In what can only be described as an Olympic-level feat of fiscal recklessness, Democrats in Olympia have doubled state spending over the past decade — from $80 billion in 2013-15 to a jaw-dropping $173 billion for 2025-27. That’s a 116% increase, while inflation rose only 36% and the population grew by just 14%. But sure, tell us again how it’s “for the kids.”

Despite this tsunami of taxpayer cash, Washington now faces a deficit by 2028 after slapping residents with the largest tax hike in state history. We’re talking B&O tax hikes, capital gains hikes, car rental taxes, luxury vehicle taxes, hunting fee hikes, a Discover Pass increase, ticket fees, and even a tax on self-storage units. If you can buy it, breathe near it, or think about it — it’s taxed.

So what did taxpayers get for their investment? Well, education spending has more than doubled — and Washington dropped from 20th to 27th in national rankings. The Department of Social and Health Services ballooned by 182%. And the Health Care Authority? Up by $21.6 billion. Meanwhile, politicians are still pretending this is sustainable.

GOP State Rep. Travis Couture put it best: “The only winners in Olympia are politicians, bureaucrats, and criminals.” He’s not wrong. Meanwhile, Democrats ditched advisory votes and now refuse to even respond to media questions about how they’re spending your money.

Washington doesn’t have a revenue problem. It has a leadership problem — and voters are paying the price. Read more at Center Square.

Brace yourself — Washington Republicans are doing something wild and dangerous: suggesting that only U.S. citizensshould be allowed to vote. The horror! Under Initiative 126, now hitting the streets for signatures, voters would actually have to prove they’re citizens with a passport, birth certificate, or enhanced ID. You know, just like you do for a fishing license or boarding a plane.

State GOP Chair Jim Walsh, leading the charge, made it clear: this has nothing to do with mail-in ballots — it’s about finally putting an end to the honor system of “just check the box if you’re a citizen.” Democrats, of course, are clutching their pearls, calling the effort “confusing and onerous,” as if showing ID to vote is some impossible task… despite needing it for just about everything else in modern life.

OneAmerica, an activist group always quick to frame accountability as “disenfranchisement,” tried to kill the initiative in court over a nitpick in the ballot title. A judge gave them a few extra words — and Walsh responded with a shrug and a smile, saying it’ll only help with signature gathering. The best part? He’s right. The idea polls through the roof.

Let the Left scream about “access” — normal people just want their elections secured. IL-26 is common sense, long overdue, and driving Democrats absolutely nuts. Which is exactly why it deserves your support. Read more at the Washington State Standard.

In a masterclass of political fence-sitting, Rep. Adam Smith (D-WA) managed to dodge, deflect, and distract when asked a basic question: Should biological males be allowed to compete against girls in sports?

Smith, facing a challenge from socialist Kshama Sawant (yes, really), told KTTH’s Jason Rantz that lawmakers should stay out of it — because apparently, protecting fairness for female athletes is too controversial for Congress. Instead, he punted to “individual leagues,” conveniently ignoring that those leagues can’t make their own rules thanks to Washington’s state discrimination laws. When Rantz pointed that out, Smith just shrugged and said, “Well, I think they should.”

Pressed on his fear-mongering about genital exams for kids — something that literally never happens — Smith went mum. Then came the classic liberal pivot: blame conservatives for “blowing this out of proportion,” claim trans people are victims of “massive discrimination,” and drag in Trump, the military, and even Charlie Kirk, because why not?

Translation: Adam Smith won’t take a stand to protect fairness in girls’ sports. He’d rather virtue signal about discrimination and hope voters don’t notice that his position amounts to never mind basic fairness and safety issues, let boys compete against girls and shut up about it.

In a race against an actual socialist, Smith’s idea of “moderate” is to duck accountability while defending the woke status quo. Read more at KTTH.

Congratulations, Washington — our teachers are now the highest paid in the nation, with many raking in close to $100,000 a year to not teach kids how to read or do math. Despite sky-high salaries, Washington’s students are falling further behind, with more than 60% failing to meet grade-level standards in math and half struggling with basic English. But don’t worry — most teachers have a master’s degree, so everything must be fine, right?

While the teachers’ unions keep cashing in, the actual job of educating kids seems to have gone out the window. A national report ranks Washington among the worst in the country at preparing teachers to teach elementary math and reading — and yet, no one’s held accountable. In any other profession, you get paid for performance. But in public education? You get raises for showing up and a gold star for mediocrity.

The state spends nearly $19,000 per student and employs an army of over 70,000 certificated instructors and tens of thousands more support staff. And yet… our kids are still floundering.

As Vicki Murray from the Washington Policy Center put it: “We’ve divorced pay from performance.” Translation: unions protect the adults, not the students — and taxpayers are left funding failure.

If you’re looking for a return on investment in education, Washington’s system flunks with flying colors. Read more at Center Square.

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