Water park, Freedom Foundation aim to dunk Inslee’s illegal scheme

Ashley Varner
June 9, 2020

Meet the Bordners. They’re the owners of Slidewaters, one of only two privately owned waterparks in eastern Washington. Thanks to Governor Jay Inslee’s continued stay home order, Slidewaters is quickly losing the few precious days it has to be open for business, employ nearly 200 local residents and generate enough revenue to open up again next year.

Slidewaters has been around since 1983 and is a beloved component of the Lake Chelan tourist community. It typically operates for 100 days between Memorial Day and Labor Day weekends.

The Bordner family recently expanded the waterpark and expected to recoup the costs during this 2020 summer season.

Remaining closed would spell disaster.

That’s why the Freedom Foundation believes it’s so important to represent Slidewaters in taking legal action against Gov. Inslee and his unconstitutional plan to turn the state Department of Labor and Industries into his enforcement arm to punish business owners like the Bordners who simply want to get back to work.

The Freedom Foundation has filed a temporary restraining order (TRO) against Gov. Inslee. The case has been assigned to the Eastern District Federal Court of Washington in Spokane, where a ruling on the TRO could happen as early as Friday.

Please watch this video to learn more about the Bordners, their business and why the Freedom Foundation is committed to fighting for them. And other independent businesses like them.

- COVID-19, Litigation, Washington

Ashley Varner

Vice President of Communication and Federal Affairs

Ashley Varner brings a variety of public affairs experience and a tough skin to the Freedom Foundation team. Prior to joining the Freedom Foundation, Ashley spent many exciting, turbulent and wonderful years as a media spokesperson and state government liaison at the National Rifle Association. Following her tenure at the NRA, Ashley joined the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), where she worked with state and local lawmakers across the country on a diverse set of policy and communications issues. A grassroots activist from a young age, Ashley joined her first of many political campaigns before graduating high school and organized protests across the street from her own professors at the University of Missouri. When not rabble-rousing against Big Government, Ashley enjoys cooking, mafia movies, and has seen most of the 1970s and 80s classic rock bands still on tour. She loves the Chiefs, hopes someday she can love her Mizzou Tigers again, and she was a Kansas City Royals fan and Patriot Act opponent before either was cool.