Franklin County Officials Omitted From Inslee CBC Meeting Tues

Today, Tuesday, Gov. Jay Inslee is at CBC today, (Tuesday) meeting with health department heads, and elected officials about COVID response and presumably the situation in Benton-Franklin County. The meetings began, according to his release, sometime after 9AM.

After these meetings, and an 11:45AM press conference, he will reportedly be meeting with "business leaders" according to Monday's informational release.

The interesting part is, who are these elected officials? Franklin County Commissioner Clint Didier posted these items on his Facebook page, which read in part:

"...Governor Jay Inslee going to be at CBC sometime tomorrow to meet with local elected officials and the health board on covid-19 crisis. The only question I got is I guess I’m not invited never got an invitation, called administrator Keith Johnson nobody from Franklin County got an invitation and it’s held at CBC in Franklin County?

Didier went on to add:

 "...Only one county commissioner is allowed to be in the room to comply with the public meetings record act. Chairman Koch will be that Commissioner..."

DIdier went on to encourage citizens to show up at CBC and voice their opinions,  "...let your voice be heard..."

It appears Didier and other County officials are not OK with being excluded from an important session when it concerns their jurisdiction.

This tends to follow a pattern we have seen with Inslee meetings and visits to various areas, especially COVID related. In Yakima, and in other areas, similar claims were made that some officials were included and some omitted. When he met with business leaders, the choice of who these leaders were was curious.

We have not been provided any information about whom specifically will be attending these invitation only meetings with Inslee.

His press conference is slated for 11:45AM, no word if any significant announcements will be made concerning COVID.