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Democrats' idea of fixing the housing crisis? Scare off landlords, kill new development, and then act shocked when rents skyrocket anyway.
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Democrats: Making Housing Even Less Affordable—One Terrible Bill at a Time
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Washington Democrats are at it again, pushing rent control with SB 5222, a bill that will cap annual rent hikes at 7% and pile on more regulations for landlords. Because nothing says “fixing the housing crisis” like driving landlords out of the market and discouraging new housing! Meanwhile, Republicans actually have solutions, introducing a package of bills called “Housing Solutions Washington” to cut red tape and streamline the permitting process, which is a major driver of high housing costs. But of course, Democrats aren’t interested in real solutions—just more government meddling.
GOP Sen. Chris Gildon warned that if SB 5222 passes, tenants might celebrate at first, but soon they’ll be facing fewer available rentals as landlords exit the market. And he’s right—everywhere rent control has been tried, it’s led to less housing, not more. But why learn from history when you can just keep repeating the same mistakes? Even developers are saying they’ll take their business to Idaho, Montana, or Arizona if this nonsense passes. But hey, maybe that’s the Democrats’ secret plan: drive everyone out of Washington so housing prices drop naturally!
Republicans are trying to push common-sense solutions, like GOP Sen. Jeff Wilson’s bill to create housing development opportunity zones and waive impact fees. But since Democrats are more interested in virtue-signaling than solving problems, those bills will probably be ignored. Instead, they’re giving us Emily Alvarado, a freshly appointed senator from Seattle, who insists that rent control is just “commonsense guardrails.” Right—because nothing screams “common sense” like chasing away housing investment and making things worse. Read more at Center Square.
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Washington Democrat’s Rent Control Plan: Because Failed Policies Never Get Old
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Speaking of the ill-advised rent control plan, a recent op-ed in Center Square explains how Democrats are ignoring centuries of economic lessons proving it doesn’t work. While Argentina is ditching its failed rent caps, Democrats want to cap rent hikes at 7% and pile on more restrictions—because nothing fixes a housing shortage like scaring away landlords and developers. History is clear: price controls always lead to shortages, black markets, and worse conditions for tenants, but somehow, Washington politicians think this time will be different. Instead of cutting red tape and making it easier to build housing, they’re embracing a Soviet-style fantasy where bureaucrats decide “fair” prices while the market collapses. If lawmakers really wanted to lower rent, they’d stop acting like central planners and start allowing more homes to be built—because you can’t regulate your way out of a supply crisis. Read the full op-ed here.
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Saving Seattle from Weaponized "History"
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In Seattle, just about anyone can slap a “historic landmark” label on a building—whether the owner likes it or not—stalling or killing housing projects in the process. The Legislature is finally stepping in with a bipartisan bill to require owner consent for landmarking (unless the building is over 100 years old) and to stop these arbitrary delays. The bipartisan push signals growing frustration with how landmarking is used as a NIMBY tool rather than for actual preservation. While preservationists won some carve-outs, the bill’s real goal is curbing Seattle’s habit of turning every old structure into an untouchable relic. If passed, maybe housing projects will have a fighting chance—at least until the next bureaucratic roadblock appears. Read more at the Urbanist.
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No More Sidewalk Shantytowns—Spokane Gets It Right
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Spokane County just did what should’ve been common sense all along—banning public camping to clean up streets and restore order. After endless excuses from activists who think sidewalks should double as campgrounds, officials finally put public safety and sanity first. Now, instead of tent cities taking over parks and sidewalks, maybe we can start focusing on real solutions that don’t involve turning public spaces into open-air drug dens. Read more at KHQ.
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Democrats' Pay-Per-Mile Plan: A Road to Nowhere
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Well, isn’t this just delightful? The Democrats are back at it with their shiny new Senate Bill 5726, promising a pay-per-mile system that’s about as clear as mud. Apparently, the plan is to charge us 2.6 cents for every mile we drive, with the charming twist of making it mandatory for fuel-efficient vehicles—because who doesn’t love a good tax on top of existing taxes? And don’t worry, if you’re driving an electric car, you’ll just get to pay a different fee while everyone else enjoys the privilege of navigating this bureaucratic maze.
Sen. Bill Ramos assures us that this is definitely not a gas tax—except it sort of is, because you can deduct the gas tax from your new mileage charges. Brilliant! Meanwhile, the skeptics are rightfully scratching their heads over how this will all work, with truckers and regular folks alike wondering just how many hours they’ll have to work to fund this little adventure. So, while the transportation officials cheer on this “sustainable” plan, the rest of us are left wondering if our wallets will survive the ride. Read more at Center Square.
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Bob Ferguson to the Rescue—Sort Of
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A bill to rein in a governor’s emergency powers was going nowhere until Bob Ferguson, newly minted governor and self-proclaimed supporter of “reasonable limits,” made a phone call to get it moving. GOP Sen. Keith Wagoner, the bill’s sponsor, wants to ensure the Legislature has a say after 90 days of emergency declarations—unlike the Inslee era, when one man ruled for nearly three years. Ferguson’s involvement conveniently gives him a bipartisan moment, though the bill’s real test will be whether Democratic leadership actually lets it pass. The proposal has some Democratic co-sponsors, but after years of executive overreach, we’ll see if they actually mean it.
Read more at the Washington State Standard.
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