Political Beat

Governors do not actually control whether refugees are allowed in the state

Exactly one week after more than one hundred people lost their lives in Paris, protesters appeared in Olympia to either oppose or show support for the welcoming of refugees into the state.

Those behind the rally, ACT for America, blasted Gov. Jay Inslee’s remarks earlier this week welcoming of refugees, including Syrians. Supporters showed up to counter the scheduled rally.

The Seattle Times reported one of the speakers at the event, Rep. Matt Shea, R-Spokane Valley, said Inslee should be impeached if he didn’t change his stance on refugees.

Rep. Liz Pike, R-Camas, also spoke at the event and later went on the Lars Larson radio show to say Inslee’s position was a “grave mistake.”

Inslee was on National Public Radio and quoted as saying, “Well, I think, in moments like this, you got to understand, fear is a powerful thing. And these atrocities strike deep. And people are going to have very legitimate and real concern. But I think that leadership calls for people to, yes, recognize it’s real, act responsibly. In this case, that means insisting on a robust, multilayered screening process before they’re allowed in this country. And we have the luxury, frankly, unlike Europe, of doing all these multilayered things before people really step foot on our shores.”

He later responded in a letter to a request from members of the Washington legislators that he pause resettlement efforts in the state.

His letter, worth reading here, points out the vetting process refugees must go through and perhaps most noteworthy mentions, “it is well understood that governors do not actually controlled whether refugees are allowed in the state.”

 

Lauren Dake

Lauren Dake

Lauren Dake covers politics for The Columbian. You can reach her at 360-735-4534 or lauren.dake@columbian.com. Follow her on Twitter .

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