Josh and Ken discuss some news about the podcast, the recent shocking assassination attempt, and the GOP VP selection.

Visit shiftwa.org to learn more about Shift Washington.

Jan Himbaugh joins the show to talk about I-2066. Jan is the Managing Director of External Affairs for the Building Industry Association of Washington (BIAW) and she helps us break down the latest initiative that is currently gathering signatures. Is HB-1589 a harmless planning bill that furthers the mission towards clean energy? Or does it set Washington on the path to banning natural gas? What would it cost to convert a home away from natural gas? Learn all about what I-2066 does and remember to stop by the signature gathering event in Kennewick this Friday, June 21st to help place it on the November ballot.

Learn more about I-2066 at Let's Go Washington.

Check out BIAW here.

Learn about the Super Signing Event in Kennewick here.

Relax in the comfort of your home while listening to this deep dive into housing policy wonkery with Emily Hamilton from George Mason University's Mercatus Center. We find out what Seattle is doing well, what can be learned from other cities like Houston, and how more government regulation won't solve problems caused by government regulation. Zoning, HOAs, rent control, downpayment assistance, clean energy mandates...this episode has everything but the kitchen sink.

You can follow Emily on Twitter/X: @ebwhamilton.

Read Emily's work at the Mercatus Center here.

Mike Kelly joins the podcast to discuss his candidacy for the state senate in Washington's 4th legislative district. We learn about how Mike's experience, his love of history, and the support of retiring Sen. Mike Padden led him to enter the race. We discuss the prospect of serving in the minority and whether "compromise" is a dirty word. We hear about how Idaho wins when Washington policies push up the prices of gas and other items in the Spokane Valley region. We also touch on parental rights, promoting vocational and technical training, protecting girls' sports, and public safety. We close by learning about Mike's insights into the justice system and his thoughts on accountability and redemption.

You can learn more about Mike and how to support his race here.

Follow his campaign on Facebook for the latest news and events.

We welcome C. Jarrett Dieterle to the show to discuss the gig economy and alcohol policy. Jarrett is a resident senior fellow at R Street Institute. As a textbook example of unintended consequences, we touch on the recent calamity caused by a Seattle law impacting delivery driver pay. What can be done to actually help gig workers? How can the right promote a pro-worker, flexible agenda? Finally, we touch on alcohol policy and the crazy laws that prevent you from your right to catch a buzz.

Find his work at R Street here.

Read his piece on the Seattle delivery driver law here.

Read his piece in National Affairs on a flexible worker agenda.

Buy his book, Give Me Liberty and Give Me A Drink!

Leslie Lewallen joins the show to discuss her race to represent Washington's 3rd congressional district. We hear how Leslie grew interested in politics and eventually ran for the Camas city council. Leslie tells us why she decided to run for Congress after Republicans lost the seat in 2022 and why she would even want to work in such a dysfunctional, frustrating place. We discuss problems facing Washington, including crime and homelessness, and what the federal government can do about it. We also touch on some troubling aspects of her competition and why this race garners attention from across the country.

Visit Leslie's site to learn more about her campaign and how you can help.

Check out Leslie's recent piece in The Columbian.

Read about the 3rd congressional race in The Dispatch.

We welcome conservative royalty to the show with National Review's Charles C.W. Cooke. In advance of Charlie's upcoming talks in Spokane and Boise for the Mountain States Policy Center, we discuss the need for federalism and why Washington is no exception. We touch on the outlook in Congress and whether things will get worse before they get better. Transitioning ever so slightly, we dive into whether baseball needs a salary cap (Spoiler: Yes), technology in sports, and the outlook for sports in a changing landscape.

Go see Charles in Spokane or Boise with the Mountain States Policy Center

Read Charles C.W. Cooke's work on National Review

Buy his book The Conservatarian Manifesto

You've read the media coverage, heard the hot takes, and listened to the spin. But wait, there's more! Get the scoop on the Washington State Republican Party Convention held in Spokane from your hosts Josh and Ken. Was the convention chaotic pandemonium? A patriotic expression of "We The People" in action? We break down the delegate behavior and the wisdom of the endorsements.

We welcome Elizabeth Doll, Director of Braver Politics with Braver Angels, to the show. Elizabeth tells us about the mission of Braver Angels, which is to help bridge the partisan divide during these contentious times. We discuss the impact of social media on divisiveness, whether people should just disengage with politics, the lack of epistemology in our modern discourse, and how to involve the people who most need to take a chill pill. We touch on inter-party conflict versus intra-party conflict and whether conservatives understand progressives more than progressives understand conservatives.

Learn more about Washington Braver Angels at:

https://wa.braverangels.org/

And check out Elizabeth's work at:

https://www.patreon.com/understandingpolitics

We welcome Richland City Councilmember Ryan Whitten to the show for a lively in-person podcast. Ryan tells us about his background growing up in the Yakima Valley and serving in the Navy before settling in the Tri-Cities and ultimately joining the Richland City Council. We discuss what the job of a city council member entails and the level of partisanship on the city council. Finally, we get to the root question on everyone’s mind: what is the latest on the Costco Chronicles? Also, what is Richland doing to address homelessness and how do new housing regulations impact Richland? We discuss the future of reliable energy in the Tri-Cities, but finally, we address whether Ryan will repent for his yard sign crimes. 

Visit Ryan’s website at electryanwhitten.com