Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition

I have mentioned previously how our Queen Christine is certainly no ingrate. She knows how to repay the friends that helped her steal the 2004 gubernatorial election.

This year the Washington Education Association (i.e. the Teachers Union) has been the subject of the Democrats' largesse in Olympia. For example, the House has approved a constitutional amendment to allow simple-majority approval of special property-tax levies for public schools. The House has also passed a measure that would allow labor unions to spend nonmembers' bargaining fees on political causes without first getting their permission, an issue that is currently under appeal by the U.S. Supreme Court in a case involving the Evergreen Freedom Foundation and the WEA.

Washington Indian tribes have also contributed heavily to the Queen and are getting their payback as well.

Gregoire recently signed into law a measure allowing the tribes to have 8,100 more slot machines statewide, while still not requiring them to share gambling revenue with the state, as required in California and other states.

In response, our very own 9th District State Representative Davd Buri, who is House Minority Floor Leader, attempted to prohibit the Queen from accepting campaign contributions from the tribes by adding amendments to a couple of other bills. Buri said during the debate:

This gives the governor a tremendous amount of power in negotiations with the very people, the very countries I should say, giving him or her campaign contributions.

Buri based the amendments he introduced on a law that prohibits the insurance commissioner from accepting campaign money from insurance companies. Not surprisingly, Buri's amendments failed in the heavily Democratic House.

David Postman of the Seattle Times has excellent coverage of the issue here.

I don't know why the Dems would oppose Dave's proposal (sarcasm intended). In an effort to ensure the continued liberal domination of the State Supreme Court, the Democrats tried their own version of "campaign finance reform" by attempting to create "publicly funded" judicial campaigns in the House and Senate. Luckily for democracy, both failed.

Thanks Dave, for representing us in Olympia and attempting to keep the Rats honest. We're proud of you.

HT: Patrick Bell