Democrats: Expanding “free” healthcare now, demanding your paycheck later.

Apple Health, Rotten Budget: Medicaid Explosion Sets Up Next Tax Hike

Washington’s Medicaid spending has ballooned from $7.85 billion in 2013 to a projected $42 billion in the next budget cycle — and Democrats still act shocked that we’re facing a fiscal crisis.

Thanks to Obamacare and a one-line budget trick pulled by Olympia Democrats, Medicaid enrollment nearly doubled, adding hundreds of thousands of able-bodied adults — many of whom don’t need care and could have gotten insurance elsewhere. But why bother when taxpayers are footing the bill?

Even with this jaw-dropping increase in spending, Washington still underpays the doctors who treat Medicaid patients. So it’s not better care — just more bureaucracy. And now that federal funding is set to shrink under Trump’s One Big Beautiful Act, Democrats are already warming up the “we need more taxes” talking points.

The kicker? Nearly half of all births in Washington are now covered by Medicaid, and between 200,000–320,000 people are expected to lose coverage as eligibility redeterminations return. That’s not a safety net — it’s a policy hammock for the healthy and insured.

Democrats created this mess, but their solution is always the same: squeeze taxpayers harder. Expect the next budget gimmick to come with a side of new taxes — and a lecture about how it’s all someone else’s fault. Read more at Center Square.

Gerrymanderpalooza? Not in Washington, Say Dems Who Already Rigged It Enough

While national Democrats dream of redrawing congressional maps to cling to power, even Washington state’s own party bosses are tapping the brakes — because, shocker, they already maxed out their advantage here.

Democrats currently hold 8 of 10 U.S. House seats in Washington. To grab a ninth, they’d have to slice and dice the state like a gerrymandering Picasso — stitching together cities across mountains and deserts just to oust one more Republican. Even they admit it’s a stretch.

Senate Majority Leader Jamie Pedersen and House Majority Leader Joe Fitzgibbon have basically waved the white flag, calling it a political and logistical impossibility before 2026. But don’t worry, Rep. Suzan DelBene is still playing coy, refusing to rule out the scheme entirely. Never let reality get in the way of a good partisan fantasy.

Meanwhile, Republicans — led by Rep. Drew Stokesbary — aren’t mincing words. Any attempt to reconvene the redistricting commission or bypass it altogether will be met with lawsuits, mockery, and hopefully, some popcorn.

The real problem? Democrats already pushed the boundaries (literally) during the last redistricting, and it still ended in a lawsuit over voting rights that forced federal intervention. Now they want another go — even if it costs millions, fuels more legal chaos, and torches public trust.

Just another day in Washington politics: if the map doesn’t match the votes they want, redraw until it does. Read more at the Washington State Standard.

Gridlock by Design: WSDOT’s War on Drivers Rolls On

Leave it to Washington Democrats and their loyal bureaucrats at WSDOT to turn a basic road construction project into a commuter nightmare. As KTTH’s Jason Rantz points out, with only two northbound lanes open on the Ship Canal Bridge, WSDOT could’ve eased the pain by sticking to the normal express lane schedule. Instead, they rerouted the express lanes exclusively for northbound traffic — stranding southbound drivers in an 11-mile mess that stretched into Snohomish County.

The response from WSDOT? Shrug. “People will adapt,” said one smug spokesperson, as if sitting in traffic for two hours is just a lifestyle choice.

Of course, this is about more than just incompetence — it’s about control. WSDOT isn’t prioritizing what makes sense for drivers. They’re clinging to their usual agenda: punish car commuters, push public transit, and toll you into submission. Practical fixes that would actually help? Off the table.

Democrats built this bureaucratic traffic trap — and they’re fine letting you sit in it. Read more at KTTH.

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