For Democrats, when voters keep overruling you, the solution isn’t better ideas—it’s shutting down the opposition.

Democrats vs. Democracy: Now They’re Trying to Regulate Your Right to Rebel

Even Washington’s own top election officials are waving red flags at Democrats’ latest power grab. Former Republican Secretary of State Sam Reed and current Democratic Secretary of State Steve Hobbs both warned lawmakers that House Bill 2259 would create new roadblocks for citizen-led initiatives. That’s bipartisan code for: this is a bad idea.

The bill would force initiative sponsors to collect 1,000 signatures before they even get a ballot title and ban paying signature gatherers per signature—making grassroots campaigns slower, more expensive, and far less accessible. Reed called it what it is: “a voter suppression bill.” And when a former Secretary of State uses that phrase, it’s not casual.

Hobbs pointed out that abuse has already been reduced by raising filing fees in 2024, which cut down duplicate filings. Translation: the problem Democrats claim to be fixing is already being handled.

But Rep. Sharlett Mena and her fellow Democrats insist this is about “gamesmanship” and “fraud.” Critics see it differently: Democrats are tired of voters using initiatives to overturn their agenda, so they’re trying to stack the deck against the public.

When citizens keep winning, Democrats don’t change their policies—they change the rules. Read more at Seattle Red.

AG Shrugs, Bar Reacts: Democrats’ Accountability Allergy Strikes Again

Attorney General Nick Brown laughed off a bar complaint against him as “pretty laughable.” Turns out, the Washington State Bar Association didn’t find it quite so funny. After an initial dismissal was challenged, the complaint is now officially headed to a disciplinary review committee, which can reopen the investigation, order hearings, or even issue formal discipline.

So much for “case closed.”

The complaint stems from Brown signing an amicus brief backing Perkins Coie against President Trump, while the firm quietly held active contracts with the Attorney General’s Office. That little detail was never disclosed to the court. According to The Center Square, AGO lawyers also helped Perkins Coie strategize the lawsuit and advised on when and where to file it. Critics call that a conflict of interest. Brown’s office apparently calls it Tuesday.

Even better: when the Bar asked Brown to respond, he didn’t. Not once. Not until they threatened to suspend his law license. Emails show his executive assistant received the notice but brushed it off because she was on vacation, and the Solicitor General later admitted she “did not recognize the importance” of the request. You know, just the Bar Association asking about potential ethics violations by the state’s top lawyer.

Democrats love lecturing everyone else about “ethics” and “the rule of law.” But when scrutiny lands on one of their own, suddenly it’s all jokes, shrugs, and missed emails. Accountability is mandatory—for everyone except Democrats running the show. Read more at Center Square.

Democrats’ Big Idea: Take Seattle’s Tax Failure and Make It Statewide

Ryan Frost of the Washington Policy Center torched Democrats’ proposed statewide payroll tax by pointing out the obvious: this is just Seattle’s JumpStart disaster on a much bigger scale. And JumpStart hasn’t “jump-started” anything except business exits.

Since Seattle rolled out its payroll tax in 2020, businesses have been leaving, new business creation has slowed, and even the Seattle City Council president admitted it drove companies and jobs out of downtown. That’s not recovery. That’s self-inflicted economic damage.

It gets better. JumpStart was sold as dedicated funding for affordable housing. Now the money is being siphoned into the general fund to pay for basic government operations. And the oversight committee that was supposed to keep it honest? Eliminated. The “dedicated funding” promise lasted exactly until the first budget panic.

Frost also reminded lawmakers that other cities already learned this lesson the hard way. San Francisco ditched payroll taxes because they discourage hiring and create unstable revenue. Portland is watching high earners flee across the river to Clark County, losing about $1 billion a year in taxable income. Taxes don’t just raise money—they push people away.

Seattle businesses could escape JumpStart by moving to Bellevue or Redmond. A statewide payroll tax kills that option. Companies won’t just move cities. They’ll move states—Texas, Utah, Tennessee—places that don’t treat job creators like walking ATMs.

Democrats are trying to take a policy that failed in Seattle and force it on the entire state. If JumpStart was the pilot program, the results are in. And they’re a warning label, not a green light. Read more at the Washington Policy Center.

Donate Today

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].