All Politics is Local
Benton cleared of violating political activity law
Here’s some news that Don Benton will welcome. The former state senator and Clark County Environmental Services Director has a history of feuding with the media, opposition Democrats and even a fellow Republican when he said state Sen. Ann Rivers, R-La Center, was acting like a “trashy trampy-mouthed little girl.” Benton chaired Donald Trump’s 2016 […]
March 22, 2019 5:55 pm
$125M in sales tax dodging subsidizes bad Portland traffic, says economist
Tax evasion, to the tune of roughly $127 million per year, accounts for 10 to 20 percent of Columbia River bridge traffic, according to an analysis by a Portland economist, who says tolling could encourage enough shoppers to change their schedules and make a substantial difference with congestion. Joe Cortright came to that number by […]
March 21, 2019 2:15 pm
Another committee for Herrera Beutler
Southwest Washington’s congresswoman joined another legislative committee this week. Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler, R-Battle Ground, was appointed to the U.S. Joint Economic Committee for the 116th Congress. The committee is a bipartisan, dual-chamber panel that reviews national economic conditions and forms policy accordingly. In a prepared statement, Herrera Beutler said she’d been “laser-focused” on economic […]
March 20, 2019 4:49 pm
How have council candidates addressed police shootings?
At the Vancouver Neighborhood Alliance meeting last night, most of the discussion revolved around a recent string of police-involved shootings: four in five weeks, three of them fatal. Vancouver Police Department Chief James McElvain fielded questions and defended the department’s actions and policies in a Q&A session that included a few tense exchanges. Also at […]
March 14, 2019 5:57 pm
With some Irish dancing, Auditor Greg Kimsey prepares for 2022
Didn’t we just have an election for county offices? It sure feels like we did. Yet somehow one of the first emails in my inbox that greeted me this morning contained the subject line: “Annual RE-Elect Kimsey ‘Pre-St. Paddy’s Day’ fundraiser Thursday March 14th.” The email seemed to be a campaign kick-off event for Clark […]
March 11, 2019 4:24 pm
Brook Pell has had it with Washington and Liz Pike is recruiting candidates
The most recent newsletter for the Clark County Republican Women contained two items that stood out. Brook Pell, a Clark County Republican activist and recent contender for county council, is moving away after becoming completely fed up with Washington’s gun-grabbing socialists and unprincipled Republicans. The Republican group is also launching an effort to recruit “qualified, […]
March 5, 2019 10:30 am
Council swerves away from electric scooters
Could electric scooters be on their way to Vancouver? Not likely, if the city council’s less-than-enthusiastic response to the idea during their annual goal-setting retreat on Friday was any indication. Vancouver City Manager Eric Holmes broached the idea with the council, trying to gauge their interest in pursuing the scooters — or, as he called […]
March 4, 2019 3:32 pm
What Washougal’s city attorney said about ‘Second Amendment Sanctuary” cities
Although Initiative 1639 passed with nearly 60 percent of the vote last November, opponents of the gun control measure have turned to local jurisdictions in hopes of preventing it from taking hold. But on Thursday, the attorney for the city of Washougal threw cold water on the idea. Since the initiative passed, it’s seen a […]
February 28, 2019 5:32 pm
Why the Clark County GOP has to shut its office
Looking for money to pay off a court judgement, the Clark County Republican Party will close its office off of N.E. Covington Road. But Earl Bowerman, the party’s chair, said it’s really not that big of a deal. “While it’s disruptive, it’s not devastating,” said Bowerman. Bowerman said that on Saturday, the party’s office will […]
February 28, 2019 3:22 pm
A public school was the scheduled host for a Patriot Prayer event. How did that happen?
It appeared for a few hours this week that a Battle Ground Public Schools campus would be the next location to play host to right-wing protest group, Patriot Prayer. The Vancouver, Wash.-based organization announced this week that it was hosting an event called “The lies of Portland: Exposed.” The Facebook page promises a “safe indoor […]
February 21, 2019 2:31 pm