Rep. JT Wilcox (R-Yelm)
Photo credit: WA. House Republicans


– “Spokane lawmaker gets free pass on press-bashing. Why?”
“When Washington state Rep. Matt Shea, R-Spokane Valley, stood in front of a crowd last Saturday and lambasted the media, calling them, “dirty, godless, hateful people,” we immediately saw it for what it was: a watershed moment for House Republicans to stand up and repudiate such remarks.

“We called state Rep. J.T. Wilcox for a response. Surely the highest-ranking minority member would have some choice words on Shea’s verbal attack. Surely Wilcox would no longer support Shea’s appointment to a new state task force that’s supposed to affirm the public’s interest in open government and a free press.

“But the Yelm Republican shrugged it off, saying, ‘We both had different experiences with the media.'”

“We can praise him for his healthy perspective on the role of the Fourth Estate, but his condemnation for someone who doesn’t respect it is nowhere to be found. And that’s worrisome,” by The News Tribune Editorial Board.
Read more


– Editor’s note:
While Gov. Inslee reached out last Monday to the House Republican chief of staff with his concerns, what did House Minority [Republican] Leader J.T. Wilcox do? Also shrug off the Governor by his flippant remark below! The Governor followed the correct process in reaching out to Wilcox’s office and Wilcox does nothing but escalate his rhetoric!


– “Gov. Inslee condemns state lawmaker’s remarks calling journalists ‘dirty, godless, hateful people’”
“Shea, a Republican from Spokane Valley and member of GOP House leadership, made the remarks over the weekend at a gun-rights rally in Spokane.”

“Inslee Chief of Staff David Postman said the governor’s office reached out to the House Republican chief of staff with concerns Monday about Shea’s remarks, though it didn’t ask for Shea to step down from the task force.

“Inslee’s office doesn’t have a role on the task force.”

“In text messages Tuesday, House Minority Leader J.T. Wilcox, R-Yelm, said “strong concerns” from Inslee were relayed to him.

“But Wilcox added that the governor’s office neither raised the issue of Shea’s role on the task force nor asked for a conversation with him.

“‘There are better ways to talk than Twitter,’ wrote Wilcox, who has said Shea will represent the views of the Republican caucus on the task force, as opposed to his own,” quoting Joseph O’Sullivan, Seattle Times.
Read more


– “Remove press-bashing Rep. Matt Shea from public-records task force”
Originally published August 21, 2018 at 2:48 pm Updated August 21, 2018 at 3:32 pm

“State Rep. Matt Shea’s weekend comments calling the press “dirty, godless, hateful people” show he is not the right person to try to reach common ground with the media regarding access to legislative records,” by The Seattle Times Editorial Board.
Read more