We are back with our Daily Briefing... Just in time to inform you that when Democrats say “session,” they mean tax season—and everyone’s invited to pay.

Olympia’s Greatest Hits, Vol. 2026: More Taxes, More Fees, Same Old Democrats

As Washington lawmakers warm up for the 2026 legislative sprint, Democrats are already flooding the bill hopper with their favorite hobbyhorses: new taxes, higher fees, and grand spending promises paid for by someone else. With just 60 days once session starts, the strategy is clear—pre-file early, grab headlines, and hope voters don’t notice the bill piling up.

Taxes, taxes, and—surprise—more taxes.
Democrats are back at it with proposals to squeeze large employers, hike fees on car buyers, and even revisit taxes they just jacked up last session. Rep. Shaun Scott wants a new payroll tax on companies with high earners (because apparently job creators haven’t been “asked” enough yet), while Senate Democrats are pushing to double a vehicle arbitration fee—proof that even a $3 fee is never safe in Olympia.

Tuition cuts… funded by soaking Big Tech (again).
After Democrats’ own budget decisions led to tuition hikes and financial aid cuts last year, Rep. Julia Reed now wants to play hero by slashing tuition 10% a year—paid for by nuking the cap on the “advanced computing surcharge” aimed squarely at Microsoft, Amazon, and friends. Translation: break the system, then demand Big Tech bail it out.

Nuclear power—only if someone else pays.
In a rare bipartisan moment, lawmakers flirt with embracing nuclear energy as part of the state’s climate agenda. But in classic Olympia fashion, they mandate a “strategic framework” with zero state funding. If private money doesn’t show up, nothing happens—virtue signaling without the commitment.

Meanwhile, reality sneaks in from the sidelines.
Republicans propose everything from taxing paid protesters (seems only fair) to protecting people from violence based on political affiliation—ideas that Democrats have largely ignored or dismissed, even as political hostility escalates.

Bottom line: Democrats are sprinting into 2026 with the same playbook—tax more, spend more, and hope voters forget who caused the budget mess in the first place. Unfortunately for them, the receipts are already in the hopper. Read more at the Washington State Standard.

Atmospheric River, Real Consequences — While Olympia Debates Theories

As severe flooding pounds Washington’s 12th Legislative District, GOP Sen. Keith Goehner is doing something refreshingly unfashionable in Olympia: warning people about actual danger instead of arguing ideology.

Goehner urged residents to stay off the roads as flooding, mudslide risks, fallen trees, power outages, and washed-out infrastructure continue to hammer the region. Conditions, he said, are serious and won’t magically resolve overnight—despite the tendency in some corners of state government to assume problems disappear once the headline cycle moves on.

Roads are compromised, culverts are overwhelmed, burn scar areas are unstable, and rural and agricultural communities are taking the brunt of the damage. Farms, small businesses, families, and workers are dealing with real losses—not abstract policy debates or carefully worded climate press releases.

Goehner emphasized that this isn’t just about inconvenience; many roads are outright impassable, and driving conditions remain hazardous across state highways and local county roads. The storm system, one of the strongest atmospheric rivers in years, has left behind debris, erosion, and infrastructure damage that will take time—and competence—to fix.

While Democrats and their usual commentators rush to politicize the weather and argue over narratives, Goehner praised first responders and local crews actually doing the work on the ground. He remains in close contact with emergency officials as recovery begins—focused less on blame games and more on keeping people safe.

In short: while Olympia debates climate messaging, Republicans are out here dealing with floods, broken roads, and real-world consequences. Reality, inconveniently, keeps showing up anyway. Read more at Seattle Red.

Shock of the Century: Democrats Spend Washington Into a Multi-Billion-Dollar Hole

Washington state is staring down a multi-billion-dollar budget deficit, and—brace yourself—Democrats who control every lever of state government are scrambling to explain how it happened. After years of boasting about progressive taxation, booming revenues, and “responsible budgeting,” the math has finally caught up with them.

State officials now admit revenues aren’t keeping pace with spending commitments, many of which were enthusiastically approved during recent legislative sessions when Democrats treated one-time surpluses like permanent Monopoly money. Costly expansions, new programs, generous assumptions, and zero appetite for restraint have left the state with obligations it can’t cover.

Naturally, the early conversation leading into the 2026 legislative session isn’t about cutting spending. Instead, Democrats are floating the usual menu: more taxes, higher fees, and closing so-called “loopholes”—which, translated from Olympia-speak, means squeezing businesses and working families yet again. The possibility that government might simply do less is, as always, off the table.

Meanwhile, Republicans are pointing out the obvious: this deficit didn’t fall from the sky. It’s the direct result of a Legislature that spends first, congratulates itself second, and checks the balance sheet never. Years of warning about structural deficits were dismissed—right up until the bill came due.

In short, Washington’s budget crisis isn’t a mystery or a natural disaster. It’s a predictable outcome of single-party rule, unchecked spending, and the belief that taxpayers are an endless ATM. Now Democrats are shocked to discover that even record taxes have limits—and voters are the ones about to pay for it. Read more at Fox13.

When the Narrative Collapses: Democrats Discover Reading Is Hard

State Sen. Claudia Kauffman walked into a Joint Transportation Committee meeting determined to prove Washington State Patrol traffic stops are racist. What she actually proved was that she either didn’t read the report in front of her—or didn’t understand it.

Kauffman scolded WSP officials for supposedly omitting per-capita racial data from a presentation, then proceeded to quote the exact per-capita numbers contained in the written report WSP had already provided. Tables, breakdowns, trends—page after page of exactly what she claimed was missing. Capt. Deion Glover had to politely remind her that she already had the data she was demanding.

That didn’t stop the theatrics. Kauffman rattled off disparities as if disproportionality alone equals racism, ignoring both context and basic statistics. She waved around per-capita figures while skipping the raw numbers that completely undermine her argument—like the “alarming” increase in Native American high-discretion searches that amounted to… one additional search statewide. One. Meanwhile, white drivers saw a much larger increase, with the same per-capita rate change. In other words: parity, not prejudice.

Even more inconvenient for the narrative, per-capita written warnings for Black, Hispanic, Native American, and “other race” drivers declined year over year. The only group that saw an increase? Asian drivers—which, unsurprisingly, failed to spark any outrage, because progressive math only counts minorities when the data cooperates.

The report itself explicitly warns against drawing conclusions about racism, noting enforcement patterns are shaped by geography, patrol focus, population shifts, and driving behavior. But acknowledging nuance would ruin the performance. Kauffman wasn’t there to analyze data—she was there to accuse, facts be damned.

Worse still, the logical end of her argument is that police should enforce the law differently depending on race to satisfy equity optics. That’s not justice. That’s racial discrimination with better branding.

In the end, this wasn’t an exposé of systemic racism—it was an exposé of how identity-driven politics turns serious oversight into lazy, ideological grandstanding. And unfortunately, it’s exactly the kind of unserious behavior voters have come to expect from Democrats who think outcomes matter more than reality. Read more at Seattle Red.

Democrats vs. Democrats: The 48th District Circular Firing Squad Returns

Washington’s deep-blue 48th Legislative District is gearing up for another round of expensive Democratic-on-Democratic combat, as Redmond City Councilmember Jessica Forsythe jumps into a House race against incumbent Rep. Amy Walen. With Republicans effectively locked out, the real election is the Democratic primary—and it’s shaping up to be a familiar soap opera.

Walen, fresh off a bruising and very costly loss to Sen. Vandana Slatter in a special Senate election, has decided not to retire or rethink, but to try again—this time clinging to her House seat. That Senate run ended with Walen spending more than $660,000 only to get blown out by nearly 17 points. Apparently, the lesson learned was: run it back.

Enter Forsythe, who argues the district needs even more progressive representation—because clearly what this affluent Eastside enclave lacks is ideological purity tests. She’s already outraised Walen early, thanks in part to the convenient fact that challengers can fundraise while incumbents are muzzled by Olympia’s session freeze.

The backdrop here is classic 48th District politics: corporate cash, activist donors, and Democrats accusing other Democrats of insufficient loyalty to the cause. Walen has drawn fire for occasionally breaking with her caucus—including opposing rent stabilization and voting against the final state budget—crimes that are unforgivable in a district where disagreement is treated as heresy.

Meanwhile, the Northwest Progressive Institute breathlessly frames this as a battle for “progressive representation,” conveniently glossing over the fact that voters already rejected Walen once this year—despite her massive donor list packed with Big Tech and corporate PACs.

Bottom line: in the 48th, elections aren’t about ideas versus ideas—they’re about which Democrat is progressive enough, who has better donor networks, and who learned the right lessons from last cycle’s loss. The only thing missing? Any suspense about whether a Republican might ever be allowed back into the conversation. Read more at the Northwest Progressive Institute.

Donate Today

Please consider making a contribution to ensure Shift continues to provide daily updates on the shenanigans of the liberal establishment. If you’d rather mail a check, you can send it to: Shift WA | PO Box 956 | Cle Elum, WA 98922

Forward this to a friend.  It helps us grow our community and serve you better.

You can also follow SHIFTWA on social media by liking us on Facebook and following us on Twitter.

If you feel we missed something that should be covered, email us at [email protected].