Category Archives: King County

Trump’s environmental choices prompt questions locally

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Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt has been nominated to head the Environmental Protection Agency. Pruitt has a record of fighting EPA regulations. The EPA adopts regs for clean water and protecting threatened/endangered species--like the Kokanee salmon in Lake Sammamish.

Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt has been nominated to head the Environmental Protection Agency. Pruitt has a record of fighting EPA regulations. The EPA adopts regs for clean water and protecting threatened/endangered species–like the Kokanee salmon in Lake Sammamish.

Scott Pruitt for director of the Environmental Protection Agency.

Ryan Zinke for Secretary of Interior.

Rick Perry for Secretary of, umm, ahh, Oops.

These are President-Elect Donald Trump’s choices for environmental departments. In the case of Perry, the Department of Energy, the agency he wanted  close but for which he famously forgot and said Oops in his 2012 run for president. Energy has no small impact on the environment.

Pruitt, the attorney general of Oklahoma, fought EPA regulations for years. Zinke, a first-term Congressman from Montana, received just s 3% rating from the League of Conservation Voters.

And now they will be in charge of clean water and endangered/threatened species regulations.

There are direct, local implications.

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Rossi, Nixon, Hussey nominated for Andy Hill’s seat; Valderrama passes

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Valderrama

Ramiro Valderrama

Precinct committeemen of the 45th Legislative District selected Dino Rossi, Toby Nixon and Joel Hussey as their candidates to forward to the King County Council to fill the vacancy on an interim basis created by the death of State Sen. Andy Hill, a Republican.

Sammamish Deputy Mayor Ramiro Valderrama, who just lost his bid for the State House for the 45th, as a Republican, was nominated but withdrew his name to concentrate on his current duties as a City Councilman.

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ST3 failing 51.69% to 48.31% in Sammamish after first week of vote count

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Analysis of one week’s worth of voting results from Sammamish shows Sound Transit 3 losing here by a 51.69% to 48.30% margin.

Vote counting continues to Nov. 29, when the election results are certified.

Sound Transit 3 is the $54bn mass transit plan that includes $27bn in tax hikes over 25 years.

Sammamish gets reduced bus service out of the plan and a prospective park and ride at the north end.

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Nov. 11 Election Update: Jay Rodne projected to win reelection

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State Rep. Jay Rodne (R-Snolqualmie) will win reelection, Sammamish Comment project.

Vote results posted by King County Elections today show Rodne increasing his lead over Democrat Jason Ritchie to 1,730 votes, twice the lead at the end of yesterday’s tally.

Rodne holds Position 1 in the 5th Legislative District, which includes the greater Klahanie area of Sammamish.

State Sen. Mark Mullet, a Democrat, of the 5th clings to his lead over challenger Chad Magendanz, a Republican. The lead shrank to 1,363 votes from 2,062 Thursday and 2,974 on election night. The lead has been shrinking at a smaller rate than Rodne’s has been gaining.

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Election Update Nov. 10: Projected winner in 5th LD: Paul Graves; Rodne trending toward win; detailed figures

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Updated results from King County Elections today are sufficient for Sammamish Comment to project that Paul Graves will win the open seat for the State House of Representatives in the 5th Legislative District, Position 2.

He will defeat Democrat Darcy Burner. Graves is a Republican, and his win keeps this seat in GOP hands. This change from too close to call is highlighted in green in the chart below.

Incumbent Republican Jay Rodne, seeking reelection in the 5th for Position 1, is trending toward a victory but his race remains too close to call today.

The 5th LD encompasses the greater Klahanie area in Sammamish.

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