One week before Election Day, Gov. Bob Ferguson announced a new Chief Fraud Prevention Officer and statewide workgroup to coordinate fraud prevention. Apparently, the state’s existing agencies, auditors, and armies of bureaucrats needed even more bureaucrats to help them do their jobs.

Republicans aren’t buying it. Sen. Leonard Christian called the timing suspect, arguing the state already has agencies responsible for catching fraud—and they haven’t delivered the results taxpayers deserve. GOP Chair Jim Walsh pointed to alleged fraud involving childcare, hospice care, and Apple Health, questioning why taxpayers should fund yet another layer of oversight.

The timing is particularly awkward given months of scrutiny over taxpayer-funded home daycares. When reporters raised questions about potential fraud, Democratic lawmakers pushed back on their investigative methods. Now, with Election Day around the corner, Ferguson is suddenly promising a crackdown.

Of course, the new workgroup has until June 30, 2027, to develop its statewide framework. Because nothing says urgent fraud prevention like giving government another eight months to write a plan.

Democrats have spent months defending the system. Now, days before voters head to the ballot box, Ferguson wants credit for creating a new bureaucracy to oversee the bureaucracy that was already supposed to catch fraud. Taxpayers deserve investigations and accountability—not another task force, another press release, and another promise to get around to it later. Read more at The Center Square.

Republican congressional nominee Amanda McKinney is calling out Washington’s sanctuary law, arguing it makes it harder to dismantle cartel networks and rescue trafficking victims. Yakima recorded 522 ICE arrests from January through July 2026—the most of any city in the state.

Meanwhile, Attorney General Nick Brown has joined a legal challenge to warrantless civil immigration arrests. To be clear, federal law allows certain warrantless arrests when officers have reason to believe someone is unlawfully in the country and likely to escape before a warrant can be obtained.

So while McKinney is emphasizing cartel activity, trafficking victims, and public safety, Democrats are challenging the methods federal authorities use to enforce immigration law.

When federal authorities are working to identify trafficking victims and dismantle criminal networks, Washington’s leaders should be focused on effective, lawful enforcement—not making an already difficult job harder. Read more at Seattle Red.

Insurance Commissioner Patty Kuderer is pushing legislation for the 2027 session to study a universal primary-care system, with a proposed report due in 2028. The plan could pool primary-care funding across multiple payers, while leaving patients to find separate coverage for hospital stays, emergencies, and specialty care.

And who pays for this latest Olympia experiment? The study would use regulatory funds financed by assessments on insurers—costs insurers can pass along to policyholders. So much for a free government initiative.

Kuderer blames Washington, D.C., for failing to fix healthcare while giving far less attention to how Washington state’s own Medicaid payment policies contribute to cost-shifting and provider access problems. She has also declared her commitment to a taxpayer-financed universal system, saying, “As long as I’m above ground, I’m working on this.”

The Washington Policy Center warns that expanding coverage without enough primary-care providers could worsen shortages and access problems. And despite the promise of universal primary care, patients would still need another way to pay for expensive specialty and hospital services.

The alternative proposed by free-market advocates is more competition, transparent pricing, and greater choice in how patients pay for care—not another government-designed financing system.

Washington already has a healthcare affordability and access problem. Before lawmakers sign taxpayers and policyholders up for another sweeping experiment, they should answer the obvious questions: Who pays, who provides the care, and what happens when demand outstrips supply? Calling a system “universal” doesn’t make it affordable, accessible, or sustainable. Read more at The Washington Policy Center.

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].