Morning Fizz: Interested in Getting Something Done
1. Nothing like the ACLU to bring together an odd assortment of Republicans and Democrats in a dissident (and losing) 'No' vote.
The Democratic house passed a slippery-slope bill 65-32 on Wednesday that would expand the use of traffic cameras—currently limited to taking pictures of license plates of speeding cars—to allow pictures for full-on surveillance.
The ACLU provided the lone testimony against the bill and only a handful of house reps—libertarian-style Republicans such as Reps. Matt Manweller (R-13, Ellensburg), Matt Shea (R-4, Spokane Valley), and David Taylor (R-14, Moxee) plus some random Democrats defying leadership (not the flaming liberals, oddly) such as Reps. Ross Hunter (D-48, Medina), Brian Blake (D-19, Wahkiakum and Pacific), and Kevin Van De Wege (D-24, Sequim)—voted against it.
Having passed the house, the bill was introduced in the senate law and justice committee yesterday.
2. Some surprising things we're hearing after the latest meeting of Mayor Murray's minimum wage task force this week: Socialist council member Kshama Sawant appears more interested in getting something done through the task force (as opposed to a breakaway initiative) than people originally thought she'd be ... we heard the word "sophisticated" ... ; co-chair David Rolf, the SEIU leader, not Murray, is running the show; and there are rumblings that without reps from the hotel workers union, there are not enough super-low-wage workers' voices on the committee.
3. The Seahawks reserved a ticket to the Super Bowl for Murray, and Murray, on his own dime, will indeed be attending the game at MetLife stadium in New Jersey on Sunday.
During his stay in New York Murray went on the Colbert Report last night, along with Denver Mayor Michael Hancock, to make a bet on Sunday's game between the Denver Broncos and the Seahawks, which host Stephen Colbert referred to derisively as "the Mariners of Football."
"In the very unlikely event that Seattle will beat the Denver Broncos," Hancock said, he's betting Murray a Denver steak. Murray—who wore a Seahawks rain jacket—responded that "In the impossible event that Seattle were to lose, I will offer the the mayor of Denver some incredible salmon from the Northwest."
For her part, Sawant won't be going the Super Bowl, but she will be going to a Super Bowl party.
4. There's a bunch of upbeat news in the latest economic forecast for Washington released this week.
Some highlights:
