“We reached beyond what people thought was possible.”
That’s Governor Jay Inslee, who is preparing to step down from leading Washington as only the second three-term governor is state history. Host Austin Jenkins asks Gov. Inslee about his legacy. What does he consider the biggest accomplishments of his administration? Does he have disappointments, things he would have done differently?
On the COVID pandemic: “I knew very shortly, within hours, that I was going to be called upon to make life and death decisions. And that those decisions would be very difficult because we were gonna have to change normal patterns of living. That was the only way, particularly before we had a vaccine remember, it was the only way we were going to save lives. And I knew within days that was going to entail major disruptions in people’s lives. So the fact that there was controversy and frustration is entirely to be expected and honored that people were angry about a lot about these decisions, of course they were going to be angry about some of these decisions. But it turns out those decisions were, were right because it saved so many lives.”
Is environmental policy, including passage of the Climate Commitment Act, his proudest legacy? “If you think in the long scope of history, I do believe that’s how my generation of leaders will be judged. I think if you look back, if historians look back 50 years from now or, or a century from now, they’ll think this was the most consequential thing that people did with long-term results. Virtually everything else in that list, you know, you can repair a couple of years from now and, and might have sort of what you call temporary impacts, either good or bad. This is the one that if we succeed on, our grandchildren are going to have a shot to have a recognizable Washington state, and if we do not succeed on, they’re not going to have a Washington state that you will recognize in major ways.”
On First Lady Trudi Inslee: “She evokes that charm, that I, that I remember when I was sixteen.” “Trudi is a very unique person. She can walk into any room, doesn’t matter where it is, and people instantly feel open to having a discussion, and a dialogue. She has a power of bringing peace and openness that is really unparalleled. And I can’t tell you how many times people have told me that they enjoyed her leadership on so many multiple things. And I just, personally, I can tell you, no decision was made in the state of Washington unless she and I thoroughly talked about it.”
Plus – his relationship with legislative Republicans, his 2020 run for U.S. president, his battles with Donald Trump, the siting of clean energy facilities, taxes and the state budget, reaching across the “Cascade Curtain” to Republican areas of Washington, and his parting advice for incoming Governor Bob Ferguson.
