The Organizer Who Ran the State House Like a Union Hall
Recently departed Speaker Emeritus Frank Chopp would have turned 72 today, and already the activist roots, which grounded his political career have been seldom included in the frame of remembrance since he passed away on March 22. It’s true that Chopp was a 21st century political rarity: a powerful Democrat with partisan self-respect. When he left office on the day I officially succeeded him as 43rd Legislative District State Position 2 Representative on January 13, 2025, it marked the end of a 30-year legislative career in which he helped build a heaping majority for Washington State Democrats, presiding over it for two decades as Speaker of the House of Representatives. Unlike many liberals, Chopp understood that politics was a competition between conflicting worldviews; there are real stakes for partisan failure or success. “My parents would disown me if I became a Republican, trust me,” he once said. Continue reading at The Stranger. (Shaun Scott)
Washington cities are decriminalizing magic mushrooms. Could a psychedelic ‘renaissance’ take hold statewide?
Statewide efforts to legalize psychedelic mushrooms in Washington have stalled due to conflicting visions, concerns about cost and equity, and worries that pharmaceutical companies will take control of a natural medicine that grows in abundance in the woods across the Northwest. But beneath the fractured public debate, an underground network of advocates and activists is growing. Decriminalization efforts in cities and counties come at a moment when doctors and researchers are finding in clinical trials that psilocybin — the primary psychedelic compound in mushrooms — can help people who suffer from severe depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, and addiction. Continue reading at KUOW. (KUOW)
High-speed Airo trains are coming to Seattle
Seattle is a step closer to getting new, faster Amtrak trains. Driving the news: Construction has begun at Amtrak’s Seattle maintenance facility to help launch the company’s new Airo trains, which can travel 125 miles per hour. Why it matters: The trains — which promise faster and more comfortable rides — are set to debut first on the Amtrak Cascades route, which connects Seattle to Portland and Vancouver B.C. The trains are slated to be in service on the route by the end of next year, according to Amtrak spokesperson W. Kyle Anderson. State of play: In the meantime, Seattleites may notice major work happening in SoDo. Continue reading at Axios. (WSDOT)
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Washington cities are decriminalizing magic mushrooms. Could a psychedelic ‘renaissance’ take hold statewide? (Salomon)
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Editorial: The Organizer Who Ran the State House Like a Union Hall (Scott, Macri, Pedersen)
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