After a year of clutching their pearls about “threats to democracy,” Washington Democrats suddenly discovered mid-decade gerrymandering is totally fine.

Democracy for Me, Not for Thee

Washington Democrats are floating a constitutional rewrite that would let them redraw congressional maps whenever it’s politically convenient — all while pretending it’s about protecting democracy. House Joint Resolution 4209 would blow up the long-standing rule that redistricting only happens after the census and replace it with a simple-majority free-for-all.

The proposal, sponsored by House Majority Leader Joe Fitzgibbon and Rep. Sharlett Mena, would allow mid-decade redistricting if another state does it first. Translation: if someone else jumps off the cliff, Olympia wants permission to jump too.

Democrats insist this is merely “defensive,” claiming Washington shouldn’t sit idle while Republicans elsewhere redraw maps. Republicans, meanwhile, see the obvious: a power grab designed to erase what little GOP representation remains in a state where Democrats already control 10 of 12 congressional seats.

Speaking to The Center Square, Rep. Travis Couture warned the target is clear — the districts held by Reps. Michael Baumgartner and Dan Newhouse. State GOP Chair Jim Walsh called the proposal hyper-partisan, unnecessary, and a lawsuit magnet that would do nothing to strengthen voter trust.

And the irony? Thick. These are the same Democrats who spent years condemning Republican redistricting as an assault on democracy. Now, inspired by California’s Gavin Newsom and Florida’s Ron DeSantis, they’re happily dusting off the very playbook they once denounced.

The amendment would require a two-thirds vote in both chambers — meaning Democrats would need Republican support. They won’t get it. Which raises the real question: if this is doomed to fail, why introduce it at all?

For now, it’s a warning shot. If Democrats ever secure a supermajority, Washington’s congressional map — and meaningful Republican representation — could be erased in the name of “democracy.” Read more at Seattle Red.

Climate Math, Courtesy of Olympia

Washington Democrats are back with another climate “success story,” except this one collapsed the moment someone checked the math. The Washington Department of Commerce now admits a “data entry error” made the Climate Commitment Act look 96 times more effective than reality. Oops.

The state originally claimed just eight projects would slash emissions by 7.5 million metric tons — supposedly the same as removing 40% of all vehicles from Washington roads for a year. The real number? 78,000 tons. That’s not a rounding error — that’s a full-blown fantasy.

State officials even suggested taxing natural gas would somehow lower home heating costs. According to Todd Myers of the Washington Policy Center, that claim was absurd on its face. You tax something, prices go up. And surprise — they did.

What makes this worse is how obvious the mistake was. Myers says he spotted it almost immediately, because the state suddenly claimed emissions reductions cost just $40 per metric ton, down from $1,400 the year before. If that didn’t set off alarms in Olympia, nothing will.

Meanwhile, Washington families are paying some of the highest gas prices in the nation — over $4.12 in Seattle — and being told it’s a noble “sacrifice.” Apparently, the sacrifice includes pretending wildly inflated numbers are real.

And this “politics over results” mindset doesn’t stop at climate policy. Myers points to the Washington ferry system, where a third of the fleet is sidelined, because leaders chased unproven electric ferry dreams instead of maintaining reliable diesel boats people actually depend on.

Now the state is reviewing thousands of CCA-funded projects to see what else might be wrong. Not reassuring, considering about 70% of CCA spending isn’t expected to reduce emissions at all — including $16 million for middle school “bicycle education.”

In short: the image of fighting climate change matters more to Democrats than results. When a program fails, they shrug — but when the numbers look good (even if they’re fake), they rush out the press release. Read more at Seattle Red.

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