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JUST IN: BEN ELENBAAS to run for Seat on County Council…

Ben Elenbaas will be running this fall in the new County Council District carved out in the special 2015 redistricting that changed the County Council to District Only Voting and Five Districts.  The District includes Blaine, Birch Bay, Ferndale City and Rural Areas including Sandy Point as well as Lummi Island.

WC Farm Bureau President Ben Elenbaas Running for Council

Ben Elenbaas was born and raised in Whatcom County and has served on the Whatcom County Planning Commission and was tapped by the voters to serve on the Charter Review Commission in 2014.  He says he understands the problems Whatcom County faces:  “We have an affordable housing issue, we have a homelessness crisis, the agricultural industry is struggling. Farmers often choosing to shut down and move on in this highly regulated area, local jobs are under attack because of what seems to be an extreme lack of understanding about the industries in our district or an extreme agenda, all this while we struggle to pass a school bond to accommodate our children’s future. We deserve better. “He said.

His Campaign Facebook Page is here.


A Senate Bill makes it illegal to discriminate against a noncitizen based on their illegal status passes the State Senate!!

Full State Senate passes  Discrimination Bill.

A Washington State attempt to pass a definition of a new “special group” to those that have committed an illegal act as defined by the Federal Government has passed the State Senate… Here’s the Bill:5165

Senator Saldana Democrat 37th District Seattle… A Co Sponsor.

An Excerpt:

“The right to be free from discrimination because of:

1. race 2. creed, 3.color, 4. national origin 5. sex 6.honorably discharged veteran or military status 7.sexual orientation or 8. the presence of any sensory, 9. mental, 10. physical disability 11. the use of a trained dog guide or service animal by a person with a disability is recognized as and declared to be a civil right… —ADDED citizenship or immigration status— as a “protected group”. This right shall include, but not be limited to non discrimantion in:

  • Housing
  • Employment
  • Engaging in Real Estate Transactions
  • Engaging in Credit Transactions.
  • Insurance Transactions.
  • And other Rights as defined in the legislation linked above.

An Amendment here was offered to include the use of E-Verify with Employers that employ over 15 employees was turned down.



Senate Bill forces certain farmers to declare whether or not they have slaves.

Sen Bob Hasegawa D 11th District

Senator Rebecca Saldaña 37th District (D)

Sponsors: Saldaña, 37th District map (D), Keiser, 33rd District map (D) Hasegawa, 11th District map (D) Das, 47th District map (D)  All four of the Sponsors are mostly Seattle and King County residents; who have had little connection with Dairy and Berry farmers in general.

The description of the Bill : “Relating to transparency in      agricultural supply

Sen. Karen Keiser, D-33

Mona Das 47th District (D)

chains”  is used to cover the insulting fact of asking farmers whether or not they have slaves.  It also requires food retailers to:  “Require its suppliers to report annually to the retail seller any violations of employment-related laws and incidents of slavery, peonage, and human trafficking including any…” but this applies to only certain types of farmers- and dairy and berry farmers are included.

The full Bill is Here and passed by committee and is now in the Senate Rules Committee… Senator Ericksen’s Response in an e-mail was  “The proposal, of course, is an insult to this state’s hardworking agriculture sector, and it is an indication of the anti-agriculture attitudes that prevail in this state’s urban areas.”

Editors Comment:  This particular bill has been typical of the left’s current way of doing business: intolerence(of farmers) divisive (separate urban from rural) and does nothing to add to a positive environment for the ongoing and growing diversity that is  the Washington State of the future.


Legislator’s Town Hall Coming up Soon!!

A town-hall has been announced for the 42nd District Republican Legislators.

Rep Luanne VanWerven 42nd District (R)

Sen. Doug Ericksen, R-42

 

 

 

 

 

At this writing the Fourth Corner has not received notice of Rep. Sharon Shewmake’s townhall or if she will have one at all.


Whatcom County Conservation District in-Person Voting March 26th