Chad Magendanz

Computer Science Teacher, Software Developer, and former State Representative

[Chad Magendanz @Magendanz]

With SB 5974 the Dems argued that unelected commissions should remove elected sheriffs who fail to meet new eligibility requirements. Did you know that 4 of 9 justices on the WA Supreme Court had *no* prior bench experience? They never served as judges.

[Chad Magendanz @Magendanz]

@BobFergusonGov More "pie crust promises"....easily made and easier broken.

[Chad Magendanz @Magendanz]

Great write-up for American Legion Post 79 today in the Snoqualmie Valley Record...

https://t.co/V9aAyFhSEu

On most Memorial Day mornings in the Snoqualmie Valley, members of the American Legion Renton-Pickering Post 79 are already on the move.

Their day will start at Preston Cemetery, then move to Fall City, North Bend and finally back to Snoqualmie for a closing ceremony at the post. For some members, the day is not over yet. Many continue on to the Tahoma National Cemetery, where they help provide funeral honors services.

“Memorial Day, unlike Veterans Day, is focused on those who have perished,” said Post 79 Commander Chad Magendanz. “It’s supposed to be an opportunity for us to reflect on the sacrifices that were made in order to keep our nation whole and protect the freedoms that we enjoy.”

For the veterans of Post 79, the local chapter of the country’s largest veterans service organization, Memorial Day is not just a holiday or a ceremony, but a public expression of the group’s larger mission: honoring fallen service members, supporting veterans’ families and being active in the community year-round, Magendanz said.

Through funeral honors, helping youth programs and giving aid to local veterans, the post uses Memorial Day to remind residents that remembrance is an ongoing act, he said.

At the local cemeteries, the ceremonies are modest but meaningful, Magendanz said. Community members gather together, some with relatives who have served going back multiple generations. At the larger ceremony at the Tahoma National Cemetery, volunteers of local Boy Scouts or high school students will place flags on the veterans’ graves.

Local residents and elected officials, including mayors, county representatives and state lawmakers, attend the ceremonies each year.

For the people who organize these ceremonies, the work is personal, Magendanz said.

The members of Post 79 served in all branches of the service. Some of them lost friends in combat. They craved the bond formed during their military service and wanted a way to maintain that connection after returning to civilian life, Magendanz said.

“When you go through something that asks so much of you, you look around you, and you find yourself in a very tight-knit community, having gone through something like that together,” said Magendanz. “It’s nice to have a community that you can go to that understands what you’ve been through, and they share the same sacrifices and experiences that you have as a veteran.”

That bond fuels another major part of the post’s service: Funeral honors.

Members of the Post Honor Guard, including post adjutant George Townsend, regularly assist with military funeral services. These services include rifle volleys, taps and the presentation of an American flag to surviving family members.

According to Townsend, one of the most powerful moments occurs as Taps comes to a close, when the flag is presented to the next of kin.

“That’s one of the things that keeps us coming back,” said Townsend. “Seeing the looks on the faces of the family of the deceased, knowing that we’re sending off one of our brothers or sisters to Valhalla.”

Beyond participating in ceremonies, Memorial Day weekend is when the post holds its public fundraiser. Volunteers hand out red poppies outside the Snoqualmie QFC, collecting donations for the American Legion’s Poppy Fund, which helps veterans and their families through charitable projects, providing food, oxygen, wheelchairs, and more.

Outside of Memorial Day weekend, the post remains active year-round. In partnership with the Snoqualmie Tribe, the post distributes turkeys at Thanksgiving and hams at Christmas, sponsors scholarships for local students, sponsors youth athletics and partners with local community organizations.

Recently, the post helped with the installation of a statue in the Snoqualmie Veterans Memorial. The sculpture depicts a woman reaching down with a rose and is surrounded by memorial bricks engraved with veterans’ names.

For Post 79, Memorial Day is not confined to one Monday in May, Magendanz said, it is one stop on a year-round path to honoring the past and giving back to others to have a brighter future.

“We have three phases to our lives,” said Magendanz. “We serve our country, we serve our families and then we serve our community and pay it forward.”
–
University of Washington’s News Lab operates as a local news bureau staffed by advanced journalism and public interest communication students.

[Chad Magendanz @Magendanz]

Great idea for a fundraiser! Join us on June 6th!

[Chad Magendanz @Magendanz]

🇺🇸 Join American Legion Renton-Pickering Post #79 this Memorial Day for the dedication of our new Veterans Memorial statue.

📅 May 25, 2026, 🕛 Noon
📍 38625 SE River St., Snoqualmie
Ceremonies begin earlier at Preston, Fall City & Mt. Si cemeteries. 🇺🇸

[Chad Magendanz @Magendanz]

How many times have I ridden by Beacon Rock and said I'll just climb it next time?

[Chad Magendanz @Magendanz]

People forget that the U.S. Navy destroyed roughly half of Iran's combat fleet in 8 hours over a conflict in the Strait of Hormuz back in 1988...when I was serving my first submarine patrol. https://t.co/R3hIcTQHfY

[Chad Magendanz @Magendanz]

@kristenmag No one should ever anonymously receive state funding. Article VIII, Sections 5 & 7 prohibit gifting public funds to private parties. While anonymity isn't explicitly banned, it makes proving the necessary "public purpose" and "donative intent" impossible.

[Chad Magendanz @Magendanz]

@PNWConservative @jaybrrr2 @KCGOP @WAGOP In order to gain the full support of the local PCOs last year, I had to promise them that I wouldn't run again. They've now got the opportunity to run a more conservative candidate.

[Chad Magendanz @Magendanz]

Excellent editorial from two Republican senators who held the majority when I was in the House. Clearly, working as a bipartisan legislature to find common ground we ended up with a better work product...and a much more competitive state economy. https://t.co/GCW0NTGgss

[Chad Magendanz @Magendanz]

...and our inflation-adjusted wages have been consistently growing (aside from an artificial boost from the COVID checks).

[Chad Magendanz @Magendanz]

The narrative claims that local wages are insufficient, but it turns out that we've got the highest average weekly wage in the nation...even accounting for cost of living differences. More here: https://t.co/smQh1rDCvn

[Chad Magendanz @Magendanz]

They should also clarify that "acknowledging biological reality" shouldn't constitute discrimination or harassment. In WA, teachers can be fired if we repeatedly refer to a student in a manner that fails to affirm their preferred gender.
https://t.co/IfQvsWP5hr

[Chad Magendanz @Magendanz]

Congrats @Robototes for an historic finish to our first PNW District event in Bonney Lake this weekend. Not only were we 1st-place finishers as alliance captains, but we also took home an Impact Award, the most prestigious award in @FRCTeams! https://t.co/WKcCf2XHXt

[Fox News @FoxNews]

'A QUIET DEATH': Department of War releases video showing a U.S. submarine sinking an Iranian warship in the Indian Ocean.

It marks the first sinking of an enemy ship by torpedo since World War II.

Secretary of War Hegseth saying, "Like in that war, back when we were still the War Department. We are fighting to win."

[Chad Magendanz @Magendanz]

During the 2010s, WA gained taxable income and high-earning workers through interstate migration, but after then the trend flipped. WA now loses roughly $1–2B annually through domestic migration. Researchers also note that WA gained taxpayers but lost AGI, meaning incoming households had lower average income than those leaving.

[Chad Magendanz @Magendanz]

Despite flattening population growth, Washington is still seeing significant increases in immigration from India, China...and California. https://t.co/xJoKNoeeWK

[Chad Magendanz @Magendanz]

@stevemgordon67 I trust Rob on this, but I don't trust our current Supreme Court. Everyone agrees that wealth is (intangible) property, but they've argued that income (e.g. capital gains) is a transaction...and therefore not subject to the constitutional constraints of property tax.

[Chad Magendanz @Magendanz]

@beans120 @PNWConservative I proposed two bills: The 1st required ballot scans to be entered into the block chain to allow independent tallies. The 2nd created a website for voters to check that their ballots had been counted accurately using the unique (but anonymous) ballot ID. Neither got a hearing.

[Chad Magendanz @Magendanz]

🚨 Washington's Income Tax Shift: A Slippery Slope? 🚨

When serving in the state legislature I had the opportunity to work alongside Rep. Larry Springer on the charter schools fix. His recent remarks on SB 6346, referred to as the "Millionaire's Tax," echo my own concerns. Larry cautioned against trusting assurances that the tax won't broaden, a sentiment I wholeheartedly share.

The Washington Supreme Court's 2023 decision in Quinn v. State upheld the capital gains tax as an excise tax, sidestepping the Uniformity Clause and setting a precedent that may erode the long-standing view of income as property. This paves the way for broader income taxation.

SB 6346 proposes a 9.9% tax on income over $1 million. While it's framed as targeting the wealthy, history suggests such thresholds often lower over time, expanding the tax's reach.

With the bill advancing to a Senate floor vote yesterday, Washington's income-tax-free status may soon be a relic of the past.

#WApol #SB6346 #IncomeTax #TaxPolicy #WashingtonState

For more context, you can watch Rep. Larry Springer's comments here: https://t.co/zOlLH8Z1BC