In their endless quest to “fix” things by making them worse, Washington Democrats are rushing to pass the state’s first-ever rent control law before the legislative session wraps up. House Bill 1217 would cap rent hikes at 7% plus inflation—or 10%, whichever is lower—because apparently, basic economics is still not a required course for state lawmakers.

Sen. Emily Alvarado (D-West Seattle) insists renters need “protections,” as if driving out developers and choking off new housing supply is going to help people find places to live. The bill exempts a few politically convenient categories—public housing, nonprofit units, and new construction for a little while—but mostly takes a sledgehammer to the market.

Even some Democrats weren’t totally sold (six voted no), but the majority seem eager to push through a half-baked, heavily amended Frankenstein of a bill. Republicans like Sen. Keith Goehner and Rep. Sam Low were barely given a seat at the table, let alone a say. Their concerns about tanking the housing supply? Ignored, because nothing says “affordable housing” like making it unprofitable to build any.

So while Democrats claim they’re offering relief, they’re really just laying the groundwork for a deeper crisis—and probably higher taxes later to clean up the mess. Again. Read more at Center Square.

Democrat U.S. Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez found out the hard way what happens when a Democrat dares to deviate from the progressive orthodoxy—even slightly. At her fourth town hall, she was met not with gratitude for showing up, but with boos, signs reading “How Dare You,” and chants of “Vote her out.” Her crime? Voting for a bill that says only U.S. citizens should vote in U.S. elections—something that used to be considered common sense.

Gluesenkamp Perez was one of just four Democrats who backed the SAVE Act, which requires documentation like a passport or certified birth certificate when registering to vote in federal elections. She explained that people in her district actually expect elections to be secure, and even introduced her own alternative bill to try and soften the bureaucratic blow. None of that mattered to the angry mob at her town hall.

Critics painted her as a vote suppressor, with one attendee accusing her of bowing to donors and others outright declaring, “She says she is a Democrat, but as a Democrat, she doesn’t represent me.”

So much for the big tent. Apparently, there’s no room in today’s Democratic Party for anyone who believes citizenship should be a requirement for voting—or for any lawmaker who dares to think for themselves. Step off the party line, and you’re dead to the activists. Read more at MyNorthwest.com.

While the WIAA punted on banning biological males from girls’ sports, Superintendent Chris Reykdal shrugged and kicked the issue to the courts—because why lead when you can lawyer up? Reykdal says Washington school districts must obey state law that allows transgender athletes to compete, even as those same districts say the policy bulldozes parental rights and violates Title IX.

Meanwhile, districts like Mead are standing up, parents are sounding alarms, and Republican lawmakers are fuming that Democrats refused to even debate the issue this session. Sen. Judy Warnick, a mother of three daughters and a Title IX-era athlete herself, called it personal. Rep. Chris Corry put it bluntly: letting males compete against girls is “unconscionable.”

Reykdal, naturally, is more concerned about whether Trump has the authority to define gender than whether girls have a fair shot on the field. And Democrats in Olympia? Nowhere to be found. When it comes to protecting girls’ sports, they won’t lift a finger—but they’ll sure raise their hands for the next ideological mandate. Read more at Center Square.

Washington Democrats have found a bold new way to balance their bloated budget: jack up hunting and fishing fees on families just trying to put dinner on the table. Senate Bill 5583 slaps a 38% “inflationary adjustment” on licenses, because nothing says fiscal responsibility like charging rural residents more to feed themselves while refusing to cut wasteful spending.

Democrat Sen. Marko Liias proposed the hike to help cover a massive $16 billion shortfall caused by—you guessed it—overspending. Republicans offered amendments to ease the hit on low-income families, veterans, and rural communities, but Democrats shot them all down.

Now, the deer, elk, bear, and cougar combo tag jumps over $32, and a fishing license will cost $62. Because obviously, if you’re trying to stretch every grocery dollar, your real problem is you haven’t been price-gouged hard enough by Olympia.

Democrat Rep. Mia Gregerson’s defense? “Inflation is real.” Yes, and apparently, so is tone-deaf leadership. Welcome to Washington—where feeding your family is a privilege, not a right, and Democrats would rather raise your fees than cut their pet projects. Read more at Center Square.

At Washington State University, wearing a Trump hat apparently gets you body-slammed by the very people entrusted with educating future engineers. One instructor and a staffer—both proudly progressive, of course—have been fired after allegedly assaulting student Jay Sani for the high crime of having the wrong opinion on his head.

As KTTH’s Jason Rantx reports, instructor Patrick Mahoney, still somehow a student himself at age 34, admitted to grabbing the hat, throwing it, and then helping drag Sani to the ground while muttering phrases straight out of Antifa fan fiction. His colleague, Gerald Hoff, jumped in for the takedown like it was a sanctioned tag-team match. Because nothing says “anti-fascist” like physically attacking someone over a hat.

WSU says it values free speech—right before reminding everyone they don’t tolerate violence or hate speech. Which makes you wonder: were they referring to the beatdown, or the hat?

Charges have been filed, jobs lost, and reputations wrecked. But Mahoney? Still enrolled. Because in Washington’s academic bubble, assaulting someone for being “Right Wing dude” might lose you your stipend, but not your seat in class. Read more at KTTH.

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