The Senate Republicans’ press release today says it all: Bob Ferguson had the chance to stand up for working families, but instead he rubber-stamped the largest package of tax increases Washington has ever seen. Despite earlier lip service about avoiding new taxes and keeping life affordable, the governor signed off on a bloated $77.9 billion budget that leans hard on $12.2 billion in new taxes—most of which will hit everyday Washingtonians, not the so-called “wealthy.”

Republicans had a plan—a balanced budget with no tax hikes, no service cuts, and full funding for priorities. Democrats? They chose gimmicks, cuts to essential services like behavioral health and public health, and a firehose of new spending including $4 billion in pay raises. And they propped it all up by inflating a $7.5 billion shortfall of their own making.

Senate Republicans rightly called out Ferguson for choosing politics over people. He could’ve vetoed the worst of it—including HB 2049, which opens the door for more property tax hikes and legal chaos over school funding—but instead he handed special interests a win and Washington families the bill.

So much for that “laser focus on affordability.” Looks more like a laser-guided tax bomb. Read the full press release here.

In a move as subtle as a brick through a window, Washington Democrats just signed off on their so-called “cleanup” of the parental rights initiative—by gutting it. The original Initiative 2081, backed by hundreds of thousands of Washingtonians, gave parents basic, commonsense rights in schools: access to curriculum, medical records, and immediate notification if their child is in danger. Apparently, that was too much power for moms and dads.

Gov. Bob Ferguson, ever the champion of “balance,” sided with his party’s fringe by signing House Bill 1296, which rewrites key parts of the initiative and strips out critical parental access to medical records. Why? Because under Washington law, a 13-year-old can now receive mental health treatment—including gender-related care—without their parents ever knowing. So much for transparency.

And just to really stick it to voters, Democrats slapped on an emergency clause to block any chance of a referendum. That’s right—your right to vote on this was conveniently erased under the excuse of “urgency.” Must be an emergency to keep parents out of the loop.

Republicans fought to preserve parental authority and introduce protections like keeping biological boys out of girls’ sports and locker rooms—but Democrats said no thanks. Instead, they prioritized expanding DEI language, adding more protected classes, and creating new bureaucratic complaint systems that threaten to withhold funding from schools that don’t toe the ideological line.

So in the end, Ferguson and the Democrats rewrote a parental rights law into a bureaucratic maze of woke buzzwords and top-down mandates—and then made sure you couldn’t repeal it.

Let’s Go Washington is already planning a counterpunch. And after this display of arrogance, don’t be surprised if parents across the state are ready to help swing it. Read more at the Washington State Standard.

Western Washington is gearing up for another smoky summer—and surprise!—King County might be short on the cash needed to respond. While local officials are panicking over potential FEMA cuts, maybe someone should remind them that wildfires don’t just happen… they’re often the result of decades of failed forestry policy.

Democrats have spent years worshiping at the altar of “leave nature alone,” blocking responsible thinning, logging, and fuel reduction—all while watching the forests turn into tinderboxes. Now, with wildfire risks expected to spike by late summer and over 350,000 King County residents in high-risk zones, their shortsightedness is quite literally blowing up in our faces. Again.

The Bolt Creek fire of 2022 and others like it choked the region in smoke for weeks—at one point giving King County the honor of worst air quality on Earth. But instead of addressing the root cause (mismanagement of forests), Democrats are fixated on whether FEMA will cover the bill when it all burns down.

King County Executive Shannon Braddock has put together a “200-day plan” to prep for FEMA disruptions—because what’s better than scrambling at the last minute after ignoring the fire hazard for decades? Maybe if Democrats spent half as much time on real forest management as they do writing climate action press releases, we wouldn’t need to rely so heavily on federal bailouts in the first place. Read more at Center Square.

Because nothing says “public safety” like forcing law-abiding citizens to pay, wait, and jump through bureaucratic hoops to exercise their constitutional rights, Gov. Bob Ferguson just signed off on a new gun control law that’s got Democrats patting themselves on the back—again.

Under House Bill 1163, Washingtonians will soon need a government-issued permit just to purchase a firearm. That means an application, a fee, proof of training (complete with live-fire exercises), and—of course—a lovely 10-day waiting period, because criminals definitely follow the rules.

The kicker? This entire process falls under the Washington State Patrol… which conveniently didn’t bother to testify on the bill. When even the agency tasked with implementing your legislation doesn’t want to touch it, maybe that’s a red flag—unless, of course, you’re a Democrat in Olympia, where ignoring logistics is just part of the process.

Rep. Liz Berry says she’s been working on this bill for 10 years. So, ten years of crafting a policy that punishes responsible gun owners while doing zip to stop criminals? Impressive.

And let’s not forget the timing—this won’t even kick in until 2027, giving the state two years to figure out how to build an overburdened permitting system from scratch. What could possibly go wrong?

But sure, go ahead and call it “common sense.” Just don’t act surprised when lawsuits roll in and small firearms dealers get crushed under the weight of your “progress.” In Bob Ferguson’s Washington, rights aren’t protected—they’re permission-based and fee-funded. Read more at Center Square.

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