A Washington Supreme Court commissioner has rejected an effort to remove a controversial budget statement from the ballot for Initiative 645, which would repeal the state’s new 9.9% income tax on earnings above $1 million.

Citizen activist Arthur West argued the disclosure law is unconstitutional and improperly allows government officials to influence how voters view an initiative. Commissioner Michael Johnston declined to block it, saying he was not persuaded the law was unconstitutional enough to justify disrupting the November ballot.

The statement, drafted by Attorney General Nick Brown’s office, tells voters: “This measure would decrease funding for public K-12 education, higher education … and human services.”

That’s the political fight. I-645 would repeal a tax that doesn’t take effect until 2028 and won’t generate its first payments until 2029. Yet voters will see a government-written warning about funding cuts directly alongside the initiative.

West’s broader constitutional challenge continues, and the state Supreme Court will decide whether to hear his appeal.

For now, voters get the government’s warning before they get their chance to vote on whether the government should get the tax in the first place. Read more at The Washington State Standard.

Washington’s PDC complaint wars are getting a little uncomfortable for the state’s self-appointed political referees. Two new complaints filed this week accuse prominent players on the left of potentially violating the same campaign-finance rules they’ve been eager to enforce against conservatives.

Radio host Ari Hoffman filed a complaint against the Seattle Times and organizations tied to its Climate Lab project, alleging the newspaper crossed the line from journalism into undisclosed campaign activity during the 2024 fight over Initiative 2117, which sought to repeal Washington’s Climate Commitment Act. Hoffman argues that Climate Lab coverage and Seattle Times editorials echoed the “No on 2117” campaign while organizations backing the effort were also involved in funding the project.

A second complaint, filed by Arthur West, targets Washingtonians for Ethical Government, accusing the self-proclaimed watchdog group of engaging in years of political activity against conservative initiatives without registering as a political committee. WFEG, which recently filed a PDC complaint against Brandi Kruse and Let’s Go Washington, called West’s complaint “wholly without merit” and “frivolous.”

The PDC now has 90 days to decide whether to investigate, seek compliance or dismiss the complaints. Read more at The Center Square.

Kshama Sawant may have officially become completely irrelevant after losing her congressional primary, but she’s not wrong that something has changed on the Democratic socialist left. The former Seattle City Council member is now blasting Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani for abandoning the “defund the police” politics they once embraced.

Sawant accused the two high-profile Democratic Socialists of America politicians of “betraying” the movement after Ocasio-Cortez agreed that the “Woke 1” era was “crazy” and Mamdani said people’s political beliefs can “change,” adding that he does not support defunding the NYPD.

That’s a remarkable evolution for Mamdani, who spent 2020 calling the NYPD racist and demanding that it be defunded and dismantled. Now that he actually runs New York City, apparently public safety requires a slightly less revolutionary approach.

AOC’s pivot is hardly less convenient. The congresswoman built her national profile on the same activist energy that fueled the 2020 “defund” movement, only to distance herself from the excesses once they became politically toxic. Mamdani and AOC may have figured out that voters want safer streets more than ideological purity, but Sawant is right about one thing: the Democratic Party’s progressive wing has gotten very good at changing the message once it becomes politically inconvenient.

Sawant finished third in Washington’s 9th Congressional District primary behind Democrat Adam Smith and Republican Doug Basler, who raised a fraction of what she did. AOC still has a safe seat, while Mamdani now runs the nation’s largest city.

So the revolution continues—just with its most successful politicians quietly walking back some of the policies that helped make them famous. Read more at Seattle Red.

Please consider making a contribution to ensure Shift continues to provide daily updates on the shenanigans of the liberal establishment. If you’d rather mail a check, you can send it to: Shift WA | PO Box 956 | Cle Elum, WA 98922

Forward this to a friend.  It helps us grow our community and serve you better.

You can also follow SHIFTWA on social media by liking us on Facebook and following us on Twitter.

If you feel we missed something that should be covered, email us at [email protected].