Today, I discovered Governor Jay Inslee of the State of Washington. Here is the video that caused me to applaud this man …
And in case you missed his last line …
“We need a little less tweeting and little more listening, and I just suggest we take [Trump’s proposal] off the table and move forward.”
WHOO HOO!!! 
Go Jay!!!
And so, once I quit jumping up and down, clapping and whistling through my fingers, I sat back down and determined to learn more about Governor Inslee. The very next tidbit of information I found also impressed the heck out of me (in this era of Trump, it doesn’t take a lot to impress me … it’s a very low bar).
In 1994, nearing the end of his first term as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, Mr. Inslee lost his bid for re-election to the same candidate he had beaten in 1992, Doc Hastings. Why, you ask, did he lose his bid for re-election? Because, even though he knew it was highly unpopular in the rural district he represented, he voted in support of the 1994 Federal Assault Weapons Ban. He voted his conscience, had the courage to stand by his convictions, despite knowing it might well cost him his seat in the U.S. Congress. This, my friends, is the kind of person I want sitting in the Capitol, and in the White House.
Inslee is a supporter of clean energy initiatives, and co-authored Apollo’s Fire: Igniting America’s Clean Energy Economy, in which he argues that through improved Federal policies the United States can wean itself off of its dependence on foreign oil and fossil fuel, create millions of Green-collar worker jobs, and stop global warming. Inslee strongly believes the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) should remain authorized to regulate greenhouse gas emissions.
Inslee voted for the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, the federal health care law.
On 11 February 2014, Inslee announced that he was issuing a moratorium on executions in Washington:
“Equal justice under the law is the state’s primary responsibility. And in death penalty cases, I’m not convinced equal justice is being served. The use of the death penalty in this state is unequally applied, sometimes dependent on the budget of the county where the crime occurred.”
Inslee began his second term in January 2017, proposing full funding of state education and addressing mental health needs, while also raising worker pay.
Inslee was awarded a “Friend of the National Parks” award by the National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA) in 2001 for his support of legislation protecting the integrity and quality of the National Park System.
When, just one week after taking the oath of office, Donald Trump signed an executive order to ban entry from Muslim countries, Inslee and Attorney General Bob Ferguson announced their intention to sue Trump, alleging his order was unconstitutional. The civil action, Washington v. Trump, was filed on January 30 and on February 3 successfully earned a temporary restraining order to forbid federal enforcement of certain provisions of the order.
In 1998, Inslee once again ran for a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives and won against republican candidate Rick White. He remained in the House until March 2012, when he left to concentrate on his bid for Governor of Washington, where he is currently serving his second term.
In a recent interview, speaking of the upcoming mid-term congressional and gubernatorial elections, he expressed confidence in the democratic party candidates …
“No Democrat running for governor anywhere has to say, ‘Did you notice that Donald Trump has caused nothing but division, hatred and chaos?’ You don’t have to say that because he’s showing it himself. Our people are going to lead with an economic message … and we’re not going to be distracted by his divisiveness. … It’s not ideological. It’s just a rejection of chaos.”
A ‘rejection of chaos’ … spot on! Perhaps that should be every democrat’s slogan this year!
There has been some speculation that Inslee might consider a run for president in 2020, to which he replies …
“I’ve got two great jobs right now. I do believe this is a generational opportunity for the Democrats to advance progressive policies by winning governor’s races. I think it’s a 50-year opportunity, or a lifetime opportunity, given the combination of circumstances here. I know you’ve heard this before, but it’s honest: I’m focused on the job that I’ve got.”
Aw shucks … that’s what they all say, about a year before they toss their proverbial hat into the ring. This is one to watch, folks. I like his ideas, love that he stood up to Trump today, and followed his conscience in 1994. If I have any concern about Inslee, it is this … A total of 43 percent of Inslee’s donations came from Washington, D.C., Virginia and Maryland. The largest interests funding Inslee’s campaign were pharmaceutical and health related companies, lawyers and law firms, and high tech companies. That, of course, is not in and of itself troubling, but definitely something I would wish to know more about. At least, as far as I can determine, he has not taken donations from the NRA!
Trudi Inslee
Heck, I even like his wife, Trudi, who over the years has volunteered for organizations like NARAL Pro-Choice Washington, Planned Parenthood, and Mothers Against Violence in America. She also maintains a large garden outside of the Washington Governor’s Residence. In 2013, Trudi grew 500 pounds of food which was then sent to the Thurston County Food Bank, the Rainier Valley Food Bank, and the Salvation Army.
As I said, this is one to keep an eye on …
You can follow Jill Dennison at her webpage Filosofa’s