Democrats in Olympia are busy pointing fingers at Donald Trump for Medicaid cuts, but Rep. Travis Couture just exposed the real culprit: Bob Ferguson’s own budget. According to the nonpartisan Office of Program Research, the Ferguson-approved plan slashes over $782 million from Medicaid — $446 million in federal funds and $336.5 million in state matching dollars. And here’s the kicker: the federal cuts Democrats are blaming don’t even start until 2027. These cuts are happening right now because of decisions made in Olympia.

Couture said even he underestimated how deep the knife went. He expected about $200 million in cuts over four years. Turns out, Democrats tripled that number while pretending it was someone else’s fault. And who’s getting hit hardest? Low-income families, the elderly, people with disabilities, and hospitals already running on fumes. Washington hospitals are $4 billion in the hole, staff are overworked, beds are scarce — and yet Democrats just made survival even harder for rural and critical access hospitals.

But here’s the most galling part: the money Democrats carved out of Medicaid didn’t vanish into thin air. It was redirected — mostly to give themselves and their bureaucratic allies pay raises. That’s right. Vulnerable populations lose healthcare, and politicians in Olympia cash bigger checks. Couture summed it up perfectly: instead of protecting seniors, low-income families, and the disabled, Democrats chose to line their own pockets.

So, the next time Bob Ferguson holds a press conference about “unconscionable federal cuts,” remember the truth: the unconscionable cuts are already here — and they’re his. Read more at Center Square.

Bob Ferguson is once again playing hero in his own political drama, this time vowing to protect Washington’s sanctuary laws even if it means facing criminal charges from U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi. Instead of working with federal authorities to remove illegal immigrants with criminal records from our jails, Ferguson is doubling down on the Keep Washington Working Act, which handcuffs local law enforcement and shields those here illegally.

At a press conference, Ferguson scoffed at Bondi’s warning, calling it “breathtaking” and “embarrassing” for the Justice Department — all while proudly refusing to budge on the state’s sanctuary stance. Meanwhile, Rep. Jim Walsh pointed out the obvious: if Ferguson actually cared about keeping Washingtonians safe, he’d let federal law enforcement do its job and deport dangerous criminals instead of blocking access to state prisons and jails.

But Ferguson isn’t interested in public safety — he’s interested in political theater. He bragged about his record of suing Trump and promised to “defeat” the administration again, turning a serious federal warning into another campaign talking point. The bottom line? Ferguson would rather score headlines protecting illegal immigrants than protect law-abiding Washingtonians. Read more at Center Square.

Democrats promised Washington’s shiny new $133 million hybrid-electric ferry would be the future of transportation. Instead, the Wenatchee barely made it back into service before sputtering out and limping to a maintenance dock with dead motors and faulty wiring. So much for “innovation.”

Ferry officials are now spinning the breakdown as “a normal part of vessel commissioning,” which is bureaucrat-speak for we blew $133 million on a boat that can’t even keep the lights on. The grand plan was for this diesel-electric hybrid to go fully electric once charging stations are built — if it can ever stay running long enough to get there.

In the meantime, older diesel ferries are covering the Seattle–Bainbridge route while engineers scratch their heads over what went wrong. But taxpayers already know the answer: Olympia’s obsession with flashy green projects delivers plenty of press releases, but not much that actually works.

Washington didn’t just buy the largest hybrid-electric ferry in North America. We bought the most expensive dock ornament on Puget Sound. Read more at MyNorthwest.com.

Another week, another round of store closures. Kroger just announced two more Fred Meyer locations shutting their doors, bringing the local total to five. The official reason? Rising costs and regulations. The real reason? Rampant theft that Olympia shrugs off as the new normal.

Walk into a store these days and you’ll see it firsthand: armed guards at Fred Meyer, locked-up socks at Walmart, employees shouting as shoplifters stroll out without consequence. And why wouldn’t they? In Washington, thanks to Democrat-backed policies, criminals face little more than a slap on the wrist — if that.

And don’t buy the sob story that this is about desperate parents stealing baby formula. Recovering addicts have already laid it out: it’s a fentanyl-fueled cycle. Steal, sell, score drugs, use, repeat. Meanwhile, businesses bleed money and ordinary shoppers get treated like suspects just to buy groceries.

This isn’t just theft. It’s addiction, lawlessness, and failed leadership playing out in plain sight. And until Democrats in Olympia decide to crack down instead of coddle criminals, Washingtonians can expect more shuttered stores and fewer safe places to shop. Read more at KIRO Radio.

Pierce County’s latest homeless count shows nearly 3,000 people living without stable housing — an 11% jump in just one year. Of those, 1,433 are unsheltered, living on the streets, while 1,522 are in shelters. And yet, Democrat leaders keep acting shocked, as if their own policies have nothing to do with it.

The county report blames a “housing crisis,” pointing out that home prices and rents have doubled over the last decade. True enough — but who pushed regulations and taxes that make it impossible to build more housing in the first place? Olympia Democrats. And now, with federal COVID dollars gone, the “shot in the arm” that was propping things up has vanished, leaving their failed system exposed.

Meanwhile, shelters are literally shutting down. Tacoma closed 200 shelter spaces, but Democrats still pat themselves on the back for passing the Maureen Howard Affordable Housing Act, which has collected millions in new sales tax revenue and will — maybe someday — produce 1,000 “affordable units.” In the meantime, thousands of people are stuck on the streets.

Here’s the scoreboard: homelessness up 11%, shelters closing, drug use rampant, and “affordable housing” still mostly a promise. Democrats keep throwing money and buzzwords at the problem while pretending things are getting better. The reality? Their policies keep making it worse. Read more at MyNorthwest.com.

Three innocent lives were lost in Florida because Washington state and California decided federal law was optional. The driver at the center of the crash, Harjinder Singh, entered the U.S. illegally and was denied work authorization under Trump. But thanks to Biden-era policies and Washington’s radical approach, Singh walked away with a full-term Commercial Driver’s License he never should have had. The result? A 40-ton truck in the hands of someone unqualified to drive it — and a preventable tragedy.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy didn’t mince words. He blasted states like Washington and California for turning the trucking industry into a “lawless frontier,” ignoring clear federal rules and handing out CDLs to people who aren’t even supposed to be here. The failures didn’t stop in Olympia: New Mexico skipped an English proficiency test Singh likely would’ve failed, and California’s licensing process is also under the microscope.

But, as Seattle Red’s Jason Rantz points out, Washington’s role is the most glaring. Democrats in Olympia have spent years pushing sanctuary policies and bending rules for noncitizens. Now, those choices aren’t just reckless — they’re deadly. Instead of protecting families on the road, they protected an illegal immigrant’s ability to get behind the wheel of a semi.

The Trump administration is stepping in with audits and tougher enforcement to restore accountability. Meanwhile, Washington Democrats are left with blood on their hands and yet another scandal showing exactly what happens when ideology trumps public safety. Read more at Seattle Red.

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