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Bob Ferguson appears to discover fiscal restraint—right when the state’s wallet is running on empty.
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Bob Ferguson Discovers Fiscal Restraint—For Now
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In a stunning turn of events, Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson is suddenly a fiscal conservative—or at least playing one for now. On Tuesday, he rejected legislative Democrats’ bloated budget proposals, citing their “far too much” reliance on taxes, including a wealth tax he admitted is legally shaky and likely doomed in court.
Ferguson’s stance marks a departure from his predecessor, Jay Inslee, who enthusiastically backed a wealth tax in his final budget proposal. But let’s be clear: Ferguson isn’t rejecting tax hikes outright. He’s just not willing to gamble on a legally dubious wealth tax while the state stares down a $16 billion budget shortfall—one created by years of reckless Democratic spending.
The governor also took a swipe at proposals to drain the state’s already weak reserves, warning that Washington is one of just four states with less than 10% in budget reserves. Yet, in true Ferguson fashion, he couldn’t resist blaming Donald Trump for federal funding cuts, as if that’s the real reason the state is in this mess.
While Ferguson refused to say where he stands on property tax hikes or a possible payroll tax, he’s clearly leaving the door open to new revenue streams. Meanwhile, Republicans—who have been warning for years about the state’s financial mismanagement—are understandably pleased. GOP State Rep. Travis Couture noted that Democrats blew through a $15 billion surplus and used one-time dollars to fund recurring programs, a reckless strategy that’s now coming back to haunt them.
Ferguson’s newfound concern for fiscal responsibility is certainly convenient, but will he hold the line when Democrats inevitably push back? Or is this just a temporary act until he can find a different tax scheme to slip through? Stay tuned. Read more at Center Square.
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Even Big Business Has Had Enough of Olympia’s Tax Obsession
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Washington’s biggest companies—Amazon, Microsoft, Costco, and others—just sent a loud and clear message to Bob Ferguson and his Democrat pals: Stop the reckless tax hikes before you wreck the economy. Their letter warns that Washington’s tax-and-spend spree is unsustainable, with the state budget more than doubling in a decade while Ferguson and his allies pretend there’s never enough cash. Even Ferguson, who rarely finds a tax he doesn’t love, had to tap the brakes on the legally dubious wealth tax—though he’s still flirting with the idea. Meanwhile, businesses are sounding the alarm on the payroll tax, pointing out that it’s already driven jobs out of Seattle and will do the same statewide. The kicker? Washington’s existing tax revenue is already growing at a healthy clip, meaning these new taxes aren’t needed—they’re just another excuse to fuel Democrats’ insatiable spending habits. Maybe if Olympia
spent less time dreaming up new ways to bleed businesses dry, they wouldn’t have to wonder why companies are packing up and leaving. Read more at MyNorthwest.com.
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Washington Democrats’ New Motto: Drive Less, Pay More, Shut Up
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Washington Democrats are back at it, pushing to hike the already sky-high gas tax by another 6 cents per gallon—because apparently, 49.4 cents wasn’t punishing enough. But don’t worry, that’s just the start; they’ll slap on a 2% annual increase to keep draining your wallet indefinitely. Their so-called “balanced” transportation budget also raids sales tax revenue and hikes fees on electric vehicles, proving once again that no driver—gas or electric—is safe from their cash grab. Meanwhile, the House is considering an even worse plan with a 9-cent gas tax hike, because when it comes to taking your money, why stop at “bad” when you can go for “worse”? And for the cherry on top, they’re floating a per-mile driving fee, so pretty soon, Democrats will be taxing you just for existing on the road. Read more at Center Square.
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Parents’ Rights? More Like Government Overreach: ESSB 5181 Set to Rewrite Parental Control
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The latest iteration of Washington’s “Parents’ Bill of Rights,” ESSB 5181, was passed out of the House Education Committee on a party-line vote, once again showing that partisan division trumps common sense. While Republicans push amendments to limit the bill’s far-reaching effects, the majority seems intent on undermining the parental rights initiative passed just last year. Democrats argue it aligns with existing laws, but in reality, it dilutes parental influence by adding layers of bureaucracy and government oversight. GOP State Rep. Skyler Rude raised valid concerns that this bill might not even hold up in court, given its contradictory title. Meanwhile, Democrat State Rep. Kristine Reeves uses personal trauma to push for more control over vulnerable children’s lives, despite concerns that the bill won’t even address the real issues, like the state’s student exodus. Read more at Center Square.
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Washington Democrats Throw a Fit After Losing Their COVID Slush Fund
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Washington Democrats are up in arms because the feds finally cut off their COVID-19 cash pipeline. Attorney General Nick Brown is suing the Department of Health and Human Services over the loss of $159 million in “critical health funding,” but here’s what they won’t tell you: this was pandemic money, and the pandemic is over. As KTTH’s Jason Rantz explains, instead of winding down these programs, Washington kept spending COVID grants on whatever it wanted—like paying 46 full-time employees to push vaccines for a virus that now amounts to a seasonal cold. Sure, some of these programs might be worth funding, but that’s Washington’s responsibility now, not Uncle Sam’s. Democrats and their media allies want you to believe Trump is gutting healthcare, when in reality, they were just banking on pandemic welfare lasting forever. Read more at KTTH.
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Nick Brown’s Ethics: Supporting a Law Firm He’s Got a Relationship With, But Don’t Worry, It’s Totally Fine
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Washington State Attorney General Nick Brown is caught in a web of deception after filing an amicus brief to support Perkins Coie, a law firm he’s been doing business with—despite conveniently omitting this little detail from his legal filing. His office claims the move was to defend against Trump’s unconstitutional attacks, but the reality is Brown’s office has a contract with Perkins Coie, making his support look suspiciously like a conflict of interest. Even worse, Brown’s failure to disclose this contract to the court raises serious ethical concerns. A complaint has now been filed accusing him of deceiving the court to give his contractor an unfair advantage. But don’t worry, Brown’s team insists everything’s fine—because who needs transparency when you’re busy playing fast and loose with the facts? Read more at Center Square.
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Tesla ‘Takedown’ is Just Another Leftist Reboot
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If you thought the anti-Tesla protests in Seattle were some organic, grassroots uprising, think again. KTTH’s Jason Rantz recently uncovered how it’s the same professional activist class—Indivisible, Democratic Socialists, and radical climate groups—just slapping a fresh label on their latest outrage. Over the weekend, unhinged protesters called Elon Musk a Nazi while demanding his imprisonment for nothing in particular, proving once again that irony is not dead. Meanwhile, left-wing media dutifully played along, pretending these were just everyday folks spontaneously mobilizing. In reality, it’s the same cast of activists, rotating between causes with the same playbook—text the right code, and one week it’s “Musk is a Nazi,” the next it’s “Ceasefire Now.” But don’t expect the media to connect the dots—after all, pretending this is a real movement makes for much better headlines. Read more at KTTH.
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