SONO
SONO BELLO DOT COM. >> WELCOME BACK. DEPENDING ON THE OUTCOME
OF THIS YEAR'S PRESIDENTIAL
ELECTION THIS COULD BE ONE
OF THE MOST IMPORTANT
LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR'S RACES IN
OUR STATE'S RECENT HISTORY.
THE DEBATE BETWEEN CANDIDATES
DENNY HECK AND MARKO LIIAS IS
TOMORROW NIGHT AND I GOT A
CHANCE TO TALK WITH THE
DEBATE'S CALLED MODERATOR KING5
JESSICA JANNER.
CASTRO FOR MORE.
>> SO THE LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR
IS THE NUMBER TWO EXECUTIVE
POSITION IN OUR STATE.
SO THINK OF IT SOMEWHAT LIKE
THE VICE PRESIDENTIAL POSITION
IN OUR NATIONAL POLITICS.
BUT THIS IS A LIEUTENANT
GOVERNOR.
IT'S THE PERSON THAT STEPS INTO
THE GOVERNOR'S ROLE SHOULD
THERE BE A VACANCY OR PERHAPS
THE GOVERNOR IS OUT OF STATE OR
ON OTHER DUTIES.
THEY'RE ALSO THE PRESIDENT
OF THE STATE SENATE.
THAT'S ALSO A VERY IMPORTANT
ROLE.
IT'S THE PERSON THAT LEADS
DISCUSSION WITHIN THE
LEGISLATURE AND JUST MAKE SURE
THAT EVERYONE IS ON POINT AND
THEY'RE ALSO THE CHAIR OF THE
RULES COMMITTEE AND THAT'S
SPECIFICALLY IMPORTANT POSITION
BECAUSE THAT RULES COMMITTEE IS
THE COMMITTEE THAT DECIDES
WHICH LEGISLATION WILL BE
BROUGHT TO DEBATE ON THE SENATE
FLOOR.
THE LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR ALSO
WEARS VARIOUS HATS AND THE FACT
THAT THEY'RE PART OF SEVERAL
DIFFERENT COMMITTEES.
SO THIS PERSON IS PART OF THE
COMMITTEE ON ECONOMIC
DEVELOPMENT AND INTERNATIONAL
RELATIONS AS WELL AS THE
WASHINGTON STATE LEADERSHIP
BOARD AND THEY CAN CHOOSE TO BE
ON OTHER COMMITTEES AS WELL.
SO A BIG ROLE AND THERE'S SO
MUCH INTRIGUE THIS YEAR ABOUT
THE LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR'S RACE
AND I THINK THAT GOES BACK TO
THE FACT THAT THE LIEUTENANT
GOVERNOR FILLS IN FOR THE
GOVERNOR.
THERE'S A LOT OF IFS INVOLVED
BUT WHAT ARE PEOPLE TALKING
ABOUT AS AS A POSSIBILITY HERE
?
>> THAT'S RIGHT.
THIS YEAR'S RACE HAS A LOT
OF INTRIGUE FOR A MYRIAD
OF REASONS.
SO RIGHT NOW YOU HAVE CURRENTLY
TENANT GOVERNOR CYRUS HABEEB
WHO HAS DECIDED TO JOIN JESUITS
AND IS CURRENTLY IN CALIFORNIA.
SO THAT'S AN INTERESTING STORY
IN AND OF ITSELF THAT HAS
CREATED THIS VACANCY AND A LOT
OF PEOPLE HAVE THEIR EYEBROWS
RAISED BECAUSE THEY THINK THERE
COULD BE A CHANCE THAT IF THE
DOMINOES FALL JUST RIGHT, THERE
COULD BE A VACANCY IN THE
GOVERNOR'S SEAT.
SO FOR EXAMPLE, IF JAY INSLEE
IS ELECTED GOVERNOR FOR A THIRD
TERM AND IF JOE BIDEN WINS THE
PRESIDENCY AND THEN CALLS JAY
INSLEE TO FILL SOME SORT
OF CABINET POSITION OR A
POSITION IN THE BIDEN
ADMINISTRATION THAT COULD
CREATE A VACANCY IN THE
GOVERNOR'S SEAT.
THAT'S A LOT OF IFS BUT IT IS A
POTENTIAL THAT COULD HAPPEN
THIS YEAR.
>> WHILE THIS IS THE YEAR THAT
YOU REALLY DO WANT TO CAST YOUR
BALLOT FOR LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR
BECAUSE YOU COULD POSSIBLY
ACTUALLY BE CASTING A BALLOT
FOR THE NEXT GOVERNOR OF THE
STATE.
SO WHAT KIND OF CHALLENGE IS
DOES THE LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR OR
ESPECIALLY BECOMES GOVERNOR?
I MEAN WHAT KIND OF CHALLENGES
IS THE STATE FACING OVER THE
NEXT TWO?
>> WELL, WE ARE DEALING WITH A
PANDEMIC.
OBVIOUSLY THERE IS A HUGE
BUDGET SHORTFALL SO THE
CANDIDATES WHO ARE IN THE RACE
ARE SPECIFIC TALKING ABOUT SOME
OF THOSE CHALLENGES IN THEIR
INTERVIEWS LEADING UP TO
THURSDAY NIGHT'S DEBATE.
THAT'S BETWEEN CONGRESSMAN
DENNY HECK AND STATE SENATOR
MARCO LIIAS.
SO YOU'VE GOT 68 YEAR OLD
CONGRESSMAN HECK WHO HAS BEEN
IN POLITICS FOR DECADES.
AND THEN YOU'VE GOT A STATE
SENATOR LIIAS WHO IS THIRTY
NINE YEARS.
HE REPRESENTS THE 21ST
LEGISLATIVE DISTRICT RIGHT NOW
HE'S IN THE ROLE OF MAJORITY
FLOOR LEADER AND SO HAS BEEN
HEAVILY INVOLVED IN STATE
POLITICS.
AND SO THEY BOTH HAVE QUITE THE
RESUME.
THEY BOTH ARE CERTAINLY CAPABLE
OF FILLING THE LIEUTENANT.
>> IT BOTH CONSIDER THEMSELVES
PROGRESSIVE.
BOTH OF THEM HAVE SAID THAT
THEY WOULD LIKE TO FIX THE TAX
BROKEN REGRESSIVE TAX SYSTEM
AND THAT THAT COULD POTENTIALLY
HELP WITH THE BUDGET SHORTFALL
THAT WE'RE FACING.
BUT THAT IS GOING TO BE ONE
OF THE BIGGEST ISSUES THAT WE
TALK ABOUT ON THURSDAY NIGHT IS
HOW DO WE DEAL WITH THIS
PANDEMIC AND OF COURSE ALL THE
ECONOMIC HEALTH FALLOUT THAT
HAVE ALSO AFFECTED SO MANY
OF US IN WASHINGTON STATE.
>> YEAH.
AND TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT HOW
THESE CANDIDATES MORE ABOUT
THEM AND HOW THEY DIFFER, I
THINK WE SHOULD ALL WATCH THE
DEBATE THAT YOU ARE
CO MODERATING.
AND IT IS RIGHT AFTER THE
PRESIDENTIAL DEBATES.
I'M SURE THERE'LL BE A LOT
OF VIEWERS TUNING IN.
ABSOLUTELY.
>> HOPEFULLY A LOT OF EYE ABOUT
ON THIS DEBATE THAT'S COMING UP
ON THURSDAY.
BUT ALSO IT'S NOTABLE SINCE
THEY ARE BOTH DEMOCRATS.
THAT'S THE RESULTS OF OUR TOP
TWO PRIMARY HERE IN WASHINGTON
STATE.
IT'S REALLY SPLITTING HAIRS TO
FIND OUT SOME OF THE
DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THEIR
POLICIES AND THAT'S WHY I ALSO
THINK THAT THIS DEBATE IS VERY
CRITICAL FOR VIEWERS WHEN
YOU'RE TRYING TO CAST A VOTE.
YOU'RE GOING TO SEE THAT
THEY'RE BOTH PART OF THE
DEMOCRATIC PARTY.
AND SO HOW DO YOU CHOOSE?
I THINK THIS DEBATE WILL ANSWER
THAT.
ALL RIGHT.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH, JESSICA.
WE'LL ALL BE WATCHING.
THANK YOU.
REMEMBER THE LIEUTENANT
GOVERNOR DEBATE CO MODERATED BY
OUR OWN JESSICA JANNER CASTRO
IS