CBCI Podcast

Josh and Ken discuss some news about the podcast, the recent shocking assassination attempt, and the GOP VP selection. Visit shiftwa.org to learn more about Shift Washington.

Jan Himbaugh joins the show to talk about I-2066. Jan is the Managing Director of External Affairs for the Building Industry Association of Washington (BIAW) and she helps us break down the latest initiative that is currently gathering signatures. Is HB-1589 a harmless planning bill that furthers the mission towards clean energy? Or does it set Washington on the path to banning natural gas? What w...

Relax in the comfort of your home while listening to this deep dive into housing policy wonkery with Emily Hamilton from George Mason University's Mercatus Center. We find out what Seattle is doing well, what can be learned from other cities like Houston, and how more government regulation won't solve problems caused by government regulation. Zoning, HOAs, rent control, downpayment assista...

Mike Kelly joins the podcast to discuss his candidacy for the state senate in Washington's 4th legislative district. We learn about how Mike's experience, his love of history, and the support of retiring Sen. Mike Padden led him to enter the race. We discuss the prospect of serving in the minority and whether "compromise" is a dirty word. We hear about how Idaho wins when Washing...

We welcome C. Jarrett Dieterle to the show to discuss the gig economy and alcohol policy. Jarrett is a resident senior fellow at R Street Institute. As a textbook example of unintended consequences, we touch on the recent calamity caused by a Seattle law impacting delivery driver pay. What can be done to actually help gig workers? How can the right promote a pro-worker, flexible agenda? Finally, w...

Leslie Lewallen joins the show to discuss her race to represent Washington's 3rd congressional district. We hear how Leslie grew interested in politics and eventually ran for the Camas city council. Leslie tells us why she decided to run for Congress after Republicans lost the seat in 2022 and why she would even want to work in such a dysfunctional, frustrating place. We discuss problems facin...

We welcome conservative royalty to the show with National Review's Charles C.W. Cooke. In advance of Charlie's upcoming talks in Spokane and Boise for the Mountain States Policy Center, we discuss the need for federalism and why Washington is no exception. We touch on the outlook in Congress and whether things will get worse before they get better. Transitioning ever so slightly, we dive i...

You've read the media coverage, heard the hot takes, and listened to the spin. But wait, there's more! Get the scoop on the Washington State Republican Party Convention held in Spokane from your hosts Josh and Ken. Was the convention chaotic pandemonium? A patriotic expression of "We The People" in action? We break down the delegate behavior and the wisdom of the endorsements.

We welcome Elizabeth Doll, Director of Braver Politics with Braver Angels, to the show. Elizabeth tells us about the mission of Braver Angels, which is to help bridge the partisan divide during these contentious times. We discuss the impact of social media on divisiveness, whether people should just disengage with politics, the lack of epistemology in our modern discourse, and how to involve the p...

We welcome Richland City Councilmember Ryan Whitten to the show for a lively in-person podcast. Ryan tells us about his background growing up in the Yakima Valley and serving in the Navy before settling in the Tri-Cities and ultimately joining the Richland City Council. We discuss what the job of a city council member entails and the level of partisanship on the city council. Finally, we get to th...

Rep. Chris Corry of Yakima’s 14th district (or is it the 15th?) joins the show to recap the recent legislative session and how to measure success while in the minority party. We learn how Chris first became interested in politics before transitioning to the session wins and losses using The Coolidge Rule (better to kill bad bills than pass good bills). We also discuss the impact of the court rulin...

We are delighted to welcome Rick Hess to the show to discuss his new book, Getting Education Right: A Conservative Vision for Improving Early Childhood, K-12, and College. Rick is a Senior Fellow and Director of Education Policy Studies at the American Enterprise Institute. Is Biden's goal of universal Pre-K a splendid idea? What should conservatives do to improve higher education? Have Republ...

Yakima County Commissioner Kyle Curtis joins the show to do a deep dive into homelessness in the Columbia Basin and his work with the Yakima County Homeless Coalition. How does this issue differ locally from what we see in the big cities? How does Yakima County partner with local non-profit organizations, other counties, and the state government to combat homelessness? We also zero in on what we c...

Josh and Ken have been down one time, two times...never going back again...but they will talk about Nikki Haley being on the ballot in Washington State, Cathy McMorris-Rodgers retiring from the House, and the recent 4th congressional district candidate meet-up in Yakima.

Chad Magendanz joins the show to discuss his campaign for Superintendent of Public Instruction. We address school funding, COVID learning loss, and how we can promote job training for our youth. Of course, we also dive into electoral politics and the role of partisanship in education. Is Chad running as the anti-woke candidate? (Spoiler: No) Can conservatives focus on academics and appeal to paren...

Breaking down the recent forum for the 4th congressional district race, come be enlightened on the many claims, accusations, and tomfoolery from certain candidates. What does HR 550 really do? Is Rep. Newhouse soft on the 2nd amendment? Should central Washington elect a Matt Gaetz disciple? Grab your beverage of choice and set your play speed to at least 1.3 to absorb all this and more on the late...

Ken is back on the pod with Josh and they discuss Dave Reichert's visit to the Tri-Cities, the Benton County Republican Party's non-endorsement in the 4th Congressional District race, the latest on the presidential race, and the Roanoke Conference.

Dr. Raul Garcia joins the show to tell us about his campaign for the U.S. Senate. We hear about his early years growing up in communist Cuba before fleeing to Spain and eventually settling in Miami. Then we dive into all the softball areas of politics: entitlements, abortion, Trump, health care, and the fentanyl crisis. We also learn what simple definition of conservatism Raul loves that he heard...

Josh flies solo and breaks down the complaints that he filed with the PDC against the We Want Accountability PAC, their response, and the ultimate judgment.

Rep. Stephanie Barnard from the 8th legislative district joins the show to preview the legislative session. We learn about Stephanie's early days as a PCO and volunteer for the Romney presidential campaign and learn about the bills she is introducing in the legislature. We discuss the hope for advancements in nuclear energy and the importance of our region to those developments. We wrap up by...

Josh and Ken catch up with a long overdue one-on-one to recap their brush with conservative royalty having met Jonah Goldberg and Kevin Williamson at an event in Bellevue. We also touch on the results from the local elections in November, the vacancy at the Kennewick City Council, and, of course, the recent presidential debates.

Brian Heywood with Let’s Go Washington joins the show to discuss the six initiatives currently gathering signatures to be presented to the legislature. We learn about Brian’s background, and he walks us through what each of the six initiatives does. We discuss how Let’s Go Washington has changed their approach to the signature gathering from 2022, what to expect during the legislative session, and...

Ahoy! We give our fans what they want, and they have clamored for a deep dive into the Jones Act! What is the Jones Act? We have Colin Grabow from the Cato Institute join the show to help us break down a century-old law that makes your commute worse, your goods more expensive, and people in New England cold. Set sail with us on this policy adventure!

Congressman Dan Newhouse joins the show! We discuss a variety of topics in what has been a busy week: his recent editorial in the Washington Examiner on calls for a ceasefire in Israel, a letter he wrote with congressional colleagues to the Biden Administration about a leaked memo surrounding the Lower Snake River dams, and the expulsion of George Santos. We also hear his thoughts on the new Speak...

We welcome Jon DeVaney to the show. Jon is the President of the Washington State Tree Fruit Association. We talk the impact of regulation and legislation on the ag industry including the Ag overtime rules and the disappearing family farm. You can learn more at wstfa.org.