Washington Gov. Jay Inslee.

Washington Gov. Jay Inslee.

The governor’s strategy of quiescence

Little Marko was on fire.

The man most know as Sen. Marko Liias, D-Lynnwood was riffing on all the goodness in the supplemental transportation budget Tuesday evening and dropping kudos to Gov. Jay Inslee along the way.

He praised the governor for jumping in “to find solutions” to problems afflicting the I-405 toll lanes, coming up with the “creative idea” to deploy more incident response vehicles on highways and pushing to increase the number of electric vehicle charging stations.

In all, Liias dropped in a dozen or so shout-outs to the governor.

That proved about a dozen too many for Sen. Joe Fain, R-Auburn, AKA the Floor Leader for the Republican majority.

“I want to congratulate Little Marko,” began the smiling Fain who then restarted to address the senator more formally.

“I want to congratulate Sen. Liias for his 12 references to Gov. Inslee in his floor speech. I cannot imagine anyone in this chamber is going to be able to best that tonight nor am I going to allow that to happen,” he said, promptly calling for the vote which passed the budget.

Liias, along with a couple Democratic senators who spoke before him, might have felt a need to remind the Senate majority of Inslee’s existence because the governor has deliberately kept his head down and voice removed from the legislating scuffles in the homestretch of the session. It is scheduled to end Thursday.

Inslee, by his own admission, is being quiescent, which the Webster’s and Random House dictionaries define as quiet, still or inactive.

The governor steadfastly refrains from offering insight or commentary on budget negotiations between the House and Senate. He’s said he wants to avoid mucking up the mood and flow of the talks.

“I have been quiescent in these negotiations,” he told reporters Monday. “I’ve been passive about requiring any particular thing because they need to get their budget done.”

He did vow to veto bills if an agreement isn’t reached before the end of session. His declaration immediately imperiled dozens of bills sitting on his desk awaiting his signature.

Lawmakers in both parties responded with a collective ho-hum. A few snickered and dared him to carry out the threat. They said many of those bills came from state agencies he oversees. Essentially, they said, he’d be rejecting bills he requested.

In the meantime, while the governor may explain his distance as a strategy to not get in the way, he also seems to still be smarting from the Senate’s firing of his transportation secretary, Lynn Peterson. And the lingering cloud of the Department of Corrections foul-up continues to cast a shadow on his administration.

Inslee is certainly counting the hours until lawmakers leave. Then he can hit the campaign trail for re-election rallies where he’s certain to recapture his mojo.

He’ll be able to preach about combating climate change and abolishing economic inequality. He’ll be able to champion the need to reduce carbon emissions and raise the minimum wage, proposals he’s failed to advance in four legislative sessions.

Inslee is a renowned practitioner of retail politics and really enjoys this aspect of electoral politics.

And after Little Marko’s performance this week, the governor may want to bring him along as the opening act.

Political reporter Jerry Cornfield’s blog, The Petri Dish, is at www.heraldnet.com. Contact him at 360-352-8623; jcornfield@heraldnet.com and on Twitter at @dospueblos.

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Local News

Olivia Vanni / The Herald 
The Mukilteo Lighthouse. Built in 1906, it’s one of the most iconic landmarks in Snohomish County.
The Mukilteo Lighthouse. Built in 1906, it’s one of the most iconic landmarks in Snohomish County. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Mukilteo mayor vetoes council-approved sales tax

The tax would have helped pay for transportation infrastructure, but was also set to give Mukilteo the highest sales tax rate in the state.

Marysville Mayor Jon Nehring gives the state of the city address at the Marysville Civic Center on Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2024, in Marysville, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Marysville council approves interim middle housing law

The council passed the regulations to prevent a state model code from taking effect by default. It expects to approve final rules by October.

x
State audit takes issue with Edmonds COVID grant monitoring

The audit report covered 2023 and is the third since 2020 that found similar issues with COVID-19 recovery grant documentation.

Bothell
Bothell man pleads guilty to sexual abuse of Marysville middle schoolers

The man allegedly sexually assaulted three students in exchange for vapes and edibles in 2022. His sentencing is set for Aug. 29.

Larsen talks proposed Medicaid cuts during Compass Health stop in Everett

Compass Health plans to open its new behavioral health center in August. Nearly all of the nonprofit’s patients rely on Medicaid.

Everett
Judge sentences man, 73, for intending to have sex with ‘teen’ in Everett

The Arizona man sent explicit images to an agent posing as a 13-year-old. Investigators found images of child sexual abuse on his phone.

Community members gather for the dedication of the Oso Landslide Memorial following the ten-year remembrance of the slide on Friday, March 22, 2024, at the Oso Landslide Memorial in Oso, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
The Daily Herald garners 6 awards from regional journalism competition

The awards recognize the best in journalism from media outlets across Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington.

State’s draft of climate action plan open for public comment

Residents can submit public comments or climate-related stories online through Aug. 22.

The Edmonds School Board discusses budget cuts during a school board meeting on Tuesday, April 15, 2025 in Edmonds, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Edmonds school board approves 2025-26 budget

After facing an estimated $8.5 million shortfall earlier in the year, the board passed a balanced budget Tuesday.

A wall diagram shows the “journey of the ballot” at the new Elections Center on Tuesday, July 9, 2024 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
County Auditor: No need for feds to meddle with state or local elections

Garth Fell’s comments were in response to a report of Justice Department mulling criminal charges against election officials.

Edmonds Police Chief Loi Dawkins speaks after the city council approved her appointment on Tuesday, July 8, 2025 in Edmonds, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Edmonds City Council confirms new police chief

Assistant Chief Loi Dawkins will begin in the role Aug. 1. She has more than 23 years of law enforcement experience, including three years in Edmonds.

The Edmonds City Council discuss the levy during a city council meeting on Tuesday, July 8, 2025 in Edmonds, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Edmonds votes to place levy lid lift on the ballot

By a vote of 5-2, the council decided to put the $14.5 million property tax levy lid lift to voters in November.

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.