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You’ve got to wonder what problem these Voter proposals are really trying to solve. Washington already runs a secure vote-by-mail system. I’ve seen it work. I had a ballot sent back once because my signature didn’t match what I had on file. They called me. I fixed it, and my vote counted. That’s verification doing its job. Adding more layers, like stricter ID and documentation, doesn’t clearly improve accuracy, but it does make voting more complicated. And when you make votin

If you’ve voted Republican your whole life, I want you to know I see you. You believe in responsibility, in fairness, in people earning their way. You don’t want government overreaching, and you don’t want chaos. Solid values. But I also know that some of what you’re seeing lately doesn’t sit well with you. When people are treated harshly instead of reasonably, when things feel more about control and less about common sense, it raises a simple question: is this what you voted

Representative Travis Couture argues that Mason County is being blocked from pursuing large data center development. It is an appealing idea. Data centers bring jobs, tax revenue, and high-tech investment. But there is a practical question worth asking. Can Mason County realistically compete for these projects at all? This post looks at one of the biggest factors in that answer: the cost of electricity. -------------------------------------------------------------------------

Washington State Republicans are pushing HB 1802 , a bill that would make it illegal to be within 25 feet of a law enforcement officer after a warning. That’s the width of many streets, even if you’re on a sidewalk or your own property. And if an officer walks toward you saying “get back,” you’re required to keep backing up. At a time when people have been killed and ICE leadership has made claims directly contradicted by video , this 25-foot buffer makes observing and recor

Why is it so hard to find an affordable home to buy? Multiple Kitsap and Mason County residents have written to me about the number of short-term rentals next door that are not owner occupied. This is known as STR IIs. I have heard this same story again and again. Across much of these counties, there are now more homes listed as short-term rentals than homes for sale. Every house turned into a full-time vacation rental is one less home for a family, a worker, or a first-time

“ It was the best of times; it was the worst of times. It was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief and the epoch of incredulity, it was a season of light, it was the season of darkness….We were all going directly to Heaven, and we were all going the other way….” I’m paraphrasing the words Charles Dickens wrote in 1859 to recall his point that things may change but they stay the same. In a 21st century world where we can hold an image in

Representative Travis Couture (R-35) released his new “Budget for the Working Class” this week.

We looked through both the marketplace and directly at private insurance plans once we got a list from each of our doctors.

Too many people talking about prices being up or down but not including real data. Yes, some things could be said to be down. Eggs are down from their peak during the avian flu, but they aren't down to 2021 prices. Beef continues to trend upwards as it has for years. Electricity and natural gas are up by 50% since a few years ago. Bottom line, prices are up in a big way. Check out the trend lines here. https://www.bls.gov/.../consumer-price-index-average ...

(Originally posted on another site Nov 5, 2025) Legislative District 35 Republican Representative Dan Griffey tends to keep a lower profile than his seat-mate, Travis Couture. He co-sponsors fewer bills that fail in committee, but he frequently votes ‘NAY’ on legislation that ultimately becomes law. Griffey co-sponsored two bills that, in my opinion, show a troubling disregard for democratic norms. HB 1802 (2025) “Prohibiting obstructing a law enforcement officer or other fi