easily be fixed with a kind gesture from a superior

[livvyofthelake]

also. movie that takes place in virginiaaaaa <3 ok it only takes place in va because it was based on a true story but still. that's my state :)

[beardedmrbean]

A coalition of parents attempting to block a state law that would require that the Ten Commandments be displayed in public school classrooms by next year have won a legal battle in federal court.

U.S. District Judge John deGravelles issued an order Tuesday granting the plaintiffs' request for a preliminary injunction, which means the state can't begin its plan to promote and create rules surrounding the law as soon as Friday while the litigation plays out.

The judge wrote that the law is "facially unconstitutional" and "in all applications," barring Louisiana from enforcing it and adopting rules around it that require all public K-12 schools and colleges to exhibit posters of the Ten Commandments.

DeGravelles, who heard arguments over the legislation on Oct. 21, also ordered the state attorney general's office to "provide notice to all schools that the Act has been found unconstitutional."

The law had dictated that schools have by Jan. 1 to comply. Attorney General Liz Murrill did not immediately respond to the judge's ruling but is expected to appeal.

Gov. Jeff Landry signed the GOP-backed legislation in June, part of his conservative agenda that has reshaped Louisiana's cultural landscape, from abortion rights to criminal justice to education.

The move prompted a coalition of parents — Jewish, Christian, Unitarian Universalist and nonreligious — to sue the state in federal court. They argued that the law "substantially interferes with and burdens" their First Amendment right to raise their children with whatever religious doctrine they want.

The American Civil Liberties Union, the American Civil Liberties Union of Louisiana, Americans United for Separation of Church and State and the Freedom from Religion Foundation have supported the suit.

In their complaint, the parents said the law "sends the harmful and religiously divisive message that students who do not subscribe to the Ten Commandments ... do not belong in their own school community and should refrain from expressing any faith practices or beliefs that are not aligned with the state's religious preferences."

Steven Green, a professor of law, history and religious studies at Willamette University in Oregon, testified against the law during the federal court hearing, arguing that the Ten Commandments are not at the core of the U.S. government and its founding, and if anything, the Founding Fathers believed in a separation of church and state.

At a news conference after the hearing, Murrill dismissed Green's testimony as not being relevant as to whether the posters themselves violate the First Amendment.

"This law, I believe, is constitutional, and we've illustrated it in numerous ways that the law is constitutional. We've shown that in our briefs by creating a number of posters," Murrill told reporters. "Again, you don't have to like the posters. The point is you can make posters that comply with the Constitution."

In August, Murrill and Landry presented examples of how posters of the Ten Commandments could be designed and hung up in classrooms for educational purposes. The displays included historical context for the commandments that the state believes makes its law constitutional.

One poster compared Moses and Martin Luther King Jr., while another riffed off the song "Ten Duel Commandments" from the musical "Hamilton."

Murrill said no public funds will be required to be spent on printing the posters and they can be supplied through private donations, but questions remain about what happens to educators that refuse to comply with the law.

The state has anticipated that the case could go to the U.S. Supreme Court, which last weighed in on the issue in 1980, when the justices ruled 5-4 that Kentucky's posting of the Ten Commandments in public schools was unconstitutional.

Another state, Oklahoma, is facing similar lawsuits over a requirement that the Bible be part of lesson plans in public school grades five through 12, and that the Bible be stocked in every classroom.

When asked what he would tell parents concerned about having the Ten Commandments in public schools, Landry said in August: "Tell your child not to look at them."

[doueverwonder]

Gov: Water

Florida: White claw.

Gov: No, no. repeat after me, water.

Florida: white claw? we're saying the same thing.

Gov: We're definitely not.

Gov: slower, Wa-ter

Florida: W-w...

Gov: Almost there.

Florida: W--White claw.

[samuraiko]

Remember what I was saying yesterday about using .GOV websites to check things like your voter registration status? HERE YOU GO.

CHECK CONSTANTLY. At least every 1-2 weeks.

Also, for those of you in states fortunate enough to have ballot tracking (such as those of us in WA), be sure to also track your ballot after you vote via your state's elections website. (For example, WA state shows you a timeline with checkmarks for when your ballot was mailed to you, when it was received, when it was verified, and when it was counted.)

[achromic-red-dreams-doze-angrily]

[invaderpinnecone]

Wttsh incorrect quotes as conversation from my friend group

*CA & NY walks over holding hands*

CA: whats up

FL : man I don't like your boy toy

𖤐✰𖤐✰𖤐✰𖤐✰𖤐✰𖤐✰𖤐✰𖤐✰𖤐✰𖤐✰𖤐✰𖤐

Gov: Florida if you don't stop I'm going to hit you

FL: yes daddy please

Gov: WHAT!?!?!

*NY, FL & CA laughing the a$$ off*

𖤐✰𖤐✩𖤐✩𖤐✰𖤐✰𖤐✰𖤐✰𖤐✰𖤐✰𖤐✰𖤐✰𖤐

PA: there's this guy that I know and he's so stupid-

NJ: is it your bf

PA: no it's not but anyways

𖤐✰𖤐✰𖤐✰𖤐✰𖤐✰𖤐✰𖤐✰𖤐✰𖤐✰𖤐✰𖤐✰𖤐

Tx: watch as once we leave there gonna make out

FL: no were not

Al:yes you guys will

LA: no were will not were just going to talk

GA:ok whatever you say we gotta go Tx's mom is picking us up

*FL look over at Louie*

FL: so you wanna make out

LA:okay

𖤐✰𖤐✰𖤐✰𖤐✰𖤐✰𖤐✰𖤐✰𖤐✰𖤐✰𖤐✰𖤐✰𖤐

OR:Fu*k you!

WA: no fuck you!

OR:what time

WA: maybe now

OR:okay bet

WA:0////0 wait no t-thats not what I meant

𖤐✰𖤐✰𖤐✰𖤐✰𖤐✰𖤐✰𖤐✰𖤐✰𖤐✰𖤐✰𖤐✰𖤐

Tx's talking to AL

TX: like how they talk in Oklahomo

*AL laughing his a$$ off*

TX laughing* wait no I mean Oklahoma

𖤐✰𖤐✰𖤐✰𖤐✰𖤐✰𖤐✰𖤐✰𖤐✰𖤐✰𖤐✰𖤐✰𖤐

RI:omg it's Ed Sheeran!!!

NJ:no it's not it's some random ginger dude

Ri:bitch yes it is

𖤐✰𖤐✰𖤐✰𖤐✰𖤐✰𖤐✰𖤐✰𖤐✰𖤐✰𖤐✰𖤐✰𖤐

*Washinton mention being queer*

*CA and OR* omg your gay

WA: yep

CA:omg same but I'm bi

OR: same but I'm the original gay

𖤐✰𖤐✰𖤐✩𖤐✰𖤐✰𖤐✰𖤐✰𖤐✰𖤐✰𖤐✰𖤐✰𖤐

Co: do you want a white lady dragon girlfriend!?!

Wy:wha

Co: common Wyoming I know you want one

𖤐✰𖤐✰𖤐✰𖤐✰𖤐✰𖤐✰𖤐✰𖤐✰𖤐✰𖤐✰𖤐✰𖤐

Hi: there to much ppl here I don't like it

NY:same I hate being around people

𖤐✰𖤐✰𖤐✩𖤐✰𖤐✰𖤐✰𖤐✰𖤐✰𖤐✰𖤐✰𖤐✰𖤐

LA: okay now name a country that starts with F

FL:French

*both laughing*

LA:French!?!

LA: you said French I can't believe you said French-

[npi]

LIVE from Seattle: Results roll in for electoral contests in the Pacific Northwest

Good evening from the Washington State Convention Center’s Arch Complex, where the Washington State Democratic Party is holding a big election night watch party with Attorney General Bob Ferguson, Senator Maria Cantwell, and a long list of other candidates, as well as the NO campaigns that are working to defeat Brian Heywood and Jim Walsh’s destructive slate of statewide initiatives. Beginning a…

[beehaiku]

this covers the protest pretty well from what i can tell, although the number of arrestees is above 50 according to most sources rn. the state troopers were deployed by greg abbott despite the protest being entirely peaceful & is hoping protestors will be expelled in posts on twitter. also according to a spokesperson for ut austin masks are against university policy(??)

[iamyelling]

lol had dinner with my parents to catch up. about how my new job is going. and my mom just got back from a 5 day (4 nights) backpacking trip. we also discussed the fucking shit show of our weird ass crumbling empire thing. takin bets on who we think is gonna be the new nominees for the democratic party. right now i think we settled on harris and some dude from the midwest. idk which one i don’t pay attention enough to really care. but we think they will keep harris. probably would put her as president and do a dude vp.

it was fun discussing what we think they *should* do vs what we think they *will* do. not even talking about what we want lmao. we don’t get into that 😂😂

my dad thinks they should do newsom and harris but i made the point that they’d never do that bc they’re both from california.

i thought inslee (WA gov) would be actually not a bad president but he’s done, he’s not gonna run for governor again. totally out of the question obviously.

i was running off this list of options.

my parents think it’d be nice if they did harris and buttigieg but i’m like there’s no way again. gay and a interracial black woman? nah. and he comes across as too snooty bc of the mckinsey thing, which my parents like that he’s worked for mckinsey and im like most people don’t like that…

kinda think they might do harris as pres and someone else for vp bc they’re into the loyalty and earning it thing. but if they’re smart they’ll keep her as vp and do someone stronger for pres. idk.

anyways. clocks a tickin. by monday we’ll have two new pres+vp picks for the dems in sure. gonna be a wild weekend for sure.

they gotta pick soon bc the longer they take the less time they have to campaign for the new people. And the harder it is gonna be to compete with trump.

lol it was a funny conversation.

we did agree that it’s all about charisma though.

[rebeccathenaturalist]

Hey, if you're in the Columbia-Pacific region of Oregon/Washington, the Friends of Willapa NWR Environmental Education program needs you! Our fourth grade EE students are getting ready for their big field trip to the Refuge near Long Beach, WA at the end of the month (May 30-June 1).

We could use a few more folks to help these kids learn more about the natural history of the Refuge. They've already spent time in class exploring how light, air, water, and soil affect what living beings are found in each habitat, and this is their chance to put that into practice. You don't need to be a scientist or a teacher, just someone with a love of nature who's willing to review the materials they've been using and help them engage their curiosity. We have a training scheduled for May 25, but I'm also doing other trainings for folks who can't make that date.

You'll lead a small group (fewer than 10) students along with a teacher and a parent chaperone around the Tarlatt/South Bay Unit of the Refuge. The students arrive at 9, and need to be back on the bus around 1, but not before they've been able to check out a few stations set up by Refuge staff. You can volunteer for one, two, or all three days, with a different group of students each day.

If you're interested in volunteering, drop me a line here or email Hope Presley at hope_presley(at)fws(dot)gov

[dontmeantobepoliticalbut]

WA Senate passes bill to bar hiring discrimination for cannabis use

BY CLAIRE WITHYCOMBE

Washington employers would be prohibited from refusing to hire a potential worker solely because of a drug test showing they had used cannabis under a bill that passed the state Senate on Wednesday.

Washington voters approved recreational marijuana in 2012 through Initiative 502. More than a decade later, though, as more states have moved to legalize the drug, Washington employers can still screen out applicants who use cannabis.

If Senate Bill 5123 becomes law, Washington would join several other states that have enacted laws shielding employees from workplace penalties for off-duty cannabis use. The bill passed the state Senate on a 28-21 vote Wednesday, sending it to the House for further consideration.

In 2019, Nevada became the first state to stop employers from rejecting an applicant because of a drug test showing cannabis use. Last year, California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed into law a bill barring discrimination in hiring, firing and other conditions of employment if a worker uses cannabis while off duty.

The Washington bill’s sponsor, Sen. Karen Keiser, D-Des Moines, introduced a similar proposal last year, but it didn’t get to the floor for a vote. Washington’s bill only covers drug tests before hiring, Keiser said. An employer could still test you for cannabis once you have a job, and could still make a hiring decision based on a drug test that doesn’t include cannabis.

“If your employer wants to test you every week after you’re hired, they’re still able to do that,” Keiser said. “This is simply opening the front door of getting into a job. Because too many people who see that they have to take a drug test to even apply, don’t even apply.”

Certain jobs are excluded from the bill, including in the airline and aerospace industries and those requiring a federal background investigation or security clearance. Employers could still screen workers for cannabis after an accident or if they suspect impairment on the job.

Thanks to an amendment from Sen. Curtis King, R-Yakima, the bill also excludes professions where impairment on the job means “substantial risk of death.”

A central challenge in regulating cannabis use in the workplace is that a test that measures impairment from the drug is not yet available. That poses a problem especially for workers and employers who are subject to federal regulations, including through contracts with the federal government or because workers must have commercial driver’s licenses.

Burl Bryson, executive director of The Cannabis Alliance, told lawmakers in a public hearing Jan. 10 that potential candidates can consume cannabis legally “and still test positive for weeks later.”

“If the same approach were applied to alcohol, employers would refuse employment to anyone who enjoyed a beer or glass of wine on the weekend,” Bryson said.

“It simply doesn’t make sense to base an employment decision on that kind of unreliable outcome and test,” Keiser said on the Senate floor just before the vote Wednesday.

The bill had drawn some opposition from business lobbyists, who expressed worries about employers’ responsibility for safety problems in the workplace.

Bob Battles, general counsel and government affairs director for the Association of Washington Business, which has 7,000 members including major employers Boeing and Microsoft, said Wednesday the organization shifted to a more neutral position, citing changes clarifying that it covered only preemployment screening, as well as King’s amendment to exclude positions where impairment could be deadly.