California burns while Democrats across the West continue to fiddle with bad policies—because who needs forests, homes, or insurance when you’ve got virtue signaling?

Burned by Wildfires and Bad Policy: How Democrats Turned California Into an Insurance Wasteland

Wildfires are raging across Southern California, leaving destruction and heartbreak in their wake, and highlighting years of Democratic mismanagement. Thanks to state regulators capping premium increases, private insurers have fled high-risk areas, leaving many homeowners without adequate coverage when disaster strikes. This is the natural result of policies that ignored mounting wildfire risks while stifling the insurance industry’s ability to adapt. Meanwhile, officials in Washington are urging homeowners to double-check their fire insurance, warning that many policies don’t cover the real costs of rebuilding or living elsewhere after a fire. Between soaring rebuilding costs, outdated codes, and barebones policies, residents are left scrambling when the flames come. Given Democrats’ gross mismanagement of forests in our state, it’s wise to ensure you and your family are protected. The reality is that Democrats across western states, in particular, have spent years ignoring root causes and common-sense prevention—now, tragically, Californians are paying the price. Read more at Center Square.

Musical Chairs in Olympia: Democrats Double Down on the Same Old Song

Democrats in Olympia are at it again, shuffling the same faces through different seats to push their well-worn extreme left agenda. Vandana Slatter moves from the House to the Senate, replacing Patty Kuderer, who got a new gig as insurance commissioner. Meanwhile, Amy Walen, upset she didn’t get the Senate spot, is already plotting her comeback in November’s election. Redmond City Council member Osman Salahuddin steps into Slatter’s old House seat, joining a Legislature that’s seeing a wave of Democratic appointments. With more vacancies to fill and Bob Ferguson promoting his allies, it’s clear the party’s motto is: “Why change when we can just reshuffle?” Read more at Washington State Standard.

Cleaning Up the Kids’ Consent Chaos: GOP Steps In After Dems’ 13-Year-Old Free-for-All

Washington Republicans are attempting to clean up the mess left by Washington Democrats’ “mature minor doctrine,” which allowed kids as young as 13 to make major healthcare decisions without their parents. Rep. Jim Walsh’s proposed HB 1176 builds on the Parents’ Bill of Rights (I-2081), ensuring parents must consent to their minor children’s medical treatments, like mental health or substance use therapy, until they’re at least 17. This sensible bill simplifies the chaotic patchwork of ages for consent that Democrats left behind, where the rules seemed more like a game of “spin the wheel.” Naturally, Democrats like Sen. Jamie Pedersen are fretting about protecting minors’ “rights” to sideline their parents—because nothing screams “insane policy” louder than letting 13-year-olds navigate complex healthcare systems alone. Despite inevitable resistance, Walsh’s bill promises to restore family rights and inject some much-needed sanity into Washington law. Read more at Center Square.

Seattle’s Big Win: One Whole New Officer Thanks to Anti-Cop Chaos

After years of anti-police rhetoric and pro-criminal policies, Seattle finally broke its losing streak with a whopping net gain of one officer  in 2024. That’s right—despite hiring 84 officers, 83 left, leaving the city with staffing levels still at historic lows. The exodus began in 2020 with events like the Capitol Hill Occupied Protest, which strained relations between the police and Seattle’s extreme leftist leadership. Meanwhile, the city poured millions into recruitment ads, upped lateral hire bonuses to $50,000, and streamlined hiring—but even these efforts only scraped together marginal progress. Officials are celebrating as if they solved the public safety crisis, while residents are left wondering if this trickle of progress is supposed to stem the crime wave. With 933 deployable officers for a city of over 700,000, it’s clear that Seattle’s extreme Democrats have created a staffing crisis they can’t recruit their way out of. Maybe next year they can try for a net-gain of two officers? Read more at Center Square.

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