Here’s a quick wrap up of the two-year state budget just passed by Washington Democrats: the $78 billion budget supposedly “fixes” Democrats’ $15 billion shortfall the only way they know how—by slapping $4.3 billion in new taxes on businesses, tech services, and even the dead (thanks, estate tax hikes!). While families lose out on child care expansions and early learning programs get kicked past 2029, state employees walk away with $1 billion in raises and no furloughs. Instead of trimming waste, they raised business and occupation taxes, taxed digital ads and IT training, and jacked up fees on park passes, hunting, and fishing—because clearly you should pay more so they don’t have to cut anything meaningful. K-12 and special ed get boosts, sure, but at the cost of slashing funding for mental health and higher ed. Meanwhile, they kept the rainy-day fund untouched so they can look “responsible” while taxing everything that moves. Republicans, unsurprisingly, opposed the whole mess, but Democrats held the votes to tax, spend, and delay their way through another budget fantasy. Read more at PBS.

In a move that only makes sense in Olympia, Washington Democrats approved a bill that would hand out unemployment benefits to striking workers—because apparently not working now qualifies you for a paycheck from the state. The original idea was to give them 12 weeks of benefits, but after some hand-wringing, they settled on six. So if nurses, teachers, or Boeing workers decide to walk off the job, the rest of us get to cover their groceries. Democratic Sen. Marcus Riccelli claims this will “level the playing field,” but what it really does is tilt it even more against taxpayers who don’t have the luxury of walking off the job and still getting paid. Only two other states (New York and New Jersey) do this, which should tell you all you need to know. Meanwhile, the Employment Security Department has to start tracking strike payouts—because nothing screams fiscal responsibility like handing out benefits and then maybe measuring the fallout later. But hey, if you thought unemployment insurance was for people actually out of work, Washington’s Democrats are here to remind you otherwise. Read more at the AP.

Washington Democrats, ever resourceful in finding new ways to patch their self-inflicted budget mess, just voted to jack up the Discover Pass fee from $30 to $45. Starting in October 2025, enjoying your own state parks will cost you 50% more, and they even tossed in extra transaction fees for good measure—because what’s a money grab without a little surcharge? The original bill at least gave folks the courtesy of using the pass on three vehicles, but House Democrats stripped that out because apparently two is generous enough when you’re already paying more. While a handful of Democrats joined Republicans in opposition, the majority stayed true to form: squeeze residents instead of trimming government bloat. All this to “save” parks from budget cuts—caused by the same people now pretending to fix them. Read more at the Chinook Observer.

While Montana and Idaho are out here celebrating massive income tax cuts and record-breaking relief for working families, Washington Democrats took a different route: hammering residents with the largest tax increase in state history—because nothing says “helping people” like $12 billion in new taxes. Montana’s GOP-led legislature is slashing rates, expanding credits, and even reducing capital gains taxes, all while bragging (justifiably) about delivering the biggest tax cuts their state has ever seen. Idaho joined the party too, sending another $253 million back to taxpayers. Meanwhile, in Washington, Democrats decided small businesses, childcare centers, and assisted living facilities weren’t suffering enough, so they jacked up taxes by up to 400% in some sectors. Even business groups from Seattle to Bellevue lined up to say what the heck are you doing? But sure, let’s call it “progress.” The contrast is so stark it’s basically a controlled experiment—one where Washington’s outcome will likely include more business closures and U-Hauls heading east. With neighboring states building opportunity and growth, Washington’s just building a reputation… for how fast you can ruin a good thing. Read more at the Center Square.

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