With Democrats holding strong majorities, Washington’s legislative session turned into another spend-and-tax spree, with a $16 billion “shortfall” used as an excuse to slam residents with new taxes. Senate Republican Leader John Braun rightly called out the manufactured crisis, noting GOP lawmakers had proposed a no-new-tax budget that actually lived within the state’s means — something Democrats apparently see as radical. Instead of reining in bloated programs, Democrats jacked up costs for food, gas, housing, and healthcare while claiming they “did the best we could,” as if making life more expensive for working families is some noble sacrifice. Braun also blasted Democrat-run hearings for being little more than box-checking exercises, shutting down real input and excluding Republicans from budget talks entirely.

Despite being sidelined, Republicans still managed to block a number of far-left priorities — stopping bills that would’ve banned wood stoves, weakened sentences for violent felons, and eliminated elected sheriffs. They even forced a compromise on the closure of Rainier School, defending vulnerable individuals from being dumped out of care under the guise of “reform.” Meanwhile, House Majority Leader Joe Fitzgibbon proudly touted…recycling. Yes, while families struggle with rising costs, Democrats’ big win was making packaging more recyclable. Republicans showed up with common sense and restraint. Democrats showed up with another tax bill and a lecture. Read more at Center Square.

Democrats in Olympia just made driving even more expensive, hiking the gas tax to a whopping 55.4 cents per gallon and increasing sales taxes on vehicles—all while claiming it’s for roads and ferries, writes Bob Pishue of the Mountain States Policy Center. But instead of fixing potholes or reducing traffic, they’re funneling billions into pet projects like the Columbia River Crossing—where 40% of the $5.4 billion budget goes to light rail that’ll serve just 2.4% of commuters. Registration fees, rideshare taxes, and even tire disposal fees are going up too, making it clear that if it moves, Democrats will tax it. And just to make sure you feel the pain every year, they indexed the gas tax to inflation. Washington now ranks 47th in the nation for highway cost-effectiveness, yet lawmakers keep shoveling money into flashy transit dreams while ignoring the gridlocked reality most drivers live in. Read more at Center Square.

Democrats in Olympia just made driving even more expensive, hiking the gas tax to a whopping 55.4 cents per gallon and increasing sales taxes on vehicles—all while claiming it’s for roads and ferries, writes Bob Pishue of the Mountain States Policy Center. But instead of fixing potholes or reducing traffic, they’re funneling billions into pet projects like the Columbia River Crossing—where 40% of the $5.4 billion budget goes to light rail that’ll serve just 2.4% of commuters. Registration fees, rideshare taxes, and even tire disposal fees are going up too, making it clear that if it moves, Democrats will tax it. And just to make sure you feel the pain every year, they indexed the gas tax to inflation. Washington now ranks 47th in the nation for highway cost-effectiveness, yet lawmakers keep shoveling money into flashy transit dreams while ignoring the gridlocked reality most drivers live in. Read more at Center Square.

The U.S. Department of Education and Department of Justice just opened a first-of-its-kind investigation into Washington’s OSPI for allegedly pushing school districts to violate federal law—including Title IX, which, last we checked, was supposed to protect girls’ sports and spaces. According to the feds, Chris Reykdal’s office is strong-arming districts to let biological males into female-only locker rooms and onto girls’ teams—because apparently, equality means ignoring biology.

Districts like La Center, Mead, and Kennewick claim they’ve been told to comply with Reykdal’s pronoun and gender policies or lose state funding, raising red flags under FERPA and other privacy laws. The feds say OSPI may be pressuring schools to hide gender identity changes from parents, which sounds a lot like government-sponsored secrecy.

Education Secretary Linda McMahon called the situation a blatant violation of parental rights and female athletic fairness, while Reykdal doubled down, accusing the feds of launching a “dangerous war” on trans students. In reality, it looks more like Reykdal’s war on Title IX—and on any parent who dares ask questions. Read more at the Olympian.

The National Taxpayers Union Foundation (NTUF) just dropped a reality check—and it’s not looking good for Washington State. Their report warns that if Congress doesn’t extend the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA), residents here could be slapped with an average $4,567 tax hike, one of the steepest in the nation. So much for “helping working families,” a favorite Democratic talking point. Apparently, draining their wallets is the new plan.

The NTUF found that 80% of Americans would see higher taxes, the child tax credit would get chopped in half, the standard deduction would shrink, and higher brackets would return. Oh, and states like Washington that conform to federal tax definitions? They’ll see their tax bases shrink too—meaning less money for state programs unless Olympia cooks up new taxes of their own (and let’s face it, they will).

Meanwhile, Democrats are obsessing over repealing the SALT cap, which conveniently helps wealthy residents of California and New York more than anyone else. The NTUF says more than half the benefit of easing that cap would go to just those two states—hardly a “middle-class” priority. But hey, when your donors live in Malibu and Manhattan, you’ve got to keep the gravy train running. Read more at Center Square.

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