The Smartypants Guide to May's Civic Cocktail: Talking with Jay Inslee. And Oso mudslide relief.

Gov. Jay Inslee is well into his second year in office. We've got a chance for you to hear from him directly, listen in as journalists quiz him and pose your own questions to the state's chief executive.

Inslee will appear during the first segment of the May edition of Civic Cocktail, hosted by the Seattle Channel, Seattle City Club and Crosscut. The second segment will focus on the Oso mudslide tragedy, the response and the continuing recovery of the people and communities there. That discussion will have a panel from Snohomish County, including Arlington Mayor Barb Tolbert; Colin Downey, director of communications for the American Red Cross' Western Washington Region; and Neil Parekh, vice president of marketing and communications for United Way of Snohomish County.

Host Joni Balter, a distinguished chronicler of state politics, will lead the governor in the question and answer presentation. She will be joined by journalists Austin Jenkins, Olympia correspondent for the Northwest News Network; Deborah Wang of KUOW; and Peter Jackson, editorial page editor of The Herald and a former Crosscut writer. 

We hope you will join us for the event on Wednesday, May 7 at Tom Douglas' Palace Ballroom, 2100 Fifth Ave. The doors open at 5:30 p.m and the program begins at 6. Register here.

And, whether or not you can join us, here is some selected reading to keep you up to date about the governor and the recovery.

Gov. Inslee

"Federal crackdown on education standards creates state questions," John Stang, Crosscut.

"Inslee vetoes controls on drones," John Stang, Crosscut.

"Olympia: Where legislation goes to die," John Stang, Crosscut.

"Politics in Washington: Ready for an explosion," David Brewster, Crosscut.

"Inslee may push bounds of governor's office," Jerry Cornfield, The Herald.

Oso mudslide

"Mud and tears: Rescuers' story," Bill Lucia, Crosscut.

"Treacherous: The mudslide's political fallout," Knute Berger, Crosscut.

 

"For Darrington, disaster is a blow it can little afford," Dan Catchpole, The Herald.

"County's mudslide warnings failed to reach hill's residents," Jim Brunner, Sandi Doughton and Craig Welch, Seattle Times.

"County taking more time to consider construction moratorium," Noah Haglund, The Herald.

"I did not let that baby go for one second: Mother tells story of the mudslide," Sharon Salyer, The Herald.