Washington Democrats just realized that spending billions on climate policy might require checking if it actually works—cute.
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Democrats finally decide maybe they should check if their billions in climate spending are actually doing anything.
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Senate Bill 5036—unanimously passed in the Senate and now out of the House Appropriations Committee—would require the Department of Ecology to provide annual updates on Washington’s greenhouse gas emissions. Imagine that: spending billions under the Climate Commitment Act and then asking for timely data to see if it’s working. Revolutionary.
As Republican Rep. Mary Dye, R-Pomeroy put it, “We’ve thrown a lot of money at climate policy since 2021 and have no clue if it’s doing anything. Maybe we should find out.” Good point.
Democratic Rep. Beth Doglio chimed in to agree that more data is helpful—because apparently waiting three or four years to find out we’ve missed all our targets just isn’t cutting it anymore.
Meanwhile, Todd Myers from the Washington Policy Center reminded lawmakers of an inconvenient truth: current emissions trends are way off-track from the state’s lofty 2030 goals. To get back on course, Washington would need three pandemic-level shutdowns worth of reductions in just five years. Sounds totally realistic.
Oh, and just a few months ago, Ecology got sued for not releasing the climate reports they were already legally required to produce. So naturally, the solution is… more laws?
Maybe the next bill can require Ecology to read the laws they already have. Read more at Center Square.
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Taxing Your Vacation So They Can Keep Failing at Housing
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Democrats in Olympia want to slap an extra 4% tax on short-term rentals like Airbnb, because nothing says “housing crisis solution” like taxing tourists. HB 5576 could push the total lodging tax rate to over 15% in Seattle, all while homelessness gets worse and their $16 billion budget hole remains wide open. Rep. April Berg, D-Mill Creek, says it’s about community—just ignore the part where she admits taking homes off the market for her own business. Republicans proposed reasonable carveouts for veterans and low-income owners, but Democrats rejected every single one. If taxing people out of joy were an Olympic sport, Washington Democrats would take gold.
Read more at Center Square.
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Taxing Tinder: Because Democrats Won’t Stop Until Love Costs Extra
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House Democrats are back at it—this time proposing a $1 monthly tax on every Washingtonian using a dating app like Tinder or Bumble. Rep. Lauren Davis, D-Shoreline, wants online dating companies to pay up (or pass it on to users) to fund domestic violence programs—services Democrats themselves defunded last session. Instead of fixing their own budgeting mess, they’re slapping a “romance tax” on singles just trying to find a date. It’s classic Olympia: break something, then demand someone else pay for the repair. The state can’t fund core services, but there’s always energy for another tax on apps, businesses, or now… peoples’ love lives.
Read more at MyNorthwest.com.
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Democrats to Juvenile Inmates: Riot All You Want—We’ve Got Your Back
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Senate Democrats just passed a bill that decriminalizes prison riots for juveniles, because apparently the real problem in violent facilities is too much accountability. Under HB 1815, teens who brawl behind bars won’t face felony charges anymore—just a talking-to and maybe a clean record, courtesy of the state. Republicans tried to raise the bar to at least four people before calling it a “riot,” but Democrats said even that was too strict. Lewis County is stuck with the fallout, including 94 retroactive cases and tens of thousands in costs—thanks to a legislature more concerned with coddling inmates than protecting staff. If you thought the “no police pursuits” policy was bad, just wait until prison riots are treated like high school food fights.
Read more at Center Square.
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Tell Governor Ferguson: Washington Needs a Break – No New Taxes!
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Olympia has more than doubled state spending over the last decade, and now they want you to pay for it with even more taxes—on your home, your business, and your budget.
Washington Policy Center is urging Governor Ferguson to stay strong and reject the Legislature’s reckless tax proposals:
- A property tax expansion that would make housing even less affordable
- A job-killing B&O tax hike on small businesses
- All while families are still struggling under inflation
Enough is enough. Sign the petition to thank the governor for opposing destructive tax hikes—and to demand a responsible, no-new-taxes budget that puts people first.
Add your name now and help put a stop to Olympia’s spending addiction.
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