In Democrat-run Washington, some residents think free speech is an emergency.

Dial 911, There’s Democracy Happening!

In Snohomish County, residents are clogging up 911 lines—not to report crimes, but to report people gathering initiative signatures. Yes, seriously. Police say they’ve had multiple calls from irritated shoppers who found petitioners outside Safeway and Fred Meyer so “disturbing” that they called emergency dispatch. One woman complained, “It’s so crappy what they’re petitioning for.” Another accused signature gatherers of “hate against trans people.” Apparently, disagreeing with someone’s viewpoint now qualifies as a public safety issue.

Snohomish Police had to publicly remind people not to call 911 just because someone is exercising their First Amendment rights. Officers repeatedly explained that signature gathering is constitutionally protected—and that unless someone’s blocking the door, it’s not trespassing, harassment, or hate speech. Even after initiative workers faced actual intimidation and property damage, the callers still framed their outrage as civic duty.

The county prosecutor’s office later confirmed the obvious: initiative signature gathering is protected under both the Washington State and U.S. Constitutions. But that hasn’t stopped progressive busybodies from trying to get police to shut down petitions they don’t like—especially ones dealing with parental rights or girls’ sports.

In short: when Democrats can’t win the debate, they just call 911. Read more at Center Square.

When the Grades Flop, the Bureaucrats Hit Delete

Washington’s Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) had one job: track progress toward its goal of getting 90% of students proficient in key subjects by 2029. Instead, when independent researcher Corey Myers asked where the updated results were, the agency’s response was to… quietly scrub the webpage that showed whether those targets were being met. Nothing says “transparency” quite like hitting the delete key.

When Myers pressed for answers, OSPI’s spokesperson claimed it wasn’t intentional—just an “oops, it slipped through the cracks” moment. Convenient timing, considering that after Myers filed a public records request, the agency knew he’d eventually get the data through official channels. What the remaining data shows isn’t exactly flattering: just 70.9% of students are hitting mid-level marks in English and only 63.3% in math—far below those lofty 90% goals.

OSPI also “adjusted” its proficiency metrics this year, making year-over-year comparisons meaningless—a classic bureaucratic trick for turning bad results into a “data interpretation issue.” Myers argues the agency is simply hiding the truth: Washington is spending record amounts on K–12 education, yet outcomes are declining.

Democrats love to boast about “investing in education.” But after billions spent and falling test scores, it’s clear what they’re really investing in—damage control and website maintenance. Read more at Center Square.

Seattle’s “Comeback” Is Just Bellevue in Disguise

Seattle leaders keep insisting the city is “back,” but big tech has moved on—literally east. The Wall Street Journal highlights how companies like Snowflake skipped Seattle’s chaos for Bellevue’s clean, safe streets and “sweeping mountain views.” Translation: they’d rather stare at Mount Rainier than at open-air drug markets and boarded-up storefronts.

This didn’t happen by accident. After years of anti-business tantrums like the 2018 head tax, Seattle’s Democratic leadership made it clear that employers were the problem. Amazon got the message and shifted thousands of jobs across the lake. Since then, Bellevue has added more office space, more jobs, and—crucially—more common sense, while Seattle’s downtown sits at a record 34.6% vacancy rate.

Bellevue offers what Seattle politicians only talk about: order, safety, and a city hall that doesn’t treat success like a crime. Its light rail connects families to work, its parks are safe, and its malls are thriving—95% leased with an “FBI-level” security team. Meanwhile, Seattle’s answer to collapsing retail and rampant crime? More lectures about equity and another task force to “reimagine” what’s already broken.

Bellevue isn’t stealing Seattle’s success—it’s inheriting it. While Seattle Democrats defend dysfunction, Bellevue proves what happens when a city actually values law, order, and the people who make jobs happen. Read more at Seattle Red.

Main Street on Mute: Thanks, Democrats!

Washington small businesses are learning the hard way what happens when Democrats play politics with paychecks. With the federal government shut down for three weeks, no new SBA loans are being approved, federal payments are delayed, and construction and housing projects are stalled waiting on permits and certifications. The National Republican Congressional Committee is pointing the finger squarely at Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D-Washougal), accusing her of helping keep the lights off in D.C.

While small businesses scramble to make payroll, Democrats in Congress are busy blocking Republican efforts to reopen the government with a clean funding bill—because they’d rather leverage the crisis for more spending on pet programs and healthcare for illegal immigrants. Meanwhile, Perez is nowhere to be found as Washington employers wait for help that isn’t coming.

NRCC spokesman Christian Martinez summed it up perfectly: “While small businesses are hustling to make payroll and keep the lights on, Democrat Marie Gluesenkamp Perez shut down the government and put Main Street on hold.” Read more at Seattle Red.

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