Morning Fizz
"The Senate Republican Caucus Has Voted to Remove All Caucus Sanctions Against Senator Roach"
Caffeinated News & Gossip. Your daily Morning Fizz
1. The Seattle Times left out a major piece of the Sen. Pam Roach story.
As as has been widely reported : Republican Senate Counsel Mike Hoover is seeking a $1.75 million settlement from the state after the GOP allowed formerly-banned and volatile state Sen. Pam Roach (R-31, Auburn) back into the caucus. Roach, who was reportedly particularly abusive to Hoover, was allowed back in the caucus in exchange for her key 25th vote on Republican budget chief Sen. Joe Zarelli’s budget coup.
The Times summarized it this way:
However, PubliCola has a obtained a follow up March 2 letter signed by Parlette and the rest of GOP senate caucus leadership (March 2nd is the very day of Zarelli's budget coup) that contradicts Parlette's statement to the Times .
The letter to Roach says: "The Senate Republican Caucus has voted to remove all caucus sanctions against Senator Roach."
The March 2 letter provides stronger evidence that the caucus made a deal for Roach's vote, indicating that Roach would only play ball if she thought the restrictions had been removed. After all, the coup, with Roach's key vote, didn't take place until directly after the follow-up letter was delivered to Roach.
Fizz has a call in to the senate Republicans.
UPDATE: The AP report did note the March 2 letter and included a brief explanation from Parlette:
Senate staff believes the restrictions have not been lifted.
But given the March 2 letter—which says they ("all sanctions") have been lifted, Fizz hopes Hoover eventually takes this to court where people would have to speak under oath and Parlette's Clinton-esque parsing to both the Times and the AP could be filled out.
2. Erica will be on KUOW's Weekday with Steve Scher this morning at 10 AM to discuss the week's top stories. 94.9 FM.
Josh will be on KCTS Connects with Enrique Cerna to talk about the week in review at 7 PM. Channel 9.
3. In non-budget news out of Olympia: Seattle area Rep. Mary Lou Dicerson's (D-36, Ballard) bill to ban toxic toys has been revived in the special session. The bill had stalled during the regular session after the senate passed a watered down version. Dickerson ran out of time to strengthen it when it came back to the house.
The bill was also the subject of some uncomfortable tittering after social conservative Rep. David Taylor (R-15, Moxee) offered a bizarre Rick Santorum-style amendment making the law applicable to sex toys. Social conservatives are oddly obsessed with these sorts of things.
1. The Seattle Times left out a major piece of the Sen. Pam Roach story.
As as has been widely reported : Republican Senate Counsel Mike Hoover is seeking a $1.75 million settlement from the state after the GOP allowed formerly-banned and volatile state Sen. Pam Roach (R-31, Auburn) back into the caucus. Roach, who was reportedly particularly abusive to Hoover, was allowed back in the caucus in exchange for her key 25th vote on Republican budget chief Sen. Joe Zarelli’s budget coup.
The Times summarized it this way:
A GOP letter inviting Roach back into the caucus, dated Feb. 29, said, "please note that the protocol for staff contact remains unchanged." The GOP letter, included with the letter from Hoover's attorney to the Senate secretary, was signed by Senate Republican leadership.
Sen. Linda Parlette, of Wenatchee, the Senate Republican Caucus chairwoman, confirmed Wednesday that restrictions on Roach were still in place.
However, PubliCola has a obtained a follow up March 2 letter signed by Parlette and the rest of GOP senate caucus leadership (March 2nd is the very day of Zarelli's budget coup) that contradicts Parlette's statement to the Times .
The letter to Roach says: "The Senate Republican Caucus has voted to remove all caucus sanctions against Senator Roach."
The March 2 letter provides stronger evidence that the caucus made a deal for Roach's vote, indicating that Roach would only play ball if she thought the restrictions had been removed. After all, the coup, with Roach's key vote, didn't take place until directly after the follow-up letter was delivered to Roach.
Fizz has a call in to the senate Republicans.
UPDATE: The AP report did note the March 2 letter and included a brief explanation from Parlette:
Another letter sent on March 2 said simply that the caucus had voted to remove all caucus sanctions against her. Parlette said Wednesday that the second letter was not meant to imply that Roach had regained staff privileges and that it was only sent at Roach's request.
Senate staff believes the restrictions have not been lifted.
But given the March 2 letter—which says they ("all sanctions") have been lifted, Fizz hopes Hoover eventually takes this to court where people would have to speak under oath and Parlette's Clinton-esque parsing to both the Times and the AP could be filled out.
2. Erica will be on KUOW's Weekday with Steve Scher this morning at 10 AM to discuss the week's top stories. 94.9 FM.
Josh will be on KCTS Connects with Enrique Cerna to talk about the week in review at 7 PM. Channel 9.
3. In non-budget news out of Olympia: Seattle area Rep. Mary Lou Dicerson's (D-36, Ballard) bill to ban toxic toys has been revived in the special session. The bill had stalled during the regular session after the senate passed a watered down version. Dickerson ran out of time to strengthen it when it came back to the house.
The bill was also the subject of some uncomfortable tittering after social conservative Rep. David Taylor (R-15, Moxee) offered a bizarre Rick Santorum-style amendment making the law applicable to sex toys. Social conservatives are oddly obsessed with these sorts of things.
