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Today in the business of podcasting:SiriusXM has struck a non-exclusive distribution and advertising deal with Fox's free streaming service Tubi, bringing popular video podcasts including Conan O'Brien Needs a Friend, Rotten Mango, and The School of Greatness to the platform starting in late June.The ANA's Q1 2026 Programmatic Transparency Benchmark finds a growing performance gap between top advertisers, who convert 54% of programmatic spend into quality impressions, and lower-performing peers who convert just 32.1%, with private marketplace transactions accounting for 85% of all programmatic spending.The IAB has filed an amicus brief in Baker v. Seattle Children's Hospital, a case before the Washington Supreme Court in which plaintiffs argue a hospital's use of Meta Pixel for marketing constitutes illegal wiretapping under 1960s-era laws — a theory the IAB's general counsel says could threaten all ad-supported media.Media, Built newsletter author Steve Raizes argues the podcasting industry is better served by confronting accurate audience metrics sooner rather than later, using Apple's iOS 17 auto-download change as a precedent and pointing to the Alliance for Measurement in Podcasting's ongoing work to establish a verified industry metric.To find links to these, and every article covered in today's episode, click here. You can also subscribe to The Download's newsletter to receive the full issue straight to your email inbox every day.
Today in the business of podcasting:SiriusXM has struck a non-exclusive distribution and advertising deal with Fox's free streaming service Tubi, bringing popular video podcasts including Conan O'Brien Needs a Friend, Rotten Mango, and The School of Greatness to the platform starting in late June.The ANA's Q1 2026 Programmatic Transparency Benchmark finds a growing performance gap between top advertisers, who convert 54% of programmatic spend into quality impressions, and lower-performing peers who convert just 32.1%, with private marketplace transactions accounting for 85% of all programmatic spending.The IAB has filed an amicus brief in Baker v. Seattle Children's Hospital, a case before the Washington Supreme Court in which plaintiffs argue a hospital's use of Meta Pixel for marketing constitutes illegal wiretapping under 1960s-era laws — a theory the IAB's general counsel says could threaten all ad-supported media.Media, Built newsletter author Steve Raizes argues the podcasting industry is better served by confronting accurate audience metrics sooner rather than later, using Apple's iOS 17 auto-download change as a precedent and pointing to the Alliance for Measurement in Podcasting's ongoing work to establish a verified industry metric.To find links to these, and every article covered in today's episode, click here. You can also subscribe to The Download's newsletter to receive the full issue straight to your email inbox every day.
After the Washington Supreme Court blocked a referendum on the new 9.9% tax on income over $1 million, Let's Go Washington launched Initiative to the People 26-645 — a measure that would repeal the tax and ban future income taxes statewide. Columnist Nancy Churchill argues the effort goes beyond one tax rate, pointing to Sen. Jamie Pedersen's communications with the Attorney General's Office and Democrats' rejection of amendments that would have prevented the threshold from dropping below $1 million. https://www.clarkcountytoday.com/opinion/opinion-income-tax-battle-round-two-signatures-needed/ #IP26645 #WashingtonStateTax #LetsGoWashington #IncomeTax #TaxRepeal #WashingtonPolitics #Initiative #NancyChurchill #DangerousRhetoric #Opinion ---
Washington's political and economic battles over the newly enacted millionaire's income tax continue intensifying as lawmakers, business groups, and advocacy organizations clash over the future of taxation, constitutional law, and economic competitiveness in the state. During Monday's episode of Washington In Focus Daily, Center Square reporter Carleen Johnson spoke directly with State Senator Jamie Peterson — the sponsor of Washington's controversial income tax legislation — while also examining growing concerns surrounding business relocation and economic uncertainty. ⚖️ TOP STORY: SENATOR JAMIE PETERSON RESPONDS TO TAX QUESTIONS Johnson questioned Peterson about: Legal challenges to the millionaire's tax Internal Attorney General's Office communications The ongoing referendum and initiative fight Concerns surrounding wealthy residents and businesses leaving the state Peterson defended the legislation and argued: ➡️ Consultation between lawmakers and the Attorney General's Office is normal ➡️ Washington's constitution already excludes tax measures from referendum authority ➡️ The issue is ultimately constitutional and legal in nature Peterson also maintained that the Washington Supreme Court has already clarified the referendum question surrounding tax legislation.
Big money pours into Washington Supreme Court races amid millionaires tax debate // Ferguson's latest pick for SC is a political donor that’s never been a judge. // Project Blue Beam - A Fake Alien Invasion Decades in the Making? // Curley explains his Katie Wilson endorsement… AGAIN
In this episode of Washington In Focus Daily, major questions emerge over Washington's business climate, water rights battles, and the growing debate over homelessness policy across the state. Starbucks founder Howard Schultz publicly criticized Seattle and Washington leadership over what he described as an increasingly anti-business political climate, while a Moses Lake family farm continues a costly nine-year legal battle with the Washington Department of Ecology over water rights. The episode also examines Spokane's ongoing fight over homelessness policy and whether Washington should move away from a “Housing First” approach toward a “Treatment First” model focused on addiction recovery.
Newly obtained emails, growing business relocation concerns, and fresh criticism from former Governor Chris Gregoire are intensifying Washington's ongoing political and legal battle over the state's new income tax structure. In this episode of Washington In Focus Daily, Venice AI founder Jesse Proudman explains why he joined Let's Go Washington's initiative campaign to repeal the state income tax, while newly released records continue fueling debate over how the tax legislation was crafted and defended behind the scenes. The episode also covers: Concerns over Washington's business climate Exclusive emails involving the Attorney General's Office The latest legal developments surrounding the income tax Ongoing uncertainty over Washington's legislative district maps ahead of the 2026 elections
PHONE GUEST - ROB MCKENNA - FORMER WA STATE ATTORNEY GENERAL // Washington Supreme Court blocks referendum on millionaires’ tax // Trump riffs on Iran war to a group of elementary school kids visiting the White House // LETTERS
5pm - Washington Supreme Court just stripped your right to vote on the millionaires taxWestneat: The gaffes are becoming a pattern for Seattle’s new mayor // Washington sues GEO Group over access to Tacoma ICE Processing Center // Female Inmate Who Says She Was Attacked by Male Felon Sues Washington State over Trans Prison Policy // LETTERS
Five of nine Washington Supreme Court positions face election as justices prepare to rule on a controversial 9.9% income tax on households earning over $1 million annually. With a dozen candidates already registered, this marks the most Supreme Court seats up for election in recent history. The timing is pivotal—voters rejected income taxes 10 times in the last century, and the court struck them down three times. Emails between the Attorney General's office and lawmakers reveal the legislation was designed to force the court to reconsider a 1933 ruling that outlawed income taxes. https://www.clarkcountytoday.com/news/washington-supreme-court-cases-could-decide-fate-of-controversial-income-tax/ #WashingtonSupremeCourt #IncomeTax #WashingtonPolitics #SupremeCourt #Election2026 #WashingtonState #Politics #TaxPolicy #ConstitutionalLaw #TheaterSquare
Senator Jamie Pedersen and Solicitor General Noah Purcell coordinated to craft ESSB 6346 with one goal: force the Washington Supreme Court to overturn Culliton v. Chase while blocking voters from referring the statute to the ballot. Internal emails reveal the necessity clause was inserted specifically to prevent referendum despite the tax not taking effect until 2028. Ryan Frost from Washington Policy Center exposes how lawmakers abandoned the constitutional amendment process that requires voter approval. https://www.clarkcountytoday.com/opinion/opinion-internal-emails-show-income-tax-bill-was-designed-to-bypass-the-constitution-and-lock-out-voters/ #WashingtonTax #ConstitutionalChallenge #VoterRights #Culliton #IncomeTax #WashingtonPolitics #TaxPolicy #SupremeCourt #Referendum #Constitution
Episode 75 Sam Martinez Washington State University freshman, Sam Martinez, died of acute alcohol poisoning after a fraternity pledge ritual. While the university initially stated they had no culpability in Sam's death, his family would take their case all the way to the Washington Supreme Court….and win. To learn more about hazing on campuses, visit Hazinginfo.org To listen to every episode of Campus Killings ad-free and get other benefits, simply visit our channel page on Apple Podcasts to get started with an AbJack Insider subscription. Follow Campus Killings on Social Media via the following: Facebook - Instagram - Threads - X Formerly Twitter - BlueSky - Tik Tok - Twitch - Youtube Or find ALL of our social media platforms with one link: https://linktr.ee/campuskillings Campus Killings is hosted by Dr. Meghan Sacks and Dr. Amy Shlosberg. Research and Writing by Abagail Belcastro Produced by Mike Morford of AbJack Entertainment ©2026 AbJack Entertainment -All rights reserved. This content is the sole property of AbJack Entertainment. Any unauthorized re-selling, re-purposing, or re-distribution, is strictly prohibited, and will be subject to legal action.
A major debate is unfolding in Washington State — combining income tax policy, government authority, and a high-stakes property rights lawsuit. In this episode of Washington In Focus Daily, we break down two major developments:
Seattle’s Magnuson park will be getting regular police patrols. A Seattle burger joint is dealing with repeated break-ins. JD Vance has spoken out about the ongoing feud between the Pope and Trump. King County and Seattle get Washington’s worst air quality grades, failing on both ozone and particle pollution. // Washington Supreme Court bail proposal would gut pretrial rules, let defendants skip court. // A lying liar lies about ICE. An Olympic ice hockey coach used a fake COVID vaccination card to compete at the 2022 Winter Olympics in China.
Washington Supreme Court removes King County judge for forging document to save $10 on parking. Melania Trump delivered a statement on Epstein. A former dog kennel worker that beat a dog to death has pleaded guilty. // Big Local: An Amazon Flex driver in Pierce County was arrested for stealing packages. Bryson DeChambeau buys Bellevue golf tech startup Sportsbox AI in eight-figure deal. Lookout for dive-bombing owls at Point Defiance Park in Tacoma. // You Pick the Topic: With taxes due soon, some people are turning to AI to file their returns (but you shouldn’t).
A Washington Supreme Court ruling has affirmed that a topless political protest by Stevenson city councilmember Lucy Lauser was protected under the First Amendment, finding that nonsexual nudity does not meet the legal standard for obscenity. The decision draws a clear line between nudity and criminal conduct, reinforcing a distinction that sits at the center of ongoing debates over public expression, body autonomy, and the meaning of the human body in public space.More at www dot planetnude dot co. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.planetnude.co/subscribe
SPD chief Shon Barnes says that officers who help ICE violate policy and will face consequences, the Cascades might get a blizzard, and the Washington Supreme Court will get its first justice of Middle Eastern descent. It’s our daily roundup of top stories from the KUOW newsroom, with host Paige Browning. We can only make Seattle Now because listeners support us. Tap here to make a gift and keep Seattle Now in your feed. Got questions about local news or story ideas to share? We want to hear from you! Email us at seattlenow@kuow.org, leave us a voicemail at (206) 616-6746 or leave us feedback online.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Gary Ernsdorff on the uptick of copper wire theft in King County — Crime and Punishment // Libbey Dean on the government shutdown // Jill Schlesinger on President Trump's next choice for Federal Reserve Chair // Charlie Commentary on why the Washington Supreme Court has veered steadily to the left // Senator Curtis King on expired car tabs and the state's transportation budget
Opinion columnist Nancy Churchill critiques a Washington Supreme Court order on public defense, arguing it creates sweeping mandates without funding and shifts costs onto rural cities, counties, and taxpayers, while calling on lawmakers to address the issue through legislation such as SB 5914. https://www.clarkcountytoday.com/opinion/opinion-justice-for-none-court-hands-down-a-mandate-without-a-dime-to-fund-it/ #Opinion #WashingtonPolitics #PublicDefense #LocalGovernment #RuralWashington
Building Integrity: Justin Park's Success In the Courtroom and Beyond | Made of More Episode 18 In this episode of Made Of More, host Chris Erdmann sits down with Justin Park, a seasoned attorney specializing in real estate, construction, and business law in the Pacific Northwest. Justin shares his journey from growing up in a small town in central Utah to becoming a well-respected litigator who has argued in front of the Washington Supreme Court and the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. He reflects on the influence of his upbringing, his mission experiences in Japan, and the values instilled by his family. Listeners will gain insights into how Justin balances his professional and personal life, the importance of a strong client-attorney relationship, and the ethical foundations guiding his legal practice. About the show: Made of More is a radio show / podcast that shares the powerful, personal stories behind the entrepreneurs of the greater Seattle area and beyond, individuals who have built meaningful businesses and experiences not just to better their own lives, but to positively impact their communities, families, and the world around them. This show isn't just about what they've built – it's also about who they are as people. We explore their journeys of inspiration, adversity, risk, and resilience. We dig into the pivotal moments, the challenges that shaped them, and the drive that pushed them to step outside the box and do something different. These are people who are made of more. And so are our listeners. Each episode is an invitation to connect more deeply; not only with the story, but with the mission behind each business. Whether it inspires you to chase a dream, break your own mold, or simply experience and support these ventures in a way that speaks to you, Made of More reminds us that greatness often begins with a story worth telling.
Pfister, Sandra www.deutschlandfunk.de, Wirtschaftsgespräch
After the Washington Supreme Court ruled that misleading subject lines can violate the state's Commercial Electronic Mail Act (CEMA), Skechers now faces a similar class action. The lawsuit claims the company created a false sense of urgency by announcing that sales would end — only to later extend them. This episode explores how the case underscores growing risks around email marketing and why brands should review subject line practices to avoid costly CEMA violations. Hosted by Simone Roach. Based on a blog post by Gonzalo Mon.
Gonzalo E. Mon Two years ago, we posted about a proposed class action lawsuit that accused Old Navy of spamming consumers with emails that included false or misleading information about the duration of sales. For example, the complaint alleged that the retailer advertised that a sale would only last one week, even though the sale continued the following week.
Mark Harmsworth of the Washington Policy Center argues that the Washington Supreme Court's decision to overturn Spokane's anti-camping initiative undermines both public safety and voter rights. https://www.clarkcountytoday.com/opinion/opinion-spokanes-voter-approved-anti-camping-initiative-is-overturned-by-the-washington-supreme-court/ #homelessness #Spokane #publicsafety #affordablehousing #ClarkCountyWa #Washingtonstate #judicialactivism #localnews #MarkHarmsworth #WashingtonPolicyCenter
Investing in Bizarro World Episodes: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLIAfIjKxr02sAztzlJNy1ug5bDvTVZkME&si=w2d_EF-B5jMo1dYD Subscribe to Investing In Bizarro World: @bizarroworld Programming Note: We're holding a free webinar on April 30th at 4pm ET during which we'll walk through the gold bull progression, what's coming next, and three picks with immediate catalysts. Gerardo is guaranteeing one of the three will double in the next year. There will also be live Q&A. The event is free to attend. It will stream at this link: https://bit.ly/3YU3Y1l And we'll send out emails before it starts. The free version of the 314th episode of Investing in Bizarro World is now published.Here's what was covered:Macro Musings - China says there are no trade negotiations underway — despite U.S. claims. Volatility remains elevated. Bond market pressure continues. Dollar weakens further, with strong inverse correlation to gold. No recession yet, but more chop expected until after earnings season.Market Takes - Gold rebounds looks ready to test $3,500 — possibly even $4,000. Silver flirting with a major breakout above $33.88. A close above $34 on a weekly or monthly chart would confirm. Copper now has $4 floor. Uranium names post big daily gains — signs of a bottom forming?Bizarro Banter - Administration insiders give private market guidance behind closed doors. Gerardo and Nick call out the blatant insider double standard. Klaus Schwab caught in a Davos handjob scandal. His downfall is symbolic of the broader collapse of globalism and institutional trust. Washington Supreme Court and Spokane Politicians ignore the will of the people. Premium Portfolio Picks - For paid listeners only. Subscribe here: https://bit.ly/4iDnq9E0:00 Introduction0:57 Macro Musings: More Tariff Tussles. S&P Volatility. Gold & Dollar.6:40 Market Takes: Time for Juniors. Copper. Uranium.17:56 Bizarro Banter: Bessent's Loose Lips. Klaus Schwab's Loose Hips. People's Will.29:25 Premium Portfolio Picks: A 2-cent Copper Stock. A Big Tariff Winner. A Contrarian Lithium Pick. You need to subscribe to Bizarro World Live to get this section. Upgrade here: https://bit.ly/4iDnq9EPLEASE NOTE: There are now two versions of this podcast. 1. Bizarro World Live — Pay $2 per episode to watch us record the podcast live every Thursday and get Premium Portfolio Picks every week. You can do that here: https://bit.ly/4iDnq9E2. Bizarro World Free — Published the Monday after the live recording with no Premium Portfolio Picks.Visit our website Daily Profit Cycle for more content like this and more! https://dailyprofitcycle.com/
Listen to the Daily Global #News from Grecian Echoes and WNTN 1550 AM - China raised duties on US goods to 125% - US to hike duties on Chinese goods to 145% - European Union finance ministers will brainstorm today how to use that time to reach a trade deal with Washington - Supreme Court ruled that the Trump administration must “facilitate” the return of a Maryland man who was mistakenly deported to El Salvador
(The Center Square) – Backers of Initiative 2066, which protects natural gas as an energy choice in Washington state, say they will take their case to the Washington Supreme Court after a judge's ruling last week that I-2066 is unconstitutional. On Friday, King County Superior Court Judge Sandra Widlan ruled the scope of I-2066, approved by voters in November, was too broad and violated the state Constitution's single-subject requirement. Support this podcast: https://secure.anedot.com/franklin-news-foundation/ce052532-b1e4-41c4-945c-d7ce2f52c38a?source_code=xxxxxx Read more: https://www.thecentersquare.com/washington/article_cf9b94e2-c6ff-4219-abde-48b2f32a9aa7.html
How much of tonight’s lunar eclipse will Washingtonians be able to see? Russia has agreed in principle to ceasefire. US soccer is cracking down on abuse of youth referees. // LongForm: GUEST: Chris Sullivan on the latest text toll scan. // Quick Hit: The Washington Supreme Court just ruled on a case that could impact self-service retail.
The Washington state legislature is looking to ban guns in even more places. The Washington Supreme Court struck down a challenge to signature verification on ballots. ABC News is shutting down FiveThirtyEight along with other jobs cuts. // Big Local: A 3.9 earthquake struck Port Angeles. Everett police are looking for a man that tried to kidnap a woman. A WSU astronomer says we’re going to have a ‘blood moon’ next week. A Bremerton boat builder is struggling with pauses in federal funding. // You Pick the Topic: Scientists have created a “Colossal woolly mouse” in preparation for recreating the woolly mammoth.
3pm: Metro to resume bus fare inspections: What to expect // Washington Supreme Court hands landlords major victory after CARES Act challenge // Starbucks lays off 1,100 corporate employees as coffee chain streamlines // President Says Workers Who Don’t Respond to Musk’s Email Risk Being Fired // 'It's just chaos': Local TSA employee gets conflicting messaging about job justification query // I Stand Corrected - Ask, Tell, Correct, or Yell at John about anything // Thoughts on Trump’s approach to Ukraine // Zelenskyy refuses to sign Trump’s rare earths deal — but official says pact is close // Gen-Z has rediscovered sabbaticals; dubbed them “micro-retirements”
Second Amendment: May Washington prohibit high-capacity magazines? - Argued: Tue, 14 Jan 2025 16:57:29 EDT
On Dec. 5, in a move to enhance access to justice, the Supreme Court of the state of Washington issued a historic order authorizing a regulatory reform pilot program by which entities not owned by lawyers will be able to deliver legal services. The move makes Washington only the third state, after Utah and Arizona, to approve a comprehensive change to the longstanding rule that only entities owned by lawyers can practice law. The pilot, which will last for 10 years, is designed to test whether entity regulation will increase access to justice by enhancing access to affordable and reliable legal and law-related services. Entities approved to operate under the pilot will be allowed to practice law, but only under strict conditions that limit the duration of their operations and that require active monitoring and oversight. To discuss the development and details of this pilot, we are joined today by two guests representing the two organizations that proposed this pilot to the court and that will now be tasked with partnering to get it up and running. They are: Terra Nevitt, executive director of the Washington State Bar Association, and Craig Shank, a Washington lawyer and member of the Washington Supreme Court's Practice of Law Board. Their share their perspectives on how this pilot could enhance access to justice and what the development means for regulatory reform more broadly. Thank You To Our Sponsors This episode of LawNext is generously made possible by our sponsors. We appreciate their support and hope you will check them out. Paradigm, home to the practice management platforms PracticePanther, Bill4Time, MerusCase and LollyLaw; the e-payments platform Headnote; and the legal accounting software TrustBooks. Littler, local everywhere. Steno, reliable court reporting with a revolutionary approach Briefpoint, eliminating routine discovery response and request drafting tasks so you can focus on drafting what matters (or just make it home for dinner). If you enjoy listening to LawNext, please leave us a review wherever you listen to podcasts.
The Washington Supreme Court is taking up the high-capacity magazine ban case, sparking debate on gun rights and public safety. Learn more about the pivotal legal arguments and the nationwide implications. Read the full story at https://www.clarkcountytoday.com/news/wa-supreme-court-to-hear-high-capacity-magazine-ban-case-later-this-month on www.ClarkCountyToday.com. #ClarkCounty #WashingtonState #LocalNews #HighCapacityMagazines #GunRights
On this topical show re-air, Crystal welcomes Everett Maroon, Executive Director of Blue Mountain Heart to Heart, for a conversation about their work in Southeast Washington using a harm reduction philosophy to support people, stabilize lives, & promote health and wellness in the community. Crystal and Everett chat about how the opioid epidemic has impacted rural communities, the role that stigma plays in keeping people from the help they need, what harm reduction is and why it is important. They then review the recent roller coaster ride of Washington state's substance use disorder policy, starting with the Washington Supreme Court's Blake decision, followed by a temporary legislative fix, then an impasse at the end of last year's legislative session, and finally a middle-of-the-road deal that recriminalized simple drug possession in addition to newly making public drug use illegal. Crystal and Everett lament the missed opportunity to meaningfully change the system & the continued lack of treatment services relative to need, and wrap up with what can be done at the state and local level to address the opioid crisis. Transcript and resources: https://www.officialhacksandwonks.com/everett-maroon-blue-mountain-heart-to-heart/ Follow us on Bluesky at @HacksAndWonks and on X (formerly Twitter) at @HacksWonks. Find the host, Crystal Fincher, on Bluesky at @finchfrii and X at @finchfrii. Find more information about Blue Mountain Heart to Heart at https://bluemountainheart2heart.wordpress.com/
Washington Supreme Court nixes ban on safe injection sites // Seattle is close to picking transportation chief // Movie Review – The Favourite // Guest Rachel Sutherland discusses temporary spending bill passed to hopefully avoid government shutdown // Hanna in studio talking about anti-gun stuff // Guest Mayor Jon Nehring discusses success of law enforcement embedded social worker program
Jason Schwarz, Director of the Snohomish County Office of Public Defense and the Chair of Washington's Council on Public Defense, talks about new public defender caseload standards under consideration by the Washington Supreme Court to address the state's public defense crisis. The combination of public defenders working under decades-old caseload standards and lack of state funding have led to massive delays and staff exodus, creating an urgent need for reform to ensure justice for defendants, victims, and the community at large. As always, a full text transcript of the show is available at officialhacksandwonks.com. Follow us on Bluesky at @HacksAndWonks. Find the host, Crystal Fincher, on Bluesky at @finchfrii.
Washington voters will decide next week is who will fill the lone open seat on the Washington Supreme Court. Supreme Court Position 2 is an open race - the incumbent, Justice Susan Owens, is retiring at the end of this year due to the state constitution's requirement that all justices retire after the year they turn 75. The position is non-partisan. Soundside is talking to both candidates vying for the seat on the state's highest court. Up first: attorney Sal Mungia. Mungia is a partner at Gordon Thomas Honeywell, a law firm based in Seattle and Tacoma. He has specialized in medical malpractice, serious injury, personal injury and real estate litigation. He has also served as the President of the Washington State Bar Association. Guest: Sal Mungia, candidate for Washington Supreme Court Position 2. Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes Soundside is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Washington's criminal justice system has a big problem – a shortage of public defenders and prosecutors. Senator Mike Padden, a former judge and the Ranking Republican on the Senate Law and Justice Committee is the featured guest. Washington Supreme Court justices take testimony on proposed changes to public defender standards – Learn you how you […] The post The Elephant in the Dome Podcast: Shortage of public defenders and prosecutors – a criminal justice crisis appeared first on Senate Republican Caucus.
Carleen Johnson from The Center Square Washington reports on the surprising developments surrounding Washington Supreme Court rulings on key voter initiatives. Supporters were caught off guard, learning of the legal challenges only hours before the court's decisions. Read the full story at https://tinyurl.com/mr3swfat #WashingtonSupremeCourt #voterinitiatives #Let'sGoWashington #I2109 #I2117 #I2124 #WACares #localnews #ClarkCountyWa
Send us a Text Message.Chino Y Chicano host Enrique Cerna talks with Washington Supreme Court Chief Justice Steven González about the recent U.S. Supreme Court decision on Presidential immunity, ethical questions involving justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito, declining public trust of the court, and President Biden's proposed reforms for the high court. González updates the efforts of the Washington's Supreme Court to address institutional racism. There is also talk of earrings. Yes, earrings. Listen and find out why that became a topic of conversation. Read:https://www.courts.wa.gov/appellate_trial_courts/supreme/bios/?fa=scbios.display_file&fileID=gonzalezRead: https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/obituaries/chinatown-international-district-activist-matt-chan-dead-at-71/Hear Rick Shenkman on the BBC Radio Program Sideways:https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001xdg0Read: https://www.thedailybeast.com/i-stuck-with-nixon-heres-why-science-said-i-did-itRead: https://www.washcog.org/in-the-news/your-right-to-knowRead: https://www.seattletimes.com/opinion/the-legislatures-sunshine-committee-has-fallen-into-darkness/Read: https://www.cascadiadaily.com/2024/feb/29/weakening-of-state-public-records-act-affects-your-right-to-know-every-day/Read: https://www.futuromediagroup.org/suave-pulitzer-prize/Read: https://pulitzercenter.org/people/maria-hinojosaRead: https://murrow.wsu.edu/symposium/the-edward-r-murrow-achievement-award/Read: https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/sinclair-nixes-univision-affiliation-ending-local-spanish-broadcasts/Read: https://www.chronline.com/stories/group-of-washington-state-faith-and-community-leaders-call-for-cease-fire-in-israel-hamas-war,329305Read: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/09/08/us/lahaina-fire-families.html#:~:text=The%20F.B.I.,survivors%20wonder%20what%20comes%20next.: Read:https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2022/apr/15/fentanyl-involved-in-more-...
Washington voters this year are contemplating a wide-open race to replace the state's Attorney General. The Attorney General manages the state's largest public law firm, overseeing a staff of attorneys charged with representing public agencies and defending the rights of Washington residents, covering issues including consumer protection, civil rights, environmental regulations, and antitrust. This year's race is an especially interesting one. The current Attorney General, Bob Ferguson, is running for governor. That means that without an incumbent, the office will see its first new A.G. in 12 years. This week Soundside is interviewing the three candidates who all want to be the state's next top lawyer. First up: Pete Serrano is a city council member serving as mayor of Pasco, Washington. He's a co-founder of the legal nonprofit, The Silent Majority Foundation, and he's endorsed in the Attorney General race by the Washington GOP. Guests: Pete Serrano, city council member serving as mayor of Pasco, Washington. Related Links: What is an attorney general? They're more attorney than general Who are the three candidates running for WA attorney general? Washington Supreme Court will hear Gator's Custom Guns case on high-capacity magazine ban The Republican who wants to be Washington's next attorney general See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
What’s Trending: The Washington Supreme Court Commissioner says he will decide next week whether a ban on high-capacity firearm magazines will stay in place. Washington state unemployment continues to rise. Ohio’s Attorney General has shot down a Democrat scheme to get Joe Biden on the ballot past the deadline. // Jew hating Eastlake High School students warn each other to cover faces and not talk to Zionists. USC Valedictorian Repeatedly Dodges Whether She Endorses ‘Complete Abolishment’ of Israel as She Shared It on Instagram. // I guess we’re pretending these bathrooms aren’t for the homeless drug addicts.
In a landmark ruling out of the state of Washington, a judge decided that the prohibition on magazines capable of holding in excess of 10 rounds contradicts the constitution. However, while the decision was a significant victory for defenders of the Second Amendment, the celebration was short-lived. The Washington Supreme Court promptly responded with an emergency appeal that temporarily halted the judge's decision, ensuring the controversial ban remains in place for now. The unfolding drama began on a seemingly ordinary Monday when Cowlitz County Superior Court Judge, Gary Bashor, made an announcement that sent ripples through the national conversation on gun control. The legal challenge had been brought by a local gun shop within the state. They had taken the bold step to sue the governing body of their state after an arguably contentious law was passed in 2022 prohibiting possession of magazines that carry more than a designated 10 rounds. During the hearing, Judge Bashor swept aside the arguments put forth by the state. These arguments maintained that these high-capacity magazines were not a requisite for self-defense, and that the legislative changes were grounded in logic and safety. Bashor's 55-page decision thoroughly refuted these claims. Deep within his comprehensive written judgment, Bashor elucidated on a key finding. The larger capacity magazines, referred to as LCMS in legal and political circles, came under the category of 'arms' according to the State Constitution. This fact was crucial since it meant these items were indeed used and owned by the general public for lawful motives. Judge Gary Bashor, who took up the mantle of judge in this rural belt back in 2011, did not restrict his rationale to the current state constitution. In his landmark ruling, Bashor delved deeper and analysed the intent of the Founding Fathers themselves when it came to firearms. Bashor keenly stated, 'The Founding Fathers demonstrated no desire to restrict gun rights. While they couldn't possibly know about the specific weaponry available in today's world, they implicitly acknowledged and anticipated technological progress in armament.' His words echoed the sentiments of those who ardently uphold the Second Amendment. However, things took a distinct turn after Bashor's ruling. Supreme Court Commissioner Michael Johnston of Washington State made a decisive move. Aligning with Ferguson, he chose to uphold the controversial law while the appeal proceedings continued. This clampdown on magazine size is just one piece of a larger puzzle. Over the past several years, other stringent gun control measures have been enacted by Washington's Democratic-controlled legislature in alignment with the state's Democratic Governor Jay Inslee. These measures encompass prohibitions with far-reaching effects, including a ban on the sale of AR-15s along with rifles bearing similar technological specifications. Those supportive of such sweeping changes argue that these rules are necessary for public safety, while detractors feel they infringe upon the Second Amendment rights. Through all this, the debate around gun control in Washington State and across America writ large shines a light on the intricate yet vitally important nature of balancing constitutional rights and personal safety. What emerges is a substantial challenge to reconcile these two deeply ingrained values in today's increasingly concerned society. It's evident that the recent ruling from Judge Bashor, despite drawing ire from some sections and applause from others, represents a critical moment in this broader discussion. Naturally, the court's decisions have the potential to serve as a precedent and significantly sway the ongoing narrative around gun control. At present, all eyes remain on the Washington State Supreme Court as it deliberates the appeal. Their decision will likely have a far-reaching impact, coloring the nation's discourse and legislation on gun control for years to come. Yet, through it all, we are reminded of the value and meaning of our Constitution and the continuous task of understanding and adapting it to our evolving society. This case represents yet another critical juncture in the American narrative as we grapple with the difficult task of maintaining a balance between personal freedoms and social responsibilities in the modern age. In conclusion, irrespective of one's viewpoint on the matter, it's essential to recognize that issues such as the magazine restriction debate form the fiber of our democratic process. They challenge us, they confront us, and they ultimately help us shape the future contours of our nation, contributing towards an evolving definition of 'We the People' in the 21st century. 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Shohei Ohtani's interpreter is fired, due to theft allegations, supposedly stemming from a gambling addiction; Kyle Rittenhouse's speaking event at the University of Memphis devolves into expected chaos following his exit; Don Lemon is out after a short lived stint at X, potentially due to a ridiculous reported list of demands for his employment; Washington Supreme Court removes the requirement to pass the bar exam for potential incoming lawyers, all due to a ridiculous rationale; Trump's “bloodbath” comments are intentionally twisted and lied about by the media This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit arkmedia.substack.com
Jenna Ellis (00:36) - Another spending bill is being passed on Capitol Hill, Congressman Chip Roy believes conservatives need to stand firm and stop allowing democrats to use Americans' money on whatever they choose to fund. Hogan Gidley (10:04) - The RNC promises legal ballot harvesting as a part of its new strategy to take on the Democrats. Lara Trump stated, “We've been playing checkers and the democrats have been playing chess”. is this a good move for the Republican party? Jenna Ellis (18:54) - White House aide to former President Donald Trump, Peter Navarro, was sentenced to four months in prison for his refusal to comply with a subpoena from the Jan. 6 Committee. How did we get to this point, and what does this conviction mean for others? Josh Hammer (29:38, 36:08) - The Washington Supreme Court rules that prospective lawyers will no longer have to take the bar exam, calling it “racist”, and claiming the test is unfair to marginalized groups. Plus Josh shares the details of his upcoming book discussing the aftermath of October 7th and rampant antisemitism that's taken over this country and others.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
In 2021, the Washington Supreme handed down one of the most important rulings in the history of the state. For decades, people in Washington were convicted under the state's felony drug possession law without any requirement they had knowledge of the drugs they possessed. The court struck down this strict liability law and opened the door for hundreds of thousands of people to be released, resentenced, or have their case vacated. Today, Hunter spoke with Grace O'Connor, Nat Jacob, and Kimonti Carter, the team at the Washington Office of Public Defense, who work on helping people navigate their options in the wake of Blake v State. Guests: Grace O'Connor, Former Blake Managing Defense Attorney, Washington Office of Public Defense Nat Jacob, Blake Triage Attorney, Washington Office of Public Defense Kimonti Carter, Blake Community Outreach Specialist, Washington Office of Public Defense Resources: Blake v State https://www.courts.wa.gov/opinions/pdf/968730.pdf Contact the Blake Team Call 800-414-6064 (ext 218) Email blake@opd.wa.gov How to Vacate Conviction https://opd.wa.gov/find-legal-help-and-information/vacate-drug-possession-convictions-state-v-blake Since I Been Down https://www.sinceibeendown.com/ https://www.kimonticarter.com/teach Redemption Project of Washington https://www.redemptionwa.org/ Seattle Clemency Project https://www.seattleclemencyproject.org/ Contact Hunter Parnell: Publicdefenseless@gmail.com Instagram @PublicDefenselessPodcast Twitter @PDefenselessPod www.publicdefenseless.com Subscribe to the Patron www.patreon.com/PublicDefenselessPodcast Donate on PayPal https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=5KW7WMJWEXTAJ Donate on Stripe https://donate.stripe.com/7sI01tb2v3dwaM8cMN
On this topical show, Crystal welcomes Everett Maroon, Executive Director of Blue Mountain Heart to Heart, for a conversation about their work in Southeast Washington using a harm reduction philosophy to support people, stabilize lives, & promote health and wellness in the community. Crystal and Everett chat about how the opioid epidemic has impacted rural communities, the role that stigma plays in keeping people from the help they need, what harm reduction is and why it is important. They then review the recent roller coaster ride of Washington state's substance use disorder policy, starting with the Washington Supreme Court's Blake decision, followed by a temporary legislative fix, then an impasse at the end of last year's legislative session, and finally a middle-of-the-road deal that recriminalized simple drug possession in addition to newly making public drug use illegal. Crystal and Everett lament the missed opportunity to meaningfully change the system & the continued lack of treatment services relative to need, and wrap up with what can be done at the state and local level to address the opioid crisis. As always, a full text transcript of the show is available below and at officialhacksandwonks.com. Follow us on Twitter at @HacksWonks. Find the host, Crystal Fincher, on Twitter at @finchfrii and find more information about Blue Mountain Heart to Heart at https://bluemountainheart2heart.wordpress.com/. Everett Maroon Everett is the Executive Director of Blue Mountain Heart to Heart. He supervises their program areas and is also responsible for fundraising, development, and evaluation of the agency. He has overseen a broad expansion of HIV case management services into Asotin and Garfield counties, harm reduction programs into the Tri-Cities and Clarkston, and an innovative, outpatient opioid recovery program across six counties in Southeast Washington. Everett co-authored the now-completed Greater Columbia Accountable Community of Health's (GCACH) Opioid Resource Network, and contributed to the Washington State Opioid Strategy. He serves as a technical assistance provider on the Law Enforcement-Assisted Diversion (LEAD) program expansion in Washington State. Everett also is a state commissioner on the LGBTQ Commission. He has worked on quality improvement projects for various federal and state agencies for more than 28 years. Resources Blue Mountain Heart to Heart Eastern Washington Health Profile | Community Health and Spatial Epidemiology Lab at Washington State University “Treating opioid disorder without meds more harmful than no treatment at all” by Mallory Locklear from YaleNews “We Must Support People Who Use Substances, Not Punish Them. Here's How.” by Susan E. Collins, PhD for PubliCola “New Law on Drug Possession, Use Takes Effect July 1, 2023” by Flannary Collins for Municipal Research and Services Center of Washington Substance Use and Recovery Services Plan | Substance Use and Recovery Services Advisory Committee (SURSAC) “Finally Addressing Blake Decision, Legislature Passes Punitive Drug Possession Bill” by Andrew Engelson from PubliCola “Legislators Continue Failed War on Drugs Approach in Blake Fix Bill” by Doug Trumm from The Urbanist "WA's new drug law could help needle exchanges — or restrict them" by Andrew Engelson for Crosscut Transcript [00:00:00] Crystal Fincher: Welcome to Hacks & Wonks. I'm Crystal Fincher, and I'm a political consultant and your host. On this show, we talk with policy wonks and political hacks to gather insight into local politics and policy in Washington state through the lens of those doing the work with behind-the-scenes perspectives on what's happening, why it's happening, and what you can do about it. Be sure to subscribe to the podcast to get the full versions of our Friday week-in-review show and our Tuesday topical show delivered to your podcast feed. If you like us, the most helpful thing you can do is leave a review wherever you listen to Hacks & Wonks. Full transcripts and resources referenced in the show are always available at officialhacksandwonks.com and in our episode notes. Today, I'm very pleased to be welcoming Everett Maroon, who's the Executive Director of Blue Mountain Heart to Heart. Everett supervises the program areas of Blue Mountain Heart to Heart and is also responsible for fundraising, development, and evaluation of the agency. He has overseen a broad expansion of HIV case management services, harm reduction programs to the Tri-Cities and Clarkston areas, and an innovative outpatient opioid recovery program across six counties in Southeast Washington. Everett co-authored the now-completed Greater Columbia Accountable Community of Health's Opioid Resource Network and contributed to the Washington State Opioid Strategy. He serves as a technical assistance provider on the Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion, or LEAD, program in Washington state. Everett is also a co-chair of the Washington state LGBTQ Commission. He's worked on quality improvement projects for various federal and state agencies for more than 28 years. And Everett and I also had the opportunity to both serve on a steering committee for a statewide ballot initiative surrounding decriminalization of substances. Welcome to Hacks & Wonks, Everett. [00:02:07] Everett Maroon: Thank you so much, Crystal. And it's really great to see you, and I appreciate having some time to talk with you today - so thank you. [00:02:15] Crystal Fincher: Absolutely. So I just want to start off - what is Blue Mountain Heart to Heart? [00:02:21] Everett Maroon: Well, it's a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in Southeast Washington state based in Walla Walla. We also have an office in Kennewick and then another one in Clarkston - roughly 30 people on staff. And it was founded in 1985, originally as an HIV concern, where we probably helped about 250 people live and pass away with dignity at the beginning of the AIDS crisis. Then was incorporated in 1991 - the organization moved into longer-term case management as the medications for HIV became more sophisticated and HIV went from being a death sentence to a chronic condition. And at that point, we began getting more involved in prevention of infectious disease, including HIV, hepatitis C, and STIs. I came along in about 2010, first as a grant writer and then as the executive director. And it really was notable to me - people would come in - if they had HIV, there was so much the state would do for them. And the state's interest was around public health - so if we keep people from being able to transmit this virus to other people, we'll keep the transmission rate low. In public health, we talk a lot about viral load - community viral load. And so you would add up the viral load of all the people living with HIV or AIDS in a community, and then that's the number that you get. And depending on how many people are in your community, you have a risk assessment for how much you should be concerned about HIV transmission in that community. Well, if you didn't have HIV and you came into my office, I had many more limitations on what I could do for you. Even if you were battling basically the same kinds of issues as people living with HIV had - unstable housing, lack of engagement in the workforce, mental health, substance use - all of these things rise up as things that destabilize people in their lives. Certainly systemic racism - the way that we invite so many foreign-born Latino farm workers to Washington state to pick our agricultural crops every year, but then pay them far below what a living wage would be. And we then expect that there's not going to be detrimental effects on those people. I think we all see that the state needs to do something different around supporting people who are here to make the state so profitable and make its agricultural sector so productive. So it really bothered me that - in one instance, because there was a transmissible disease associated with the potential client, we were all willing to put money into programs to support them. But then if they didn't, they just had the effects of the destabilizing forces around them and we weren't doing much. I really wanted to change that. I thought that we could get more investment in supporting people and stabilizing their lives and improving their wellness and health. And that that would be a good thing for everybody in the community, not just these people who were facing very serious gaps in resources and support. So we met as a board and a staff and changed our mission, amended a few things to it. And now our mission is really about helping people with a variety of different chronic diseases, including substance use disorder. There are certainly things to say about the limitations around the disease model for substance use, but when I'm thinking about federal and state funding for assistance programs, that model really helps create investment, financial support. So from 2010 to today, the agency has grown from about $150,000 in annual budget to about $4.1 million. We've gone from 2.5 FTEs a year to more than 30, and we have 14 case managers across 3 different case management programs. We have a drug user health equity program. And we still continue to have those prevention programs, but they're more aligned with case management. So we use a no-wrong-door approach here - no matter what your initial need is when you walk in, we try to see what other resources we can bring to bear to help that individual. So if you're coming in because you're using, or you need syringes for consuming - say, methamphetamine or something like that - you can also get nicotine cessation kits, you can get Plan B, you can get Naloxone because there may still be fentanyl in the substances you're consuming. We have a wound care clinic. We have a contingency management program for people who want to begin abstaining from methamphetamine. So no matter where someone's coming in, we have a variety of programs that we can try to support that person with. The harm reduction philosophy is one of the umbrella guiding value systems or philosophies for our work, even though we're doing some discrete specific activities for people. So that's, in a nutshell, what Heart to Heart is. We have a board of 9 and a staff of 30, and I think 28 of those positions are full-time. [00:07:47] Crystal Fincher: So who are you typically serving? [00:07:50] Everett Maroon: We see some diversity across our caseloads - it varies a little bit from program to program. I would say that we have somewhere around 55% are men and 45% are women. We do tend to see white, non-Hispanic people out here more often than not in our caseload, but we have about 12% of folks who are Hispanic and some other race - so white, mixed, African-American, Native. We see a lot of people on the far lower end of the socioeconomic spectrum, I would say - and that varies a little bit from location to location. So when I look at who we've served in Clarkston, about 12% of our prevention clients tell us that they are unhoused and almost 40% of them are temporarily housed - so that could be like couch surfing or at a shelter. The unhoused number is highest for our Kennewick clients at 35.6%, so majority of people that we're serving in Kennewick are unhoused or temporarily housed. In Walla Walla, maybe about 20% of people are unhoused, but the people who are temporarily housed are in truly atrocious conditions. So there are a lot of people in Walla Walla living in someone else's shed or garage - they don't have access to plumbing, they don't have access to heat or air conditioning in the summer when it's 110 degrees out here. So there're definitely big stressors on the people that we're serving. A lot of the women that we're serving are in very abusive relationships, or they have experience being sex trafficked, or being made to participate in illegal activities in order to have a relationship or to have housing. So there are definitely gender differences in terms of what people are facing among our caseloads. Folks that are in some of the more rural areas that we serve with our mobile clinic - they are very concerned about other people in their small communities knowing what's going on with them. And so they're very reluctant to seek care because they don't want other people to know what they've been engaged in. And that is its own kind of barrier for them. [00:10:22] Crystal Fincher: Absolutely. And that being tied to the stigma that is causing so much shame, whether it's having HIV, an STI, substance use disorder - a variety of things where the stigma creates this shame cycle, which prevents people from seeking help, prevents people from getting better, and actually encourages the spread because of that and not being treated. Now, we met each other around the issue of substance use disorder. The landscape about how we deal with substance use disorder has changed over the years. Starting out, particularly with you being so engaged in so many different rural areas in Washington state, what have you seen or how has particularly the opioid epidemic impacted the communities you're working within? [00:11:15] Everett Maroon: I think that what you said about stigma is really relevant to answering this question. In large part, we see stigma coming in to sort of silence people and keep them away from seeking help. A 2019 study from Washington State University showed that in general, Eastern Washingtonians have a life expectancy of five fewer years than people living west of the Cascades. Part of the reason why is because of later dates of diagnosis, delayed care - those kinds of things add up for people en masse, and then we see a detriment to the outcomes for them. So if you don't get your cancer diagnosed until you're stage 3, your prognosis is worse than if you'd shown up really early in stage 1. The same kind of thing happens for people who are engaging in substance use. And just to be clear, many people use substances and don't become dependent on them. But when they do, it becomes very difficult very quickly for them to extract themselves on their own. Opioids in particular - because they so mimic this endorphin pathway that we all have as human beings - it's almost impossible for people to just will themselves to stop using because the withdrawal symptoms kick in so overwhelmingly that they just feel terrible. And so to deal with that, they use again. A different way of thinking about how people might seek help is to say it's going to be non-stigmatized for you to come into our office and say - I've been using fentanyl, I've been using meth, I've been using anything in front of me. What can we do today about reducing my use? There are very few places where somebody can walk into a doctor's office and say that and then be taken seriously and aided. When you're talking about rural environments, I think that the stereotype is that people in rural environments don't care about folks that are struggling with these issues. I see directly - I observe - it's that we have such a smaller, thinner resource infrastructure. It's that we have fewer providers. So if there's a problem with one provider, there might not be another one in your health insurance plan that you can go see. So now you got to either work with this person who says something stigmatizing to you, or you just don't do it. And if you return to this place of - Well, I'll just get through this myself. Well, we know that that's really not a good option for most people. It's not a realistic option for most people. So in my rural environment, what we've tried to do is build a trauma-informed, non-stigmatizing or anti-stigmatizing environment so that people know they can come in, tell us the God's honest truth about what's really going on with them. And we're going to start from whatever space zero is for them. So there're definitely folks who can tell us about a time they were entering treatment and then they relapsed and then they were kicked out of the program. Or due to relapse, they missed two appointments and then they were kicked out of the program. Where they admitted that even though they were getting Suboxone for their opioid dependence, they were still sometimes using meth on the weekends and then they were kicked out of the program. So we just believe in our harm reduction philosophy that - if we're not looking to dispose of people, but we're looking to retain them for future engagement, we're going to see better outcomes for them. Because we're going to walk with them as they stumble, because we acknowledge that that's part of what they're facing - occasional relapses and stumbles. And you can do that in an urban center and you can do it in a rural environment. We just have to have the commitment. [00:15:08] Crystal Fincher: Absolutely. Now, I've heard a lot of people have different conceptions and misconceptions about harm reduction, and hearing - Well, if you don't require people to be clean before you help them. If you don't use this as a stick to get them to do what is best for them, then we're really just enabling their problem. We're becoming part of the problem. - Why is that not true? And what is harm reduction and why is it important? [00:15:39] Everett Maroon: That enabling hypothesis is very persistent, almost as persistent as opioid use disorder - it's been around a long time. But when you look at the actual evidence for treatment - in fact, there was a study that just came out that showed that treatment without prescribing a medication is almost worthless. We really need to be thoughtful about what clients need. If somebody had a heart attack after having a heart attack six months ago, the cardiologist would not say to them - Well, you had another heart attack. I refuse to see you anymore. If someone had type 2 diabetes and they walked into the doctor's office and the doctor said - Oh, your blood sugar is really high. You must not be following my treatment plan. I'm just going to cut off all of your insulin and see how you do. We would cite that provider for malpractice. But somehow when we're talking about meeting clients where they are or patients where they are around substance use, people rise up from the woodwork and say - You're enabling them. All we're trying to do is keep people engaged in care so that we don't lose them and we take away opportunities for them to make behavior change. If we're continuing to engage with people and motivating them to come in to see us, then we can provide them with more opportunities to stabilize their lives. If you stop trying to force a particular outcome on a client and you give them room to sort out what their priorities are, you're actually teaching them how to cope with stress the way we want to see people cope with stress - which is in an adaptive, positive way. When we get patronizing with people or we prescribe for people - You must do it this way, you cannot do it that way. Well, I see a lot of people who have overdosed and passed away waiting four weeks or more to get an assessment so they can get into treatment. So I know there has to be more ways for us to reach out to people where they're already at, so that we're not just losing them forever because nobody's going to get better from something if they're not even here anymore. So for me, what harm reduction means is - I'm using a respectful position as a professional to support people how ever they initially show up and to continually be there for them so that we can help them move through these stages of change that we know people go through when they're dealing with some behavioral health challenge. So if we allow people to come in and say - I relapsed last weekend - and they know that they can say that because we're not going to throw them out of the program for that. Then we can say - Okay, what do you think was the root cause of why you used again? And then you can sit down and say - Well, they wanted to please somebody, or it was offered to them and they weren't ready for it to be offered to them, or they haven't really broken out of this friend group that's always telling them to use it, or maybe a trauma happened to them. And then we can respond to that root cause and help them find another way to get through that if that ever happens to them again. If we had just said no to them and pulled a hard line on it, they would do no learning, we wouldn't learn as professionals, and we would lose that client. Life isn't perfect and people aren't perfect, so our programs should not demand that of them - in the same way that we don't demand it of other people who are living with conditions that we don't stigmatize like we stigmatize SUD. So harm reduction is very easily misunderstood, but it is also the most studied public health intervention of the last 30 years, with more than 1,500 different research efforts pointed at it. And what it has continually shown is that it is better at engaging people and retaining people and getting behavior change. So if you want to get concerned about a syringe service program in a particular neighborhood, do know that people that are going to it are five times as likely to get into recovery as people who don't utilize it. So I think that there are many ways that we could have this knee-jerk reaction against harm reduction, but at the end of the day - it gets people into recovery, it helps them reduce their use, it helps them stabilize the things in their life that were very out of control, and it helps keep them safer so that they encounter fewer infections and sequelae associated with having those infections. So we're here to help reduce the traffic on first responders and hospital systems and law enforcement. And I will just always sing the praises of the harm reduction approach because I see it work every single day. [00:20:42] Crystal Fincher: Yeah, like you, I've seen it work up close. You are certainly doing the work, have so much experience in seeing it work. But to your point, we have so much evidence. We have so much data pointing towards this being the most effective method. And it is largely because of stigma and because these deeply entrenched narratives and beliefs - largely by people who don't know many people who've been in this situation, or who hear an anecdote that is happy and was the case for one person but is not addressing what the majority of people are experiencing and what is shown is helpful. And principally, addiction is not a logical activity - people are not making inherently logical decisions. You can't just say - Well, I've decided that this person is going to be hitting rock bottom. They need to hit rock bottom in order to really get things together, and certainly the logical response to something going bad is to prevent the things that caused it from going bad and changing behavior. - And nothing about the reality of substance use disorder functions like that. And our refusal to come to grips with that from a policy perspective is playing out and seeing worse outcomes on our streets in many situations, worse outcomes in our communities - both people housed and unhoused, with great support without great support - it is just such a challenge. And I appreciate people in your position, organizations like yours, who are engaged in really trying to do that. Now, in Washington state, we've had a bit of a roller coaster ride over the past few years when it comes to substance use disorder policy, drug policy, and how we've approached it. Which kicked off this roller coaster ride with the Blake decision by our State Supreme Court, which basically decriminalized personal possession of all substances in our state, which kicked off a reaction that said - Oh, but drugs are bad and we have an opioid crisis. So clearly we need to reinstitute these laws, crack down and reinstitute penalties, and make sure we know this is criminal behavior and we can lock people up for engaging in personal use, now use in public places. - What is your opinion of that approach? [00:23:06] Everett Maroon: Well, the State Supreme Court was not trying to decriminalize drug possession in Washington state. It was saying that the statute as written, which was different from all 49 other states in the United States, was not constitutional. Because there was no other statute that they could turn to to say this is how law enforcement should enforce simple drug possession, we then did not have a statute on the books that was valid for detaining people around that for, I think, eight weeks. You will note that the state of Washington did not completely fall apart in those eight weeks with no drug possession statute. But it is an extremely common statute to cite people on, which is why it's costing the state millions and millions of dollars - I think seven figures, right? Eight figures. It's in the tens of millions of dollars. To re-adjudicate all of these sentences - because when you void the statute, you void all of those convictions that go back to the 1970s. So it was very commonly asserted in courts across the state of Washington - the statute around possession without intent - and so prosecutors did not want to not have something to turn to. When I talk to jailers and corrections staff, when I talk to many sheriff's deputies - the people who are actually on the ground - and many peace officers in city police departments, everybody knows that simply locking people away and arresting them and demanding accountability from them hasn't worked. If it had worked, we would not be here today. So people were really ready when the Blake decision came down, in my opinion, to do something different. But systems don't like system change. Systems are very stubborn and they want to stay in the track that they've been in, which is why reform is so difficult. So in the response that came immediately from Blake, they opened up a bill - even though it was now out of the timeline for the legislative cycle. So they made all these exceptions for themselves so that they could run a bill through. And that was - the engrossed Senate bill 5476 came out in 2021 and stood up a temporary measure. And they said this will sunset June 30th of 2023. And of course, by then, we'll have a new statute. We would never not attend to this. So they gave themselves a two-year window. Well, in 2023, the legislature was not decided on how to respond. Should it be back to a felony? Should it remain just a misdemeanor? Maybe it should be a gross misdemeanor. Maybe we shouldn't make this gross misdemeanor have a sentence of 364 days, but we'll have it make a sentence of 180 days. Maybe that's actually worse. So there was no real throughline in the policy debate around what to do for simple possession. Meanwhile, to the south of us, Oregon had - through ballot initiative - decriminalized all drugs. There's some evidence saying that's been a good thing for them, there's some evidence saying that hasn't been a good thing for them. Oregon is less than half the population of Washington state and has a much smaller revenue base. We've got very large corporations set up in Washington state that Oregon simply doesn't have, including Amazon and Boeing and many other big players, that give us a much bigger budget than Oregon gets. So I feel like it was maybe foreseeable that the legislative session would end without answering this question. Legislature, in the long year, ends in early May. So now they had less than two months before this statute was going to disappear. And I have heard from several people, why didn't we get there? The progressives ran out of the room and said - We can't vote for this. The GOP had decided they weren't going to vote for the bill as written because it wasn't enough about accountability, which is their new catchphrase for saying the onus is on the individual to pull themselves up by the bootstraps and not have a drug problem anymore. That left only the middle-of-the-road Democrats and they were not enough to carry the day on that vote. Well, then in the intersession between the special session that was called and the end of the regular session, there was a lot of dealmaking and communication. And what we got out of it were some of these middle-of-the-road ideas. So, in fact, it is now a gross misdemeanor with a 180-day sentence. It does still have a line into diversion programming - so instead of arrest, you can put somebody into the Recovery Navigator program that got set up by 5476. And they fixed some problems that were in the paraphernalia statute, so now it is clearly legal again to put out litmus tests to the public so they can test their substances for fentanyl and those things. The other thing it did was clarify for municipal officials - they can regulate some pieces of harm reduction activities or harm reduction-related activities, most notably around whether organizations or agencies can hand out safer smoking kits. This is an important question because when the pandemic hit, heroin dried up because shipping stopped, which meant smuggling stopped. And the world really got heroin from one notable place - Afghanistan - and when the poppies couldn't be processed anywhere because they couldn't get transported anywhere, China showed up with synthetic fentanyl precursors that Mexican cartels were really happy to turn into fentanyl. And rather than coming all the way from Afghanistan and around to Asia and then the United States, they could just be right next door to the United States. And so they flooded the markets in the U.S. with really cheaply made, very inconsistent fentanyl products. Fentanyl is so much more potent than heroin or any organic opioid. And fentanyl has a much shorter half-life, so people who I saw as participants who were making do with shooting up heroin 3 times a day, now were using fentanyl 30 times a day, and everything fell apart for them. They could not hold a job anymore. They couldn't manage relationships with their family. They couldn't stay housed. Because it was all about that next hit to delay the withdrawal symptoms, which were much worse on fentanyl than they ever felt on heroin. So we had 933 Narcan uses to reverse overdose in 2023, and we had 301 in 2021. So within two years, we saw the crisis hit a threefold increase - that is really astounding. It's horrifying. So King County, I think, has had a 47% increase in overdose fatalities in the last year. There are other places around the state that look more like 28% or 30%. But those are still terrible increases in fatality. It's not really clear where overdose as an event that maybe doesn't lead to a fatality is because many of these events don't ever get captured by first responder systems or hospital systems. But what I see from self-reports from our participants is that it's much, much worse. So I think it's good that the state is making these investments in diversion, but we really don't have the treatment bed capacity that the legislature is pointing people to go into. If everybody who wanted to be in treatment today could be in treatment today, there'd be enormous waiting lines. So we have to do a lot more - again, at the system level - and we have to lower the barriers to getting into treatment. So I'm really happy this year to be a part of the Bree Collective that is going to look at treatment reform for OUD. They did look at this in 2017, and this is the first time the Bree Collective has come back to look at the same issue again. But as you said earlier, so much has changed so rapidly that we need to return. [00:32:09] Crystal Fincher: As I look at that law and what happened with that law - one, I still mourn a little bit the opportunity that was there, but these things happen with policy all over the place. One of the things initially after that decision, the first Blake fix - because there are basically two attempts to fix it through legislation - is everyone seemed to agree, whether it was Republican, Democrat, progressive, conservative, that we don't have adequate detox capacity. We don't have adequate treatment capacity. And that requires a lot of investment and people wonder where they're going to get the money from - there's not universal agreement on that - but that we are lacking there. And part of what I heard from legislators with the intention after the first shot at the fix, where they applied the sunset, and there was - You know, evidence does point to more of a public health-based approach and less of a carceral approach to substance use disorder. But we don't have the infrastructure necessary to responsibly do that, so we need a stopgap in between. So we are providing these carceral solutions to this program with the hope that we take these two years - we really do a lot on adding capacity, making needed investments, and making sure the infrastructure is there so that when we do divert someone, there is treatment there for them to go. Now, the pandemic happened in that interim, which threw a lot of things off - it's not like people simply sat there and said, We plan to do nothing from the outset, this is just a whole red herring. But it didn't happen. And then politics happened and people got afraid of being called soft on crime and soft on drug use, basically. And that motivated some fear-based legislation or provisions. And so what we wound up with was - in the second fix - was less of a focus on diversion - they basically made that largely subject to prosecutorial discretion. Although they did, like you said, shore up paraphernalia concerns. But they did weaken the ability to reliably stand up harm reduction services and gave cities basically the latitude to say - We don't have to have these in our community - which is harmful because oftentimes, harm reduction services are where people who fall through the cracks of the other programs, people who are rejected from the other programs, people who people say - Well, they won't accept help. Well, they will from harm reduction services that are truly aligned with trying to help them as a person and meet them where they're at. So with this landscape that we have now, what has this done to you as a service provider and your ability to meet the needs of this community? [00:34:59] Everett Maroon: Let's be clear about what allowances they gave municipalities to affect the work of harm reduction organizations. The State Supreme Court still, very clearly, in 1988 said that giving people clean syringes and the associated other medical supplies is an essential public health program. So there's really nothing that municipalities can do to end actual syringe exchange, be it on a needs-based or a one-to-one-based exchange. There's nothing unlawful about it, and there's nothing that local government can do to stop that work. Where they can come in and say - No, you can't do this - is around the safer smoking kit provision and around litmus tests, because those are the newest things that have been added. Those were clearly not what the State Supreme Court was thinking about back in 1988. So what I've seen happen are harassment campaigns that have been semi-organized, that have made people fearful of going to SSP sites. And I've seen that when public health entities are doing those harm reduction programs, that you can defund those projects. And that stops the work there. But they still don't have the availability to come in and as a county commission or a planning commission for a city council, come in and say - You can't give out syringes to people. So they can't do that. And let's just note for a moment that the safer smoking kits - they're called things like crack pipes, which elicits this whole racist juggernaut that was put on people in the 1980s, again, because they were talked about in very racialized terms and very racist terms. Whereas people using a different form of cocaine just didn't face the same kinds of penalties and consequences. So it is a reminder to me that local government could have this effect on one kind of harm reduction activity and not another, that we're still operating through a very racist white supremacist lens here with regard to drug policy in Washington state. So for people who are thinking that they're acting agnostic to race and history of racism, I have news for you. You're not. You're still supporting those systems. I think it's very possible for harm reduction organizations to get legal representation - maybe through entities like the ACLU, but there's certainly other people around the country who are very concerned that harm reduction be able to continue unabated to support people through this deepening overdose crisis, who can help you make arguments like - this is a protected class of patients. So very clearly, people with opioid use disorder and substance use disorder are covered by the Americans with Disabilities Act. And so local government that doesn't have a lot of money should think very carefully about how to restrict - if their goal is to restrict - these operations, because they may very quickly run afoul of the ADA. Also, and I'm not a legal advisor - I just say it as someone who's already come up against these issues - they may also very easily run afoul of the Equal Protections Clause of the United States Constitution. And that is very important for them to think about because damages related to not being in compliance with that are very high, can be very high. And so I really would recommend that people in local government volunteer or at least take a tour of these harm reduction organizations in their midst, have a better understanding of what they're trying to do, and start to ask questions with those harm reductionists about how can we align your work with, say, the work of first responders, the work of law enforcement who are engaged in diversion? How can we help align it with people who are offering treatment in our areas? I would love to see communities around Washington state put together interagency workgroups to try to help respond to the crises that are local to them. Certainly every community has different kinds of resources, different kinds of limitations, different kinds of advantages, things that they've done when working together that have produced great things for their communities. This is one of those times when we really can come together and instead of pointing at each other saying - You're not doing enough or you're doing the wrong thing - we really can say - Wait a minute, these are our kids, our spouses, our neighbors, our co-workers, and we want to show up for them. So how can we do that? And if we all work to have a better understanding of each other, I think we're going to have much better responses on the ground than in simply looking to curtail this activity. [00:40:10] Crystal Fincher: I think sometimes we get into - we're looking at this from the outside, we're looking at the legislative session, and it is really simple to see - okay, they're entrenched in their interests, and we disagree, and therefore, they cannot be part of what a solution needs to be moving forward, or I can't work with them. Well, what I've seen - numerous examples across policy areas - of when people do sit down together and commit to listening to each other and understand that - Okay, we actually have a number of goals that align here. And how can we work together to make those happen is a really positive thing. Do you see examples of multi-agency responses working well in Washington? [00:40:55] Everett Maroon: Yeah, we even have one here in Walla Walla, that is run through our public health organization, and it's a behavioral health mapping program. And I think it's doing well to try to help figure out what can we - again, what resources can we wrap around people not necessarily in crisis, but near crisis, who may be in crisis at some point in the near future. I think co-responder programs are doing really well in various places around the state. And I think the world of the Let Everyone Advance with Dignity or Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion programs - I run two of them. And I see prosecutors and corrections officers and population health and case managers and DSHS all showing up to say - Okay, wait, we're going to - here's all the things we know about Sally and how can we help Sally today? And when you turn around and you get a phone call from someone, they say - Hey, I'm calling you from treatment and I'm feeling great. Or they say - Here's a photo of me. I got a photo from someone who was in the woods on the west side and they're holding their kid. And thanks so much, I never thought I'd get my kid back. And they're out in the woods with the mountains behind them - that can and does happen. I would not be such a champion for harm reduction if I didn't see it working all the time to help people reclaim their lives. But sometimes it's no longer appropriate for them to just try and do it themselves and do it just with their families, that they have maybe burned or lied to and all of that. It's better for them to work with professionals and then they can return and re-engage those systems that they thought they were alienated from. But I see it all the time and I know that we can do it and we have to dig in as communities. [00:42:37] Crystal Fincher: So we're currently in the midst of a legislative session. We have several cities and counties trying to deal with this in various ways. The state is trying to basically incrementally provide more capacity as they find and identify revenue to be able to do that. It's slower than all of us would like, certainly, but they are and have been moving towards that. What would your recommendation to legislators be this session? And what would your recommendation to local elected officials be for what can most meaningfully address this opioid crisis? [00:43:14] Everett Maroon: I think that local governments are well-suited to looking at their regulations around housing, capacity, zoning, and helping situate things like recovery houses, transition housing, places where people can go to restart. But as long as we are trying to do treatment and therapy and wraparound care for people who are unhoused, we're just fighting - we're fighting the tide with our little sandcastle. So we have to think about what those barriers to the outcomes we want to see really are. We certainly need specific housing for women fleeing abuse. We need specific housing for single men, but also families. We need to be able to help people step back up into more traditional housing over time. I think the state has a lot of priorities, and I appreciate that in Washington state, only a small amount of our budget is really actionable through discretionary means. There's so much that we have to spend on by statute or by ruling. And so it's a really difficult question, and I don't envy the legislators trying to tackle it. But when we try to take things little bit by little bit and we're not looking at the whole big picture, then we run into a lot of false starts and failures, and then people start to question if the approach is even right. I swear on all that's holy, the approach is right. But we can't get tens of thousands of people out of this situation very quickly if we don't have attention to housing, if we don't have treatment beds and treatment providers. If it takes three years to get the certification to be an SUDP, you are basically saying we have to wait three years for anything to change in Washington state. So we have to be thinking about workforce resources, housing, programs to help people deal with the trauma that they've picked up either on their way to using substances in a maladaptive way or after they started using them in a maladaptive way. I know people are going to say - Everett, where's the money come from? But I love this idea of health engagement hubs. But boy, the SURSAC committee asked for 10 sites and they got 2. It's just going to take us longer to figure out how to tweak that model to see how to make it work in as many places as possible. And I know also if we get people housed and we get them reengaged in the workforce and we get them back with their families, it's going to generate so much more revenue for the state. We're asking to front-load some programs so that we can get the benefits for a long time after. [00:46:02] Crystal Fincher: Absolutely. And it is an issue of when and how you pay for it, fundamentally. Dealing with all of the symptoms of substance use disorder, all of the outcomes when you don't treat this in a way that is likely to lead to recovery. Then we see this manifesting in a wide variety of ways and making the other issues that we're dealing with from homelessness to the wealth divide to just everything that we're dealing with - education - so much harder, so much more expensive. We're placing this burden on ourselves, really. So we have to systemically look at getting ourselves out. I appreciate that. For people in their communities who are listening and just thinking - Okay, I hear this and we need to do something. I see this problem in my community. I know this is a problem. We need to do something. And the low-hanging fruit of something in communities seems to always be - Okay, we'll pass a law, we'll toughen a penalty. What can they look to or help with or get involved with in their communities that is likely to lead to a more positive outcome? [00:47:11] Everett Maroon: There are all kinds of things people can do based on their own ability, interest, time, and their connections. So if there's a leadership group in your town, join it. If there's a behavioral health committee through public health or city council, go to those meetings. Get a seat at the table. Pester people in your council and commissioner meetings. Ask them how they're working on it. Look at the budgets that are public budgets and ask the funders how do they evaluate the people who are providing services. There are lots of things that you can do to check in on how things are going. You can always write letters to the editor telling people about why they should themselves get involved in this work. You can volunteer at these organizations that are doing the work. And even if you just want to go be a candy striper at your local emergency department, there's a lot that you can do to help people there. Or if you're more into serving at a soup kitchen - consider that a lot of people who are living on the street don't have anybody say anything nice to them all day long. You can be that person. You can be the one who helps build a bridge back to their sense of humanity and connection to the community. So I worked in soup kitchens a lot, and I initially worked there because I had to do community service after shoplifting. So I will say that publicly - I was 22 years old and supremely stupid. But I learned so much from doing my time there. And then I continued to work at that soup kitchen for two or three years after that, because it just was so meaningful to me to be able to commune with people and help them feel okay about this one moment in their day. So I think shoplifting - the best thing I did for myself was get caught. [00:48:56] Crystal Fincher: Absolutely. Well, thank you, Everett, for your time today, for your wisdom and knowledge. We will continue to pay attention to how things progress through session, through different cities in the state - but really appreciate your experience and perspective here. [00:49:13] Everett Maroon: Thank you so much, Crystal. I appreciate the opportunity. [00:49:15] Crystal Fincher: Thank you for listening to Hacks & Wonks, which is produced by Shannon Cheng. You can follow Hacks & Wonks on Twitter @HacksWonks. You can catch Hacks & Wonks on every podcast service and app - just type "Hacks and Wonks" into the search bar. Be sure to subscribe to get the full versions of our Friday week-in-review shows and our Tuesday topical show delivered to your podcast feed. If you like us, leave a review wherever you listen. You can also get a full transcript of this episode and links to the resources referenced in the show at officialhacksandwonks.com and in the podcast episode notes. Thanks for tuning in - talk to you next time.
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