When Democrats lose the argument, they just rewrite the rules.

Democrats Try to “Protect Democracy” by Making It Harder for Voters to Use It

SB 5973 is Olympia’s latest attempt to kneecap the initiative process while pretending it’s about fairness. The bill would force citizens to collect at least 1,000 signatures before an initiative even gets a ballot title, adding yet another hurdle between voters and their constitutional right to go directly to the people.

Democrats claim it stops “aggressive signature gatherers” and wealthy interests. Republicans call it what it is: anti-democratic and unconstitutional. Senate Minority Leader John Braun said it flatly blocks citizens from engaging voters, while Rep. Drew Stokesbary warned it’s part of a pattern of lawmakers dodging accountability by rigging the process.

Even Democrats who actually run elections aren’t buying it. Secretary of State Steve Hobbs urged lawmakers not to move the bill forward, pointing out that raising filing fees already reduced overload and that enforcement should be handled by his office, not by restricting citizens. Former Secretary of State Sam Reed went further, calling the initiative process “almost sacred” and warning lawmakers not to suppress voter involvement.

The real giveaway? Over 10,500 people signed in against the bill, compared to just 1,200 in favor. Yet more supporters were allowed to testify than opponents, and critics were rushed through in 90-second soundbites. Nothing says “trust the people” like muzzling them at the hearing.

This isn’t about stopping fraud. It’s about stopping voters. Democrats don’t like initiatives because initiatives expose how unpopular their policies really are. So instead of changing the policies, they’re trying to change the process. Read more at Center Square.

Democrats’ Housing Plan: Tax Breaks, Bureaucracy, and a Side of Political Games

Olympia Democrats are once again searching for “creative solutions” to a housing crisis they helped create, this time by tweaking tax breaks and calling it bold leadership. The Senate Housing Committee is floating two new bills meant to make it easier to build apartments, including turning parking lots into housing and letting churches develop their land. In other words: after years of red tape and anti-development policies, they’re now trying to undo their own mess with carve-outs and exceptions.

One proposal from Rep. Marcus Riccelli would expand a 2022 law that gives tax breaks to companies converting parking lots into housing, bumping the eligible city population cap from 250,000 to 275,000. Spokane already used the program, and supporters say it could mean thousands of new homes. Tacoma, Bellevue, and Vancouver get in. Seattle and Bellingham are still left out, because apparently the biggest housing disasters get the least flexibility.

The second bill targets religious organizations, encouraging churches to build housing on their property—so long as 20% is set aside for low-income residents and developers coordinate with transit agencies. More rules, more mandates, more hoops to jump through. Democrats can’t resist layering bureaucracy onto anything, even when they’re supposedly trying to “streamline” housing.

And of course, none of this is free. Expanding the tax breaks could cost taxpayers $12.5 million over the next two years. Critics worry about blowing another hole in the budget, while supporters insist it’s an “investment.” Translation: spend now, hope it works later, and call it visionary.

Zoom out and the pattern is familiar. On housing, Democrats overregulate until nothing gets built, then toss out selective tax breaks to pretend they’re pro-growth. On law enforcement, Sen. Patty Murray blocks a U.S. attorney nomination without hearings or evidence, creating chaos in federal prosecutions. Different issues, same theme: process manipulation, delayed accountability, and a governing style that creates crises first and manages them second.

Whether it’s housing or justice, Democrats keep proving they’re better at political theater than actually solving problems. Read more at Seattle Red.

Democrats Create the Mess, Then Forget the Warning Label

SB 6134 is a simple, common-sense fix to a problem Democrats created themselves. Last year, they passed SB 5041, letting striking workers collect unemployment benefits, turning a system meant for job loss into a taxpayer-backed strike fund. Now comes the predictable fallout: workers can get UI benefits during a strike, then later receive retroactive wages, and suddenly they “owe” the state money for being paid twice.

That means surprise bills for workers, collection headaches for ESD, higher administrative costs for taxpayers, and more pressure on employers who fund the UI system. And since the state recoups less than half of overpayments, much of the money is just gone.

SB 6134 doesn’t change the policy. It just requires ESD to warn striking workers up front that overpayments are possible. That’s it. A checkbox, a letter, a clear notice. Basic transparency.

But because Democrats rushed through a union-friendly policy without thinking through real-world consequences, now the cleanup bill needs a fight just to get a hearing. They created a system where workers can unknowingly walk into debt, taxpayers eat the costs, and bureaucrats get stuck chasing money that will likely never be recovered.

Another day, another example of Democrats passing feel-good policy first and worrying about reality later. Read more at the Washington Policy Center.

Democrats’ Homelessness Plan: Make Chaos Permanent and Call It Compassion

House Bill 2489 is Democrats’ latest attempt to lock Washington into permanent sidewalk squalor. It severely restricts when cities can clear homeless encampments, piles on state-mandated procedures, and strips local leaders of the ability to act quickly—even when conditions are unsafe. By design, it turns a crisis into a long-term lifestyle.

Democrats claim it’s about compassion, but in reality it leaves people addicted, untreated, and exposed to violence on the streets. It treats sleeping in filth and danger as a “right” instead of a humanitarian failure. Cities like Marysville and Bellevue that actually try to restore order are told to stand down and let the chaos spread.

The result is predictable: more tents, more trash, more needles, more fires, more crime, and more people dying outside. HB 2489 doesn’t help anyone escape homelessness—it just makes homelessness permanent.

And this fits the bigger pattern. From blocking law enforcement accountability in Olympia to Patty Murray blocking a U.S. attorney nominee in D.C. without hearings or evidence, Democrats keep choosing political comfort over real consequences.

They created this mess with permissive drug laws, lax enforcement, and billions in wasted spending. Now they’re passing a bill that guarantees the failure stays visible forever. Read more at Seattle Red.

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