Surprise, surprise: Washington’s climate plan isn’t about cutting emissions—it’s just a pricey scam that fuels Democrat slush funds while you foot the bill at the pump.

Washington’s Carbon Scam: Billions Spent, Almost No Emissions Cut

Washington Democrats sold the Climate Commitment Act (CCA) as a way to reduce carbon emissions, but nearly 90% of the spending has nothing to do with emissions at all. The state raked in $1.3 billion from carbon auctions in 2024, yet only a measly $53 million—just 11% of total spending—went toward projects with actual, calculable emissions reductions. Instead, Democrats funneled most of the money into transportation projects and “environmental justice” programs that prioritize “overburdened communities” over, you know, actually cutting emissions.

Meanwhile, Washington drivers are paying the price at the pump while the state wastes billions on feel-good initiatives with little impact. Even the Department of Ecology admits they don’t control where the money goes—lawmakers do, and they’ve chosen political pet projects over real environmental solutions. As Todd Myers from the Washington Policy Center put it, this whole thing is a massive waste of money that doesn’t even accomplish what it was supposedly designed for. But hey, as long as Democrats get to pretend they’re saving the planet while taxing you into oblivion, they’ll call it a win. Read more at Center Square.

Olympia vs. Parents: Democrats Just Can’t Take a Hint

Democrats in Olympia just can’t help themselves—they saw parents win some basic rights last year with I-2081, and now they’re scrambling to claw them back with ESSB 5181. Let’s Go Washington isn’t having it and has launched yet another initiative to keep parents, not bureaucrats, in charge of their kids’ education. ESSB 5181 would let schools hide information from parents under the guise of “privacy,” which sounds an awful lot like the state thinking it knows better than moms and dads. Brian Heywood put it best: “No state employee, no matter how well-intentioned, can know or love a child better than their own parents.” But that’s not stopping Democrats from trying to undermine parental rights while pretending they’re adding new ones.

Republicans like Rep. Travis Couture and Sen. Chris Gildon are sounding the alarm, with Gildon noting that his inbox is flooded with opposition to 5181—except for one lonely email in support. Let’s Go Washington’s Hallie Balch summed it up perfectly: lawmakers got the message with I-2081, but now they’re trying to undo it anyway. Since the Democrats won’t listen, it’s back to the ballot box to remind them who’s actually in charge. If the initiative gets enough signatures, voters will get their say in November—and based on the backlash, the outcome won’t be pretty for Olympia’s parental rights meddlers. Read more at Center Square.

Washington’s Housing Crisis: Brought to You by Bureaucracy

A new report confirms what anyone trying to buy a home in Washington already knows—sky-high prices aren’t just about the market; they’re thanks to government red tape. The Building Industry Association of Washington lays it out clearly: excessive regulations are driving up home construction costs, making homeownership a pipe dream for many. Want a single-family home? Be ready to shell out $690,701—because nearly a quarter of that price is just regulatory costs. Townhomes aren’t much better, with median prices pushing $600K, thanks to bloated permitting processes and land acquisition costs. Meanwhile, the state itself admits it needs 1.1 million new homes, yet lawmakers keep piling on the red tape instead of fixing the mess they created. BIAW is backing common-sense bills to cut permitting delays and free up land, but will Democrats actually support them, or will they stick to their usual strategy of making everything worse? If Washington is serious about fixing its housing crisis, it might want to start by getting out of the way. Read more at MyNorthwest.com.

Washington Democrats Say ‘Yes’ to Smut, ‘No’ to Protecting Kids

Democrats in Olympia just had one job—keep child porn out of libraries—and they still managed to fail. As KTTH’s Jason Rantx reports, House Republicans tried adding a simple amendment to HB 1834 requiring libraries to block obscene material on public computers, but Democrats shot it down without a second thought. Rep. Cindy Ryu’s excuse? Filtering out child porn “affects access to content” and apparently, protecting kids wasn’t actually the point of a bill called  “protecting Washington children online.” Right. Meanwhile, Republicans like Michelle Caldier and Chris Corry pointed out the obvious: libraries shouldn’t be a free-for-all for smut, especially when kids are involved. But Democrats weren’t interested in “doing the right thing” because that would mean crossing their activist base, the same crowd that thinks banning sexually explicit books for kids is some kind of human rights violation. Their go-to strategy? Punt real solutions to some imaginary future bill that will never see the light of day. So let’s be clear: Democrats had a chance to stand up for children, and instead, they stood up for predators. Read more at KTTH.

Patty Murray Skipping Trump’s Speech—And No One Cares

Sen. Patty Murray, in yet another desperate attempt to stay relevant, is skipping President Trump’s speech to Congress, claiming he’s “spitting in the face of the law.” Apparently, she thinks pouting in protest is more productive than actually doing her job. Meanwhile, other Democrats are using the event as a grandstanding opportunity, dragging along guests meant to score cheap political points. Murray’s absence won’t be noticed, nor will her dramatic statement-making—Trump will give his speech, policies will move forward, and life will go on. But if skipping a major national address makes her feel important, good for her. Maybe she can skip a few more and save taxpayers the trouble of funding her salary. Read more at the Washington State Standard.

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