Future 42 Clark County has released its 2026 Legislative Scorecard, grading local state legislators from the 17th, 18th, 20th, and 49th districts on 12–15 key votes covering taxes, public safety, housing affordability, and regulations. Sen. John Braun led with a perfect 12-for-12 alignment, while Rep. Monica Stonier and Rep. Sharon Wylie each aligned on just 3 of 14 tracked votes. https://www.clarkcountytoday.com/news/future-42-releases-2026-clark-county-legislative-scorecard/ #FutureClarkCounty #LegislativeScorecard #ClarkCounty #WashingtonState #VoterAccountability #Politics #Olympia

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Vancouver resident Anthony Teso fires back at Nancy Churchill's Climate Commitment Act repeal argument, exposing that her lead source Willie Soon received over $1.2 million from fossil fuel interests including ExxonMobil and the American Petroleum Institute. https://www.clarkcountytoday.com/opinion/letter-climate-commitment-act-critique-rests-on-fossil-funded-denial/ #ClimateCommitmentAct #WillieSoon #CCA #WashingtonState #ClarkCounty #Opinion #ClimateChange #FossilFuel #Politics #Letters

Jonathan Hines argues that IP26-645 isn't a partisan fight — it's a defense of a voter mandate that Washington has reaffirmed ten times since 1934. With over 400,000 signatures needed by July 2, he warns that letting the millionaire tax stand creates the legal architecture for a broader income tax on every working family. https://www.clarkcountytoday.com/opinion/letter-why-petition-ip26-645-is-a-stand-for-the-people-not-a-political-party/ #IP26645 #WashingtonTax #IncomeТax #TaxRepeal #WashingtonState #Opinion #ClarkCounty #Petition #StatePolitics #VoterRights

Sharon Nasset of Economic Transportation Alliance/Third Bridge Now argues that tolling the I-5 mainline would divert billions from transportation funding — with over 40% of collected revenue going to private collection companies, not roads. She proposes utility tax diversions and smart meter infrastructure as toll-free alternatives. https://www.clarkcountytoday.com/opinion/opinion-an-important-reason-to-keep-the-i-5-freeway-system-toll-free/ #I5Freeway #Tolling #Transportation #ClarkCounty #Vancouver #WashingtonState #ThirdBridgeNow #Infrastructure #Opinion #Politics

Gary Perman calls out Camas Mayor Steve Hogan's Form of Government Citizen Committee, stacked with former officials who championed a $78 million bond voters rejected by nearly 90%. Perman argues the push to install an unelected city manager strips residents of direct accountability. https://www.clarkcountytoday.com/opinion/letter-camas-voters-keep-your-strong-mayor/ #Camas #ClarkCounty #LocalGovernment #StrongMayor #Opinion #CamasCouncil #WashingtonState #VoterAccountability

Forty-six years after the May 18, 1980 eruption killed 57 people and flattened 150 square miles of forest, Mount St. Helens remains one of Washington's most remarkable destinations — from Coldwater Lake to Johnston Ridge Observatory. https://www.clarkcountytoday.com/people/mount-st-helens-46-years-later-scenic-stops-history-and-recovery-across-the-blast-zone/ #MountStHelens #PacificNorthwest #WashingtonState #VolcanicMonument #DayTrips #JohnstonRidge #CascadeRange #Hiking #LocalHistory #ClarkCounty

Venice.ai founder Jesse Proudman says Washington's new income tax is the final blow — and he's not alone. An April 2026 AWB survey found 24% of employers are considering leaving the state. Former Democratic Gov. Christine Gregoire called it a spending problem, not an income problem, drawing applause at a Vancouver business summit. https://www.clarkcountytoday.com/business/video-entrepreneur-exodus-continues-as-washingtons-new-income-tax-looms/ #WashingtonState #IncomeTax #EntrepreneurExodus #BusinessClimate #Seattle #AWB #Washington #ClarkCounty #Politics #Business

FEMA is reimbursing Washington state $538 million in COVID-era costs — money that sat delayed for years while hospitals absorbed billions in losses. Sen. Patty Murray accused former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem of holding up the payments without cause, while FEMA says the release aligns with a Trump executive order targeting fraud. https://www.clarkcountytoday.com/news/wa-gets-538m-in-delayed-covid-era-payments-from-fema/ #FEMA #COVID19 #WashingtonState #PublicHealth #HospitalFunding #PattaMurray #DisasterRelief #Healthcare #Politics #PandemicResponse

Former Gov. Christine Gregoire told the Association of Washington Business that Washington's budget grew from $33 billion to nearly $80 billion — and called it a spending problem, not an income problem. Chris Cargill of Mountain States Policy Center unpacks what her candid remarks reveal about Olympia's relationship with employers and economic growth. https://www.clarkcountytoday.com/opinion/opinion-when-youve-lost-christine-gregoire-youve-lost-washington/ #WashingtonState #Olympia #StateBudget #ChristineGregoire #BusinessPolicy #Opinion #Columns #Politics #FiscalPolicy #MountainStatesPolicy

Brush Prairie resident Bob Mattila says light rail on the I-5 Bridge doubles construction costs unnecessarily — and proposes moving it to the existing southbound span or the railroad bridge a mile downriver. His alternative phased design, he argues, could be built faster and far cheaper than the current plan. https://www.clarkcountytoday.com/opinion/letter-present-bridge-plan-has-been-in-the-expensive-and-unworkable-planning-stage-far-too-long-with-no-real-end-in-sight/ #I5Bridge #IBR #ColumbiaRiver #LightRail #Transportation #ClarkCounty #WashingtonState #Opinion #Infrastructure #BrushPrairie