On May 5, 2017, Gov. Jay Inslee (D-Wash.) signed SB 5035, making Washington the 35th Right to Try state. The Right to Try law allows drugs that have passed the initial phase of FDA testing to be tried by various individuals despite the fact the drug has not yet gone through the lengthy process of full approval by the agency.

The following was written by Pat Dansbury, a FreedomWorks activist based in South Carolina.

Much of the Bill of Rights is dedicated to protecting accused persons, an action integral to our society. Expanding upon the Sixth Amendment’s granted right to legal counsel, states have put legislation in place that strictly dictates who can practice law. While such regulations aim to protect citizens, they have adverse effects and actually abridge the freedoms we hold dear.

At Western Liberty Network's Third Annual Leadership Training Conference and Expo, 104 attendees from Oregon and Washington spent a pleasant Saturday learning how to take responsibility for their local governments and change the fabric of their political cultures.

Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn was shown this week to have attempted to conceal the results of a study he commissioned that examined the economic impact of expanding coal trains and exports from Washington's ports. This move is especially damning in light of his December press conference touting the study. McGinn, a vocal critic of an expansion of coal train traffic in the Pacific Northwest, has been accused of burying the report because it did not support his position and his anti-energy agenda.

On May 21, Washington Rep. Liz Pike introduced House Bill 2063, which would open up educational opportunities for children in her state. This bill would establish educational tax credits allowing Washington’s children to have access to more educational choices. Washington currently has very few options for school choice, and if passed, this would be a huge boost for education reform there. 

Years ago, Illinois decided that smoking was bad for its citizens and put a cigarette tax into place thinking they'd do two things: one, break the people who live there of a nasty filthy habit that was shortening their lives and keeping the Democratic politicians who cared about their fragile health up at night, and two, raise a little cash for a state that is so far in debt California won't be seen in public with it anymore.