SEATTLE NEWS ARCHIVES & FEATURES

Is there a legit medical emergency in Washington state?

Nov 23, 2020, 2:38 PM | Updated: Nov 24, 2020, 6:12 am

Todd has one question for Senator Mark Schoesler: Is there a legit medical emergency in Washington state?

“In the Jay Inslee sense, no,” Senator Mark Schoesler told KTTH’s Todd Herman. “If you can suspend our rights and liberties, yes, we have a problem.”

Schoesler is a Republican senator for the 9th District, which represents Adams, Asotin, Franklin, Garfield, Spokane, and Whitman counties.

Schoesler points out that Gov. Inslee’s shutdown in Washington state was intended to be short term, but we’ve all been living with a suspension since March.

“That’s not what our Constitution envisioned,” he said.

Todd asked Senator Schoesler why the state Republican Party isn’t standing up to Gov. Inslee to prevent lockdowns.

“I think we haven’t had the free megaphone of TVW and weekly scripted press conferences to talk about these facts,” the senator said. “Just yesterday (Sunday) I was listening to the Speaker of the House and Majority Leader in front of the Association of Washington Businesses telling them that restaurants were the major cause of the COVID-19 spread, which of course, statistically, is a blatant lie.”

Todd urged the senator to rush to the businesses that are open, give them their money, eat meals there, and publicize it for supporters to see.

And Schoesler said, yes, Gov. Inslee’s lockdowns are killing people.

“The statistics I heard this morning from Rep. Schmick (R-Colfax) that the suicide rate, the depression certainly is hurting health and contributing to early death by some,” the senator said.

He, along with other Republicans, are asking Gov. Inslee for a special session.

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Is there a legit medical emergency in Washington state?