Tammy Morales’ resignation from the Seattle City Council is the kind of news that should come with a celebratory parade for anyone who values public safety and common sense. A chief architect of the “Defund the Police” movement, Morales spent years undermining law enforcement, leading to skyrocketing crime, open-air drug markets, and an exodus of police officers. Now, she’s quitting because the job has taken a toll on her “mental and physical well-being.” Maybe all that accountability she dodged finally caught up to her.

Morales’ melodramatic list of grievances—claiming her work was “undermined,” voters’ will was “suppressed,” and that public comment was “stifled”—reads more like a tantrum than a resignation letter. Apparently, she’s upset the council didn’t cater to her every activist fantasy, which included gutting public safety and funneling taxpayer money into unaccountable social housing schemes. Let’s not forget, she once questioned why looting should bother people—a statement that aged about as well as her policies.

While she paints herself as a victim of institutional dysfunction, the reality is that Morales was the dysfunction. District 2, which she represented, has suffered immensely under her leadership, from surging crime to burned-out businesses begging for help. Her attempts to deflect blame with lofty rhetoric about “anti-displacement” and “supporting community economic development” ring hollow given the chaos on her watch.

Morales claims she’s stepping down to care for her family, but let’s be real: her resignation is a relief for Seattle. Even her council colleagues were caught off guard, with Councilmember Rob Saka calling her accusations “hyperbole” and criticizing her divisive rhetoric. Meanwhile, Council President Sara Nelson diplomatically noted the council now has an opportunity to find “great leaders” to fill the vacancy—code for anyone but Tammy Morales.

Her departure marks the end of a tenure defined by ideological extremism and public safety failures. For rational, safety-minded people everywhere, good riddance. Read more at KOMO News.

Seattle’s police staffing is in freefall, with only 848 deployable officers for a city nearing 800,000 residents—less than it had in 1958 when Seattle’s population was 550,000. Recruiting efforts barely keep pace with separations, and the city predicts more officers will leave than be hired by year’s end. Council President Sara Nelson tried to celebrate a net gain of four officers in one quarter, but when you’re this far underwater, a few floaties aren’t saving the ship.

To make matters worse, 20% of the force is nearing retirement age, and new recruits seem more ideologically motivated than prepared to handle the realities of policing. Lowered standards and budget woes only deepen the crisis, as Seattle faces a $251 million deficit. Turns out, gutting law enforcement and then crying over the staffing crisis you caused is a tough look—even by Seattle standards. Read more at KTTH.

Washington’s Housing Trust Fund is falling short in delivering affordable housing, with skyrocketing costs and declining output. The median cost per unit hit $301,744 in 2023—up drastically from $207,496 in 2019—and remains highest in King County at $356,813 per unit. Despite these inflated costs, the number of projects and units built has plummeted, with only 21 multifamily projects completed last year, compared to 51 in 2019. Even worse, these projects are yielding far fewer units, with a median of just 56 per project in 2023, compared to 114 in 2019. The state’s inability to control costs or boost production highlights a systemic failure to address the growing affordable housing crisis effectively. Read more at the Washington State Standard.

Washington Republicans are renewing their push for tougher fentanyl laws with House Bill 1000, which would restore felony penalties for trafficking, dealing, and possibly possessing the drug. The bill, reintroduced by Rep. Jim Walsh, aims to classify fentanyl-related offenses as “major violations” under the Uniform Controlled Substances Act, leading to longer sentences, particularly when harm or death results. This follows the 2021 Blake Decision, which struck down Washington’s drug possession law for penalizing unknowing possession, forcing lawmakers into a costly scramble to fix the loophole with a weaker gross misdemeanor penalty.

With fentanyl now the leading cause of death for Americans aged 18-45, the crisis has worsened nationwide and in Washington, where DEA seizures reached 4.8 million lethal doses in 2023 alone—yet King County saw a 47% spike in fentanyl-related deaths. Walsh argues harsher penalties would help incentivize addicts to seek treatment through drug courts, offering a choice between sobriety or felony charges. Critics point to the state’s failure to act sooner, allowing the crisis to spiral further out of control. Read more at Center Square.

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