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Apparently, for AG Nick Brown, “amicus curiae” now means “law firm we’re secretly dating.”
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Washington’s Top Law Firm: Perkins Coie & Co. (Now Featuring the Attorney General’s Office!)
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Turns out when you’re a big Democrat-friendly law firm like Perkins Coie, you don’t just get legal support—you get the full-service state-sponsored package. Internal emails show Washington Attorney General Nick Brown and his team gave Perkins Coie a front-row seat at the legal strategy table before the firm filed its lawsuit against the Trump administration. Not only did the AG’s office write them a glowing amicus brief, they asked for drafts, filed it right after the suit was dropped, and even sought Perkins’ advice on timing and arguments.
You know, like a real tag team—just funded by taxpayers.
Oh, and in case anyone missed the conflict of interest here: the AG’s office has ten active contracts with Perkins Coie. That little tidbit? Somehow left out of the amicus brief where they pretended to be just another neutral “friend of the court.” Oops.
Solicitor General Noah Purcell gushed in one email that being a Perkins alum was a “badge of honor.” That tracks, considering the AGO was practically begging Perkins for input like an intern asking for edits on their resume.
Meanwhile, small-town mayors and conservative legal orgs? They get ghosted when asking the AGO for help interpreting laws. Funny how the legal advice faucet only flows one way.
Republican AG candidate Pete Serrano called it out plainly: “If it were us, they wouldn’t be telling us how to stick the landing with a judge.” And he’s right—this cozy arrangement reeks of insider privilege and ethical rot.
Naturally, the AGO says there’s nothing to see here. According to their spokesperson, questioning the ethics of this setup is basically like denying gravity. Because clearly, if it helps Democrats and their favorite firm, it must be totally normal. Read more at Center Square.
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Grading on a Curve—Unless You’re a Democrat
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Future 42 just dropped its first legislative scorecard, and spoiler alert: Democrats flunked. The report card tracked how lawmakers voted on 19 high-impact bills, asking tough questions like—does this bill make anything better, or just cost more and kill jobs? Predictably, Democrats aced the part where they drive up taxes, drown small businesses in red tape, and make housing more expensive while claiming to make it “affordable.”
Take Rep. Liz Berry’s paid leave expansion—Future 42 flagged it as a bureaucratic nightmare for small businesses, but Democrats called it “progress.” Same with the rent control bill that will shrink housing supply faster than a Seattle coffee shop closes during a protest.
And of course, House Bill 2081 hiked taxes under the usual guise of “fairness,” hammering small businesses while letting big corporations slide—because nothing says equity like Amazon loopholes.
Democrats might not like the scorecard, but that’s because it exposes how little their feel-good rhetoric matches their job-killing votes. Progressive mouthpiece Andrew Villeneuve dismissed the whole thing, claiming voters still love Democratic values—just not the price tag that comes with them.
But Future 42 isn’t trying to win a popularity contest. They’re doing what Olympia won’t: keeping receipts. Read more at Center Square.
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One Seattle, Zero Ideas – Bruce Harrell’s Re-Election Hail Mary
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Mayor Bruce Harrell, whose greatest accomplishment seems to be stringing up twinkle lights while crime and homelessness rage a block away, is now trying to save his sagging re-election campaign by declaring war on Donald Trump. Why? Because apparently fixing Seattle is harder than yelling “fight, fight, fight” at a waterfront concert like a discount televangelist.
As KTTH’s Jason Rantz points out, trailing a nobody leftist in the polls, Harrell’s hoping Seattle’s progressive base will rally behind his anti-Trump theatrics—just like they didn’t for Jenny Durkan, who tried the same stunt during CHAZ and ended up a national punchline. If the best strategy you’ve got is copying the mayor who let a six-block anarchist zone flourish, you’re probably out of real ideas.
Instead of addressing the city’s rampant dysfunction, Harrell’s pretending Trump tweets are the real threat to Seattle. It’s all performance—ceremonial speeches, hollow slogans, and desperate appeals to a base that’s never going to love him.
Seattle voters are left watching a rerun of a political farce: a Democrat mayor ignoring local chaos to score imaginary points against Trump. And just like the last time, the city gets to pay the price. Read more at KTTH.
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Bill-zzard Warning: Lawmakers Snowed Voters Under with a Record-Setting Paper Storm
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Apparently, every pothole, pronoun, and prairie dog needed its own bill this year. According to a new op-ed by Chris Cargill, President of Mountain States Policy Center,
Lawmakers in Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming set records for legislative overload, with Idaho dropping nearly 800 bills and Montana unleashing a mind-numbing 1,761. Wyoming chimed in with 556, while Washington—ever the overachiever—introduced more than 2,000 bills but passed less than 20%, proving quantity ≠ quality.
In Idaho, lawmakers now vote on each department’s budget separately, which definitely didn’t help. Add in limited public notice and it’s basically Whac-A-Mole for anyone trying to stay involved. Montana lets legislators pre-file bills like it’s an all-you-can-eat buffet—then hands out doggy bags to their friends. Meanwhile, Wyoming’s legislative flood yielded a 31% passage rate, making you wonder why they bothered.
And Washington? Let’s just say they’re still working on it, because one session of low productivity apparently wasn’t enough.
Here’s a thought: fewer bills, more focus. Maybe even a legislative calorie cap? Until then, brace yourself—next session’s paperwork tsunami is only a few months away. Read more at Center Square.
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Raise Wages, Break the Bank: Washington Dems Fight Inflation with Economic Theater
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Washington Democrats keep hiking the minimum wage, but nearly half of households still can’t afford the basics, according to a new ALICE report. In places like King County and Bellingham, wages top $18–$20/hour—yet workers still can’t keep up with the cost of rent, food, and gas. Why? Because inflation is outpacing those wage gains, and higher pay mandates are driving up prices and killing jobs. The Seattle Times
admits it: a Seattle renter now needs over $40/hour to afford a one-bedroom apartment—double the city’s minimum wage. Meanwhile, businesses slash hours, cut staff, or shut down entirely. Even UW researchers found Seattle’s low-wage workers lost hours and saw little benefit. Democrats are treating economic symptoms while ignoring the root cause: sky-high living costs driven by overregulation and a housing shortage. As the Washington Policy Center writes, Washington doesn’t need more wage mandates—it needs policies that make life affordable. Read more at the Washington Policy Center.
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NEW INTERVIEW: Magendanz Talks Policy, Accountability, and Real-World Solutions
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What do submarines, software code, and high school classrooms have in common? For Chad Magendanz, they’re all training grounds for public service—and the foundation of a campaign built on real-world problem-solving. In a wide-ranging interview with Shift WA, the 5th District State Senate candidate shares how his experience in the Navy, tech sector, and public education shapes his approach to policymaking: practical, accountable, and focused on results.
Magendanz pulls no punches on Olympia’s tax addiction, calling for audits, efficiency, and an end to runaway government growth. He dives into education reform, arguing that funding without accountability is failing our kids, and lays out a vision for expanding STEM access to every student, no matter their ZIP code. With a track record of bipartisan wins and a refusal to play political games, Magendanz makes a strong case for why the Senate needs a dose of discipline, innovation, and common sense. Read more at Shift WA.
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