When Democrats say “nonpartisan,” they usually mean “our turn to redraw the lines.”

Democrats Discover “Fairness” Right After They Want More Seats

Olympia Democrats just held a public hearing on a mid-decade redistricting scheme that even they admit has almost no chance of passing. Translation: it’s political theater, with a side of constitutional meddling.

House Joint Resolution 4209 would let lawmakers redraw congressional maps early, even though Washington already has a bipartisan redistricting process and Democrats already control the Legislature and most of the congressional delegation. The only real targets? The state’s last two Republican districts, held by Reps. Michael Baumgartner and Dan Newhouse.

Democrats framed the idea as a response to other states doing the same thing, with Rep. Joe Fitzgibbon warning that democracy can’t survive if only one party tilts the playing field. The irony landed with all the subtlety of a wrecking ball. Republicans quickly pointed out that trying to rewrite the constitution because you’re “chafing” at what other politicians say isn’t exactly a noble defense of democracy.

Public reaction was brutal. Only five people testified. None supported the plan. More than 1,100 people signed in to oppose it, compared to about a dozen who supported or were neutral. Even groups normally friendly to “reform,” like the League of Women Voters, warned that mid-cycle redistricting is dangerous and could disenfranchise voters. Former redistricting officials echoed that it’s reckless in today’s hyper-polarized climate.

Republicans called it what it is: a reactive power grab that weakens a process Washington already does better than most states. Citizen lobbyists bluntly reminded Democrats that the two-thirds vote needed to amend the constitution doesn’t exist, making the whole hearing a waste of time.

Even Senate Democrats aren’t sold. Senate Majority Leader Jamie Pedersen has said he doesn’t support it and sees no path forward. Gov. Bob Ferguson praised what California did but admitted Washington lacks the votes, while still arguing the “rules have changed” and Washington shouldn’t play fair if others don’t.

So here we are: Democrats controlling the Legislature, the governor’s office, and most of Congress… yet still floating a long-shot plan to redraw the map because power apparently feels incomplete unless it’s total. Read more at Center Square.

Democrats’ New Homeless Plan: Ban the Bans, Handcuff the Cities

Olympia Democrats are back with another homelessness “solution,” and this one would effectively outlaw camping bans unless a city can provide shelter that meets an absurdly rigid, almost impossible standard. House Bill 2489 doesn’t just tilt the scale toward encampments — it bulldozes local control entirely.

Under HB 2489, cities couldn’t enforce camping bans unless they can house every homeless person with their pets, partners, possessions, disabilities, family members, and “support persons,” for free, with minimal check-in rules, and without requiring them to give up any legal rights. Critics testified that by these standards, virtually no shelter in Washington would ever qualify. Translation: enforcement becomes illegal almost everywhere, all the time.

City officials from Kent, Everett, Lakewood, Kennewick, Normandy Park, and Spokane Valley warned the bill would gut their ability to manage parks, sidewalks, soccer fields, environmentally sensitive areas, and public spaces. Christina Schuck, Kent’s deputy city attorney, summed it up bluntly: this bill would eliminate a city’s ability to manage public camping “no matter the impact on families, seniors, children, or the environment.”

Even law enforcement said the quiet part out loud. Redmond Police Chief Darrell Lowe testified that no shelter system in the state meets these standards, meaning officers wouldn’t be able to clear blocked sidewalks, address fire hazards, or ensure access to public spaces — and they’d have to tell communities, “Sorry, the state says we can’t.”

Meanwhile, Democrats are trying to resurrect Martin v. Boise, even though the U.S. Supreme Court overturned it in 2024, restoring local authority to enforce camping bans. In Spokane, enforcement after new bans led to a 333% increase in citations, showing the law actually has teeth when cities are allowed to use it. HB 2489 would rip those teeth right back out.

Public opposition was strong: about 58% of the more than 4,600 people who signed in opposed the bill. The Association of Washington Cities and the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs both signed in against it. When city governments and law enforcement agree something is a disaster, that should be a hint.

But Democrats rolled out their usual allies: the ACLU, homelessness advocacy groups, and even Burien’s mayor, who warned about a “race to the ban,” as if letting cities enforce basic laws is somehow cruelty rather than governance.

So once again, Democrats are trying to solve homelessness by stripping cities of authority, overriding voters, ignoring police, and pretending public spaces don’t belong to the public. It’s not compassion — it’s chaos dressed up as policy. Read more at Center Square.

Democrats Turn Campus Clinics into Abortion Clinics, While Dodging Real Student Support

Washington Democrats are now pushing to make public colleges and universities provide medication abortions on campus, whether schools want to or not. Senate Bill 5826 would require student health centers to dispense abortion drugs like mifepristone by the 2027–28 school year, and force schools without clinics to train staff to funnel students to off-campus providers.

Supporters frame it as “essential healthcare” and “health equity,” arguing that clinics are crowded and students shouldn’t have to miss class to seek care. Translation: instead of fixing the strained healthcare system, just dump another mandate on already overburdened colleges.

Critics, including the Washington State Catholic Conference, pointed out the obvious: abortion is not essential healthcare, and universities shouldn’t be turned into political battlegrounds for one of the most divisive issues in the country. They argued the state should focus on actually supporting pregnant students, not pushing abortion as the default “solution.”

And of course, nobody can explain how this gets paid for. Colleges are already drowning in rising costs, and now Democrats want them to add pharmaceutical services, staffing, training, and compliance costs to the pile, all under the vague promise to “find the most affordable way.”

Most campus clinics don’t even offer this service today, so this isn’t a minor tweak—it’s a major policy shift dressed up as administrative housekeeping. It’s another example of Olympia using colleges as delivery systems for ideological priorities while pretending it’s all about student success.

So once again, Democrats choose mandates over management, symbolism over solutions, and politics over practicality—while handing universities yet another unfunded obligation they never asked for. Read more at Seattle Red.

Democrats’ Fix for a $34 Billion Hole: Just Make Our Grandkids Pay

Sound Transit is asking Olympia Democrats for permission to issue 75-year bonds to keep light rail projects afloat, even as the agency stares down a roughly $34 billion shortfall. Instead of admitting the financial plan is broken, the solution is to push today’s costs onto taxpayers who won’t be born for decades.

Supporters claim it’s just “financial flexibility” and a smart way to fund infrastructure with long lifespans. Critics point out it’s incredibly expensive debt. A 75-year bond could mean taxpayers pay two to three times more in interest than with traditional financing. That’s not saving money—that’s hiding the bill.

Even some transit advocates admit it only helps “at the margins” and doesn’t replace the need for real reforms, sustainable revenue, or smarter construction choices. Yet Democrats are treating it like a silver bullet.

So rather than fix Sound Transit’s runaway costs or scale projects to reality, Olympia’s plan is simple: borrow longer, spend more, and let future generations deal with the consequences. Read more at the Urbanist.

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