Democrats finally admit regulations drive up housing costs—too bad they only applied that logic to parking and not the mountain of red tape strangling new development.

Democrats’ Pick-and-Choose Deregulation: Parking Bad, Red Tape Good

Democrats have finally discovered that regulations drive up housing costs—but only when it comes to parking. Senate Bill 5184 eliminates minimum parking requirements in cities with over 20,000 residents, which makes sense in some areas but ignores the reality that most Washingtonians still need cars to function. Republicans tried to add nuance by applying the rule only to the largest cities, but Democrats refused, proving once again they struggle with common sense differentiation. They claim parking mandates make housing too expensive, yet they refuse to roll back the real barriers—like endless permitting delays, zoning restrictions, and costly environmental regulations that strangle new development. If they were serious about affordability, they’d be slashing red tape across the board instead of just taking aim at parking. At least this bill gives developers the choice to include parking rather than forcing unnecessary mandates—but too bad Democrats won’t apply that same logic to the rest of their overbearing housing policies. Read more at Center Square.

Democrats’ Latest Gift to Illegal Immigrants: Paid Time Off for Deportation Hearings

Washington Democrats want to force businesses to pay employees—potentially illegal immigrants—to attend court hearings about their unlawful status. House Bill 1875 expands paid sick leave beyond illness, letting workers take time off to fight deportation or help a family member do the same. As KTTH’s Jason Rantz points out, employers already drowning in taxes and regulations now get the added privilege of funding legal battles that undermine immigration law. The bill doesn’t even exclude convicted felons—so yes, a business could be paying someone to help a criminal stay in the country. Worse, it puts employers in legal limbo by making them financially complicit in a process that could violate federal law. Washington’s “progressive” leadership is proving once again that their priority isn’t struggling businesses or law-abiding citizens—it’s bending over backward for illegal immigrants at everyone else’s expense. Read more at KTTH.

Priorities, Priorities: Democrats Go Soft on Repeat Juvenile Gun Offenders, But Hard on Law-Abiding Gun Owners

In a baffling move, Washington Democrats are letting a bipartisan bill to increase penalties for repeat juvenile gun offenders die quietly in committee—because apparently, five convictions before real consequences is just fine. Meanwhile, they’re charging full speed ahead with laws to make life harder for responsible gun owners, like requiring permits, restricting storage options, and slapping an 11% tax on firearms and ammo. The cherry on top? A vague ban on guns “where children are likely to be present,” meaning you could unknowingly break the law just by carrying in a public park. Democrats claim these bills will reduce crime, but they seem more focused on punishing lawful gun owners than cracking down on the actual criminals causing the problem. Read more at Center Square.

Show Up or Fall Behind—Braun’s Bill Gets It

Washington’s chronic absenteeism problem is embarrassing, with nearly a third of students missing enough school to tank their futures. Enter Senate Bill 5007, John Braun’s common-sense fix that gives schools the tools to actually keep kids in class—because shocking as it sounds, learning works better when students show up. With training, mentoring, and community support, this bill helps schools tackle attendance problems head-on, instead of just shrugging at the statistics. The bill is scheduled for a public hearing on February 24^th. The public can have their say here.

King County’s Vanishing Messages: Dunn and Dembowski Wants to Fix That

Apparently, King County thinks public records should self-destruct like a spy movie. Councilmembers Reagan Dunn and Rod Dembowski are putting an end to that nonsense with a proposal to stop the county from automatically deleting instant messages. Right now, messages sent on Microsoft Teams vanish after 17 days, while other records—like emails and handwritten notes—are preserved. Dunn points out that as communication evolves, transparency shouldn’t take a backseat just because it’s inconvenient for bureaucrats. Even Governor Bob Ferguson had to halt auto-deletion at state agencies after a costly lawsuit exposed the problem. This ordinance would make sure messages are reviewed before disappearing, aligning with state policy. It now heads to the Government Accountability and Oversight Committee, because apparently, common sense still requires a bureaucratic pit stop. If passed, this policy correction finally takes effect in July 2025—better late than never. Read more at MyNorthwest.com.

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