Sue Lani Madsen: Inslee reneges on offer to talk with Republicans

If you missed this story as it developed, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee publicly offered to sit down with Republicans and talk about his decision to keep the two-year old state of emergency in place. Four Senate Republicans, including Sen. Mike Padden, R-Spokane Valley, took him up on the offer. Now the governor says he’s not going to talk to anybody.

And there’s the problem. Inslee can refuse to talk to the Legislature and the public about the reasoning behind his decisions, and no one can do anything about it except bluster and plead. That’s scary, or it should be scary to anyone interested in checks on executive authority and balance of powers between branches of government.

Four senators calling themselves the Freedom Caucus took the governor at his word. In addition to Padden, the group includes Sen. Jeff Wilson, R-Longview; Sen. Phil Fortunato, R-Auburn; and Sen. Jim McCune, R-Graham, who wrote “we are delighted by this new spirit of cooperation from your office and are eager to take you up on it … we would love to see any scientific justification you might have to demonstrate that the emergency declaration should continue.”

The governor didn’t personally renege on the deal, his press secretary Mike Faulk did it for him. And not directly to the four senators but to a reporter who followed up on the dangling invitation. Faulk dismissed the senators’ RSVP in an email to journalist Brett Davis as reported in the Center Square, saying “The letter froths with duplicity, so I don’t think it’s a serious entreaty.”

Inslee has made brushing off entreaties from Republicans a standard practice. He’s ignored at least 50 letters in the last two years, according to Senate Minority Leader John Braun, R-Centralia. “We’ve had three acknowledgements of receipt and no responses,” Braun said.

Rep. Drew MacEwen, R-Union, was a definite no when asked if he planned to follow up on Inslee’s offer. “This is a governor who chooses not to engage the Legislature … we’ve asked to provide input and [he’s] responded with silence. You can only make so many calls and letters from our side that go unresponded to before you just say it’s in his court, and it’s been in his court for a long time.”

But the Freedom Caucus gave it a shot anyway, affirming their willingness to meet and suggesting dates and times. “I wasn’t hoping that it would be a bluff, I really was hoping that inquiring minds after two years [we] would get a chance,” said Wilson after sending the letter. “I’ve waited a very long time … it wasn’t to be snarky, but how could I say no?”

On the other hand, he admitted he wasn’t holding his breath for a positive response, given the governor’s track record. There was no direct, courteous response from the governor. A week later, Padden reflected on the governor’s backpedaling . “We can’t require Gov. Inslee to sit down and talk to us, but I think it’s sort of shortsighted on his part,” said Padden. “I’m not sure, I can’t read what’s inside people’s minds but it was disappointing he would make a statement that he would sit down and talk to us and then back out of it.”

Apparently the governor or his staff do believe they can read minds. Faulk attempted to reword the governor’s remarks as reported by Brett Davis, explaining “the governor said he would listen to rational, science-based arguments for COVID mitigation from Republican legislators,” Faulk explained. “In other words, he was asking for their numbers and their justifications for changing a pandemic response that saved thousands of lives.” But that’s not even close to what Gov. Inslee said and misrepresents the Freedom Caucus letter accepting his invitation.

The senators didn’t question the pandemic response to date, they asked what current data justifies operating in a continuing state of emergency. “This declaration gives you extraordinary powers to suspend laws and issue orders,” wrote the senators, “there really ought to be some sort of justification for this continued assumption of power and authority by the governor’s office, and we are excited that you are willing to share it with us.”

No amount of press office spin changes Gov. Inslee’s precise words. “If they want to sit down with me and look at the numbers, I am hopeful – very willing to talk with them. They are open. They are available. The numbers are the numbers. There is no question about this. … With all due respect, I will be happy to talk to them about the numbers.” Did he mean what he said or was it political posturing?

While there may have been a bit of snarkiness in the Freedom Caucus RSVP, “frothing with duplicity” would also be an appropriate description of the governor’s invitation. Perhaps he was confident he’d worn down Republicans with two years of stonewalling and didn’t expect his bluff to be called. This is no way to run a democracy.

Contact Sue Lani Madsen at rulingpen@gmail.com