When the Pierce Council/Commission can vote is being debated. Jim McCune is in Alaska supposed to be returning tonight. He is a good guy on the council/commission. Never a dull moment. Fortunately God knows. Keep praying.
If Dick Muri is chosen the confusion ends, he does not currently hold office. If O'Ban, then he needs to be replaced in the house by the same process. Not same with other person on his city position.

Correction!!
Apparently the legal waiting periods make June 11th, last day of session the first day that Pierce County can replace Senator Carrell. That really complicates things. We would need another D Senator to flip on the budget to stop the D's House budget. There are a couple of possibilities, especially as that budget takes the elderly, orphans, and other odd things. See Freedom Foundation again and Glen Morgan.

Dick Muri, Steve O'Ban (Senator Carrell's choice), and University Place Councilman Javier Figueroa going to the Commission. Guessing they will choose Muri or O'Ban. Both good. Don't know Figueroa. That vote may come Monday to fill that seat in the Senate.

The Olympia Report from the Freedom Foundation is keeping up on the procedure to replace Senator Carrell. The vote may not be until Monday as there is an open meeting requirement for the Commission.
Names floating about:
University Place Rep. Steve O’Ban, Tacoma City Councilman Dick Muri, University Place City Councilman Javier Figueroa and Mayor Pro Tem Denise McCluskey and Caleb Heimlich, executive director of the Washington State Republican Party.

I know Dick Muri personally and he is a good man. I don't know the others. Keep praying that God's man is chosen, first by the PCO's and then the Commission.

From the Republicans:
Pierce County Republicans have already begun to organize the process of selecting a replacement, as reported by Jeff Rhodes of The Olympia Report:

By state law, the Pierce County Republican Party is required to present a slate of replacement candidates to the [Pierce County Council], which would then make a final appointment.
Twenty-eighth District Republican Chair Bob Brown said on Wednesday afternoon he is scheduled to meet with GOP precinct committee officers at 6 p.m. on Thursday, followed by a meeting with the party’s central committee at 7:30.
“We will have a list of replacement candidates by the end of the evening,” he said.
Brown was unsure how long it would take the Pierce County [councilmembers] to make the final selection, but said he’d already spoken with one commissioner and encouraged him to act “in a very expedited manner.”

 Expedited is such a subjective word, and county politics are typically briar patches of pesky (some might say petty) personal squabbling that all too often thwart quick decision-making.


From the Democrats:
 Now that Senate voting could be deadlocked 24-24 along caucus lines, Senate rules allowing Democratic Lt. Gov. Brad Owen to cast a tie-breaking vote are not just a speculation. In a recent interview, Owen stated that at the time he believed Democrats had no should not feel obligated to cast proxy votes for Carrell, then-living.

Statements made by State Sen. Ed Murray (D-Seattle) — who is also running in Seattle’s mayoral race — at the end of the regular session were similarly vague and left open the possibility of a power grab in comments made on the State Democrats website:

“Democrats and Republicans should jointly recognize the fluid nature of the Senate at present and govern accordingly,” Murray said.

Anyone has warm fuzzy feelings about either side? PRAY!!!!!

Oh, and by law they haves to have the new budget in place by June 1.

For those of you curious about what happens next regarding Senator Carrell's seat.

– The Pierce County Republican precinct committee officers will send the Pierce County Council a list of three people to replace  Carrell as the 28th Legislative District’s senator.
– The Pierce County Council has 60 days from the date of vacancy (May 29) to fill the vacancy from the list of names provided by the PCOs.
– If the council can’t choose an appointee from the list during this time, Gov. Jay Inslee will decide on an appointee from the list provided by the Pierce County Republican PCOs.
– Whoever is appointed to the Senate seat can be sworn in to office immediately.
– Whoever is appointed to fill Carrell’s seat will serve until November 2014. (Under state law, because his death occurred on or after the Monday of this year’s Candidate Filing Week, it is too late to have a special election for the 28th District Senate seat in November 2013.)
– A special election for the 28th District Senate seat will be held in November 2014. The winner of that election will serve the final two years of the four-year term. The 28th District Senate seat will be up for election again in November 2016.

As you can see, this process may not happen before the end of  the special session. We hope the special session ends soon, at least soon if the budget is a good one. This certainly complicates things. This puts 24 D's against the coalition. The Democratic Lt. Governor votes to break a tie.

You know that feeling when you have a toddler and it gets really, really quiet. Oh, oh what are they up to. That is the feeling about the legislature right now. Listen really carefully in the spirit. Nothing is breaking. They are worried about getting to the end of the fiscal year without a budget. See how closely we are to the other Washington. The only difference is that there it is the Senate that won't pass a serious budget, or any budget. I think our House has one, the Governor has one, and the Senate has a real one.

Keep praying. Everything is fluid. We will only be safe when everyone goes home.
Keep Senator Carrell's vote active.
Health of Senator Carrell, Reps. DeBolt and Freeman.
Rational budget. Transportation obviously needs to be for roads not light rail to nowhere.
Operating budget for essential services only.
Education for education not social engineering.
Capital for current buildings. Cut staff to match :)

Oklahoma needs out prayers more than we do. But after that, do pray for our stricken legislators and wisdom for them all.

Keep praying.
I recommend that you check out the Freedom Foundation. Apparently there is more to the IRS activities. Some folks are claiming the tax refund checks have been heal up. They are better at looking at the money issues than I am.

All I see about the legislature is that they are studying things for next session or to try to get through this time. None of these things relate to the budget, except possibly to spend more money. They don't seem to get it.

Publicly the governor says he will stick to the budget except for stronger penalties for DUI's. The  bill will cost money. It is currently in Ways and Means in the Senate.

I am not calling the liberals satanic, but in their ignorance they are doing his will. Consequently I don't trust the rhetoric. Anything can be buried in budgets. You call them some innocent sounding thing and later find out what the judge says it really means. The situation in the Senate is critical with Senator Carrell recovering from a bone marrow transplant and not able to attend sessions.

Please keep all in prayer.

They are back to work tomorrow.
I thought they were to have new leadership in the House, but can't find it. Will keep you posted on that.
Main things:
1. Only legislation related to the budget to be considered.
2. Only godly activities funded.
3. Good stewardship.
4. Corruption exposed and prosecuted.
5. Protect Christian legislators and their staff. Particularly, but not limited to Senator Carrell, Reps. DeBolt, and Freeman. Staff Cathy Colley.

Also, there are special elections coming up to fill seats with appointed members sitting. If a Rep is planning on running for an open Senate seat, they can not by law fund raise during session, session 2, session 3, etc. The 35th is involved in this and there may be others.
Also, there are upcoming local elections that are off radar during session. If you don't have a way of checking on the beliefs of local candidates, start one :)