Partisanship envelops Lacey Council

Thursday evening, the Lacey City Council held a work session with the elected representatives of the 22nd District – – which encompasses the entire city.

At that meeting were Chris Reykdal and Sam Hunt representing the district in the state house of representatives and Karen Fraser, representing the district in the state senate.

The Lacey council wanted to talk with their legislators about several issues impacting the city and hear from their elected representatives about how to address those issues.   Among the issues they wanted to discuss was transportation funding,  increased revenue options and marijuana status.

After making opening statements about recognizing the needs of local government, Fraser told the group that nothing was going to be done in relationship to those issues, as long as the Republicans held the Senate.    More than once Fraser responded about the need of the Democrats to take back the Senate and pointed specifically at the 28th and 35th Legislative Districts.

Bear in mind, that the Lacey Council is non-partisan.   To bring partisan politics into the discussion caused some members of the council to consider walking out.

Reykdal, recognizing the problem, made several comments about needing to work together with the other party and pointed out that the Lacey council should also speak with legislators from other districts which have  parts of Thurston County in their district.

But, the damage had been done.

A non-partisan group of elected officials had been blind-sided by a partisan official’s comments.

Fraser is a former mayor of Lacey.   She should have known better than to make her remarks at a public meeting of the  non-partisan council.

If she felt as strongly as she did, her remarks were better made in private conversations instead of enveloping the Lacey Council into the partisanship of the state legislature.