A judge has blocked most of Washington’s Senate Bill 5974 just before it was set to take effect, dealing a major blow to a law backed by Governor Bob Ferguson that would have allowed an unelected commission to effectively remove elected sheriffs from office.

The ruling zeroed in on the obvious problem: voters—not bureaucratic boards—choose who holds elected positions. The law would’ve required sheriffs to maintain certification through a state commission, which could revoke it over vaguely defined misconduct, including questionable standards around speech and affiliations. Lose certification, lose your job. Simple… and, according to the court, unconstitutional.

The judge also flagged the law as too vague to follow, pointing out that terms like “extremist organizations” were so loosely defined that even a “reasonably intelligent” person wouldn’t know what crosses the line. Not exactly a solid foundation for removing elected officials.

Critics argue the law was less about accountability and more about giving Olympia a workaround to sidestep voters. And while the state plans to appeal, the early verdict is clear: the Constitution still has a say.

One ironic twist—because King County already moved to an appointed sheriff system, parts of the law still apply there. Everywhere else, though, the message is straightforward: elections still matter, even if lawmakers wish they didn’t. Read more at Seattle Red.

Governor Bob Ferguson has admitted to violating state ethics laws after allowing a former top aide to hitch a ride on a state plane—then agreed to a $4,000 fine (with half conveniently suspended if he stays out of trouble for two years).

The issue? Ferguson let ex-adviser Mike Webb—who had already resigned amid workplace complaints—join a taxpayer-funded flight to the Tri-Cities. State ethics officials concluded that giving a non-state employee a seat on a government aircraft amounted to granting a “special privilege” and improperly using state resources.

Ferguson initially brushed it off as “de minimis,” but ultimately signed an agreement acknowledging the violation and promising it won’t happen again. The deal also neatly sidesteps a public hearing that could’ve brought steeper penalties.

The math here is hard to miss: a taxpayer-funded flight costing over $2,000 per hour, a full plane of staffers, and a former aide riding along—ending in a relatively modest fine and a quiet resolution.

Bottom line: ethics violation confirmed, penalty reduced, and Olympia moves on—nothing to see here except the receipt. Read more at the Washington State Standard.

In a recent op-ed, Mark Harmsworth, WPC’s Director of the Small Business Center, lays out a blunt critique of Governor Bob Ferguson’s decision to veto $500,000 in funding that would have continued a successful program targeting organized retail crime.

Harmsworth points to eye-popping numbers: Washington retailers lost an estimated $2.7 billion to theft in a single year, with billions more in broader economic impact. And yet, just as a pilot program was showing real results—boosting prosecutions, increasing law enforcement responses, and being labeled “highly effective”—the funding was cut in the name of budget balancing.

The result, Harmsworth argues, is part of a broader pattern: softer penalties, expanded diversion programs, and underfunded enforcement that create a revolving door for repeat offenders. Retailers, workers, and consumers are left paying the price—literally—through higher costs, lost jobs, and growing safety concerns. Read more at the Washington Policy Center.

In a new op-ed, Bob Pishue of the Mountain States Policy Center lays out a blunt case: Sound Transit is staring down a $35 billion shortfall, and taxpayers are once again being asked to carry the load while the agency scales back what it promised.

The system is already funded by a pile of taxes—sales tax, property tax, car tabs, rental car taxes—stacked on top of state and federal subsidies. Yet despite all that, major projects are now on the chopping block, including lines to Ballard, Tacoma, and the Eastside, while officials float the idea of borrowing money out to the next century.

At the center of the frustration is car tab relief. Sound Transit has long promised to reduce the Motor Vehicle Excise Tax, but after years of delays and cost overruns, there’s little reason for drivers to believe it’s actually coming.

Pishue points to a broader pattern common in mega-projects: costs get downplayed early, promises get oversold, and by the time reality hits, taxpayers are already locked in. His argument is simple—if the true cost had been clear from the start, the plan likely wouldn’t have passed.

The takeaway: before pouring more money into a rail system that keeps missing the mark, the state should impose real oversight—audits, governance reform, and limits on long-term debt—because right now, taxpayers are stuck on a very expensive ride with no clear end. Read more at Center Square.

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