Washington Senate Republicans are asking residents and business owners to share their stories through their ExitWA page—specifically if you’re planning to leave or seriously considering it.

They’re looking to hear directly from people who feel rising taxes, higher costs, and state policies are making Washington harder to live and work in. The goal is simple: collect real-world examples of why people are leaving and bring those concerns front and center.

If you’re thinking about heading out, they want to know what’s driving your decision—so your experience doesn’t get ignored. Participate here.

Washington didn’t just get expensive by accident—it got there the way Democrats always take a state: higher taxes, heavier regulation, and zero accountability for the consequences.

A new report confirms what families already feel every day—Washington is now one of the most expensive states in the country, with costs rising faster than the national average and ranking among the top five nationwide. Meanwhile, Seattle is right up there with California metros in the “you can’t afford to live here” club.

And why? Take a look at the policy pile-on. Washington now stacks a business and occupation tax (unique in the nation), sky-high sales taxes, a capital gains tax, an estate tax, and now Democrats are pushing income taxes too. Even business leaders are spelling it out: those costs don’t disappear—they get passed straight to families.

The result is exactly what you’d expect. Consumer spending has exploded, with nearly 60% going just to essentials like housing, food, and transportation. People aren’t splurging—they’re just trying to keep up.

And here’s the kicker: people are voting with their feet. Between 2021 and 2023, Washington lost more than 55,000 residents on net, with many heading to states like Texas, Idaho, and Arizona—places that, not coincidentally, aren’t run into the ground by the same tax-and-spend playbook.

Now, after years of driving up costs, the same crowd is… commissioning studies to figure out what went wrong.

The reality is simple: Democrats turned Washington into one of the most expensive states in America—and until the policies change, families will keep paying the price. Read more at the Washington State Standard.

Diesel prices in Washington just smashed records, hitting nearly $6.53 a gallon—meaning it now costs over $1,300 to fill a single big rig. Prices have jumped $1.65 in just a month and more than $2 over the past year.

Sure, there are global factors—conflict in the Middle East and refinery issues—but here’s the part Democrats don’t like to talk about: Washington drivers are paying even more because of state policy.

Between over 55 cents in gas taxes and roughly another 50 cents per gallon from the state’s Climate Commitment Act, Democrats have layered on costs that push prices far above what other states are paying. And while states like Georgia are temporarily suspending fuel taxes to give people relief, Washington’s leadership isn’t lifting a finger.

The consequences? Everyone pays.

Trucking companies are getting squeezed, small business owners are questioning whether it’s even worth staying open, and—just like always—the costs get passed straight to consumers. Groceries, deliveries, services—it all goes up.

Even school districts are getting hammered. Some are seeing fuel costs spike by tens of thousands of dollars per month, forcing them to scramble just to keep buses running.

So yes, global markets may light the match—but in Washington, Democrats are the ones pouring gasoline on the fire. Read more Center Square.

Seattle didn’t just drift left—it was engineered that way. Decades of uninterrupted Democratic control have created exactly what you’d expect: a city with no accountability, where bad policies don’t get corrected, they get doubled down on.

The result? A political monoculture where the same people making the decisions never have to deal with the consequences. Tech money flooded the city with high-earning, ideologically aligned workers who can afford to ignore rising taxes and worsening conditions—while small businesses and working-class residents take the hit.

Meanwhile, institutions—from schools to public health agencies to local media—have all fallen in line, pushing the same ideological agenda and treating dissent like a disease. The Overton window didn’t just shift, it slammed shut.

And the results speak for themselves: over a billion dollars spent on homelessness with things getting worse, open drug use normalized, crime rising, and businesses fleeing. But instead of admitting failure, Democratic leaders chalk it up to “compassion” and keep going.

The 2020 “defund the police” fiasco pulled back the curtain completely—radical ideas went mainstream because there was no one in power to stop them. Fewer officers, slower response times, and more crime followed.

Even when voters try to course-correct, the system snaps back. A few moderate wins get erased by the same entrenched political machine that created the problems in the first place.

Bottom line: Seattle isn’t “mysteriously liberal.” It’s what happens when Democrats build a system where they can’t lose—and therefore never have to fix anything. Read more at Seattle Red.

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