The Sunday Lookout

The Sunday Lookout, 3/30/2026

Today I’m announcing that I’m running for County Commissioner here in Lewis County! This week’s Sunday Lookout will go through why I’m running, my vision for the district and county, and what I’ll do once elected.

Many of the things I write about here on Substack are incorporated into my campaign. I hope you’ll follow along and get involved if you can!

If you’d like to support my campaign, visit VoteZac.com.

If you’d like to change whether you automatically receive campaign updates (located in the “Commissioner Campaign” section in the main menu) you can click here to edit your preferences.

I’ll be back next Sunday with a regular episode!

Music I use: Bensound.com

License code: HN2TEEIAPTOLPBOU

Artist: : Marcus P.

The Sunday Lookout, 3/22/2026

Quick programming note: Next week, I’ll be posting a special Monday edition of the Sunday lookout. I have an exciting episode I’m working on, but it will take just one extra day to get it right. So next week, look out for episode 14 on Monday instead of Sunday!

Back to this week’s stories…

The Postmaster General told Congress that the Postal Service is about to run out of money. The proposals to fix it would hit rural communities the hardest, and they dovetail with an ongoing effort to kill mail-in voting.

Then we’ll come back to the Timberland Regional Library crisis. A lot has happened since my story last week, including a special board meeting, a wave of public fury, and a letter from eight former trustees that should make the current board very uncomfortable.

After that, some good news out of Onalaska. The supplemental capital budget includes $1.54 million for the Carlisle Lake Dam, and it’s a reminder of what government funding is supposed to look like when it works.

Then we’ll head to Adna, where the community banded together to stop the county from raising their speed limit. It’s a small story with a bigger lesson about who gets listened to and when.

And we’ll close with Jeff Bezos, who is apparently trying to raise $100 billion to buy up manufacturing companies and automate them with AI. If you think that won’t eventually reach communities like ours, I have a bridge to sell you.

Music I use: Bensound.com

License code: HN2TEEIAPTOLPBOU

Artist: : Marcus P.

The Sunday Lookout, 3/15/2026

This week, we're starting with the war in Iran. We’re now three weeks into this illegal conflict and beyond the 3000 people already killed, the effects here in the US are steadily growing in intensity.

Then we'll do a quick legislative session wrap-up. Lawmakers adjourned on Thursday, and I want to walk through the best and worst outcomes for rural communities like ours.

After that, we'll look at the budget that came out of that session and explore a question that might surprise you: is this actually a Democratic budget?

Then we'll talk about flooding. Lewis County is dealing with another round of high water this weekend, and we’ll take a look at where flood mitigation actually stands in the county. Long term options are in the works, but is there anything we can do in the meantime?

And we'll close with a story that sounds like the plot of a shitty Netflix show, but for our neighbor counties to the west, it’s all too real. Local hunters and residents are getting locked out of forest they’ve used for generations, because a German prince living in a castle outside Frankfurt has spent over a hundred million dollars buying up land. Stick around for that one.

Music I use: Bensound.com

License code: HN2TEEIAPTOLPBOU

Artist: : Marcus P.

The Sunday Lookout, 3/08/2026

First up this week, the Lewis County Commissioners are talking about legalizing cannabis sales in unincorporated Lewis County and considering a new public safety sales tax. It’s not because they had a change of heart. It’s because they’re running out of money. We’ll talk about how much revenue we’ve been leaving on the table and whether these proposals actually make sense for the county.

Then, seventy workers at Northwest Hardwoods in Centralia lost their jobs on Thursday when the sawmill closed permanently. I’ll lay out how we can move beyond the industries that seem to be leaving us behind at record pace.

After that, we’ll talk about the U.S. Supreme Court’s major ruling on gender identity in schools, and how the Washington GOP is already using it to fuel their initiative campaign. I want to talk about why those of us on the left can’t afford to stay quiet on this one.

Next, we’ll connect some dots between your rising energy bills, the death of a major AI regulation bill in Olympia, and the tech companies that are driving both.

And we’ll close with a story about Lewis County Transit that I find a little strange. The agency just fired its executive director after four months, and now a county commissioner is running the show. If that sounds familiar, it’s because this agency has been here before.

Music I use: Bensound.com

License code: HN2TEEIAPTOLPBOU

Artist: : Marcus P.

The Sunday Lookout, 3/01/2026

This week, we made it to episode 10! Let’s take a minute to celebrate that little milestone. Thank you for sticking with me as I build this little show, and I’m glad to hear from many of you that it’s been a useful addition to your Sunday.

Now, on to the news: we’re starting with the biggest story in the country. Yesterday, the United States launched military strikes against Iran. If you’re my age or older, you’ve seen this movie before, and it doesn’t end well. We’ll talk about what happened, why it happened, and what it could mean for communities like ours.

Then we’ll look at a draft executive order circulating among Trump allies that would give the president sweeping control over elections, including completely banning mail-in ballots. And yes, one of our own local candidates for Lewis County Commissioner is already cheering this on.

After that, we’ve got a big update on the millionaires tax in Olympia. The bill is evolving fast, the governor still isn’t satisfied, the progressive caucus just won a major fight, and someone has been flooding the public comment system with fraudulent sign-ins to make the bill look more unpopular than it is.

Next, an update on the Timberland Regional Library crisis. The board just authorized big layoffs, possibly more than fifty positions, and the community is rightfully furious after details have emerged about spending priorities.

And we’ll close with some Centralia news. The city council is reopening annexation conversations for parts of its urban growth area, and a local developer is pushing hard to get included.direction of the state Republican Party.

Music I use: Bensound.com

License code: HN2TEEIAPTOLPBOU

Artist: : Marcus P.

The Sunday Lookout, 2/22/2026

 This week we’ll lead with what might be the biggest legal blow to the Trump presidency so far. The Supreme Court struck down the bulk of Trump's tariff regime in a 6-3 ruling on Friday, and within hours, Trump imposed a new set of tariffs under a completely different law. We'll talk about what this means for working families, for Washington's economy, and for Republican loyalty to a president who just got slapped down by his own Supreme Court.

Then we'll head to Eastern Washington where a small rural hospital on the Idaho border is getting crushed by out-of-state patients seeking charity care that Idaho refuses to provide. It's a story about what happens when your neighbor's politics become your problem.

After that, we'll come right back home where local journalist Brittany Voie pulled five years of 911 data for Gather Church, and the numbers tell a very different story than what our county commissioners have been selling.

Then we'll give credit where credit is due. Republican Senator Jeff Wilson from Longview, who also represents part of Lewis County, has been pushing a kit home bill that just might be the most practical affordable housing idea in the legislature this session, and it passed the Senate 49 to 0.

And we'll close with a look at the CD4 congressional race, where Trump-endorsed candidate Jerrod Sessler is making his third run for Congress and recently called COVID deaths "murder" at a public event. We'll talk about what his candidacy says about the direction of the state Republican Party.

Music I use: Bensound.com

License code: HN2TEEIAPTOLPBOU

Artist: : Marcus P.

The Sunday Lookout, 2/15/2026

 This week we’ll start with a bill in Olympia that was inspired by something that happened right here in Lewis County last year. Representatives Abbarno and Walsh introduced a bill to handle what happens when a candidate dies before an election. It sounds reasonable, but the details of what they’re proposing are a bit problematic.

Then we’ll head to the other Washington where Attorney General Pam Bondi gave one of the most unhinged congressional testimonies in recent memory. She refused to apologize to Epstein survivors seated behind her, called lawmakers names, and revealed that the Justice Department is maintaining a secret list of domestic terrorist organizations.

After that, we’ll come back home where Centralia Mayor Norm Chapman announced his resignation just five weeks after becoming mayor. He cited health and family reasons, but his full statement suggests there’s more to the story than he’s willing to say.

Next, we’ll head east to Glenoma where the entire fire department resigned on the same night. The fire chief detailed sexism and threatening behavior from a commissioner, and now 6 to 800 residents don’t have local fire coverage.

And we’ll close with some good news from Olympia, where the legislature is fighting back against Trump’s attempt to force the Centralia coal plant to keep burning. HB 2367 just passed the House and would make it economically impossible to restart coal generation in Washington.

Music I use: Bensound.com

License code: HN2TEEIAPTOLPBOU

Artist: : Marcus P.

The Sunday Lookout, 2/8/2026

This week we'll start with the student led protests that are spreading across Washington and the country, including right here in Lewis County.

Then we'll take a look at what that needle exchange lawsuit with the county is actually costing us— at least half a million dollars— and what the commissioners are doing about it.

After that, we'll dig into a new effort to expand the Board of Commissioners from 3 to 5 seats by a vote of the people in November.

Then we'll explore how Trump's "golden age" of agriculture is actually a living nightmare for farmers across the country, according to a letter signed by some very important ag people.

And we'll close today with a look at a financial literacy bill moving through Olympia that can make an important change to what Washington students learn before they graduate.

Music I use: Bensound.com

License code: HN2TEEIAPTOLPBOU

Artist: : Marcus P.

The Sunday Lookout, 2/1/2026

This week we have to start with the escalating chaos around Trump's immigration crackdown. Greg Bovino, the border patrol commander with the Nazi coat, has been removed from his position after the killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti sparked a national backlash.

Some Republicans are breaking ranks and journalists have been arrested, and we'll talk about how the administration is starting to spin out of control.

Then we'll come home to Lewis County where a county commissioner used his platform to direct a harassment campaign against a group of high school students who wanted to protest ICE. The kids had to cancel their event, and the story tells you everything you need to know about how free speech works in MAGA America.

After that, we'll head to Olympia for some testimony on the mask bill that you need to hear. Our very own Senator John Braun argued that Democrats should simply comply with federal law to bring down the temperature. While Senator Mike Chapman, who captured an Al-Qaeda terrorist trained in Bin Laden's camps, had a different perspective.

Then we'll look at a new federal bill called the Make Elections Great Again Act, which would effectively end elections as we know it here in Washington state by banning universal vote by mail.

And finally, we'll close with some difficult local news. Timberland Regional Library has announced significant budget cuts and the reasons why, tell us a lot about how we've set up public service to fail in this state.

Music I use: Bensound.com

License code: HN2TEEIAPTOLPBOU

Artist: : Marcus P.

The Sunday Lookout, 1/25/2026

 This week we'll start with the continued campaign of terror in Minneapolis, which has now resulted in yet another killing of an innocent person. The video evidence we've all seen with our own eyes directly contradicts the narrative Trump and his administration want us to believe.

Then we'll turn to Lewis County where families affected by December's floods are still waiting to find out if President Trump will approve federal disaster assistance. The politics of disaster aid have gotten ugly, and rural communities are paying the price.

After that, we'll take a look at SB 5973 which is Senator Valdez's proposal to require that 1000 signatures be gathered before ballot titles are issued for referendum. It sounds reasonable until you realize it's a solution to the wrong problem.

Then we'll talk about a lawsuit challenging Washington's 5% cap on manufactured home lot rent increases. Corporate landlords want unlimited extraction from captive tenants and they're calling basic fairness unconstitutional.

And will close with a bill that would finally extend basic labor protections to workers who've been deliberately excluded for 90 plus years.

Music I use: Bensound.com

License code: HN2TEEIAPTOLPBOU

Artist: : Marcus P.