Morning Fizz
I Know This Sounds Kinda Weird
1. That additional congressional district Washington State got yesterday
also means we get one more electoral college vote. Washington state is now worth 12 on the big map.
Washington is the only state with 12 electoral votes. Virginia has 13, and Arizona, Indiana, Massachusetts, and Tennessee have 11.
California has 55.
2. This year's legislative session in Olympia isn't only going to focus on the budget. If environmentalists have anything to say about it!
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MGordiKc4EE&feature=player_embedded[/youtube]
In addition to fighting budget cuts to core environmental protection programs they're going to: take another pass at making polluters pay for runoff cleaup; try and hammer out a deal to get the TransAlta plant in Centralia off coal by 2015; and restricting the sale of phosphorous-based lawn fertilizer.
3. Initiative hawker Tim Eyman turns 45 today. Not sure if it was intentional, but Seattle Times columnist published a column about Eyman this morning, criticizing Eyman's assault on the Ferry system.
Eyman, for his part, sent out a video.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rz6QdhgQHQ4[/youtube]
4. To end the year and kick off the new one, PubliCola asked a crew of 2010 newsmakers to write essays for us outlining their 2011 political New Year's resolutions. We've been rolling them out all week.
So far, we've heard from: Maj. Margaret Witt (the Air Force nurse who beat Don't Ask, Don't Tell in federal court in September and was in D.C. this morning to attend the signing ceremony where President Obama repealed the law); Republican U.S. Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers; progressive newly elected state Rep. Joe Fitzgibbon , and Republican King County Council Member Reagan Dunn.
Stay tuned. More resolutions to come (including ones from Erica and Josh.)
Washington is the only state with 12 electoral votes. Virginia has 13, and Arizona, Indiana, Massachusetts, and Tennessee have 11.
California has 55.
2. This year's legislative session in Olympia isn't only going to focus on the budget. If environmentalists have anything to say about it!
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MGordiKc4EE&feature=player_embedded[/youtube]
In addition to fighting budget cuts to core environmental protection programs they're going to: take another pass at making polluters pay for runoff cleaup; try and hammer out a deal to get the TransAlta plant in Centralia off coal by 2015; and restricting the sale of phosphorous-based lawn fertilizer.
3. Initiative hawker Tim Eyman turns 45 today. Not sure if it was intentional, but Seattle Times columnist published a column about Eyman this morning, criticizing Eyman's assault on the Ferry system.
Eyman, for his part, sent out a video.
I know this sounds kinda weird, but earlier this year, my wife signed us up for dance lessons (yikes!). It's taken us several months to get the hang of it, but I think we're getting really good. Late last week, we got dressed up and showed off our new skills. Enjoy:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rz6QdhgQHQ4[/youtube]
4. To end the year and kick off the new one, PubliCola asked a crew of 2010 newsmakers to write essays for us outlining their 2011 political New Year's resolutions. We've been rolling them out all week.
So far, we've heard from: Maj. Margaret Witt (the Air Force nurse who beat Don't Ask, Don't Tell in federal court in September and was in D.C. this morning to attend the signing ceremony where President Obama repealed the law); Republican U.S. Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers; progressive newly elected state Rep. Joe Fitzgibbon , and Republican King County Council Member Reagan Dunn.
Stay tuned. More resolutions to come (including ones from Erica and Josh.)
