Olympia claims it loves transparency—just not when the wrong reporter asks for a badge.

Press Freedom—Approved Only If You’re on the Right Guest List

The Citizen Action Defense Fund is threatening legal action after the Washington State House and the Capitol Correspondents Association denied press credentials to conservative talk radio host Ari Hoffman.

CADF Executive Director Jackson Maynard fired off a warning letter arguing that press access isn’t a favor handed out by politicians or private clubs—it’s a constitutional right. Denying access to the “people’s House,” he warned, raises serious First and Fourteenth Amendment concerns.

Hoffman, a longtime host on Seattle’s KVI and a Jewish journalist seeking credentials to cover Jewish Advocacy Day, says his application was flatly rejected. If “advocacy” is the excuse, he argues, then credentialing quickly becomes a joke—especially when legacy outlets like The Seattle Times openly endorse candidates and initiatives without consequence.

The controversy sits on top of a messy credentialing system. For decades, the Capitol Correspondents Association handled press access. Last year, it handed authority back to the Legislature—after which the Senate promptly restricted reporter access to legislative wings unless invited. Not long after, independent journalist Jonathan Choe was barred from a Democratic Party media availability, setting off alarms about viewpoint discrimination.

Public records obtained by The Center Square show attorneys from the Attorney General’s Office were quietly communicating with legislative lawyers about credentialing rules—most of it hidden behind redactions and attorney-client privilege. Meanwhile, CADF argues the House has failed to publish clear, objective standards and instead outsourced decisions to a private association with opaque rules—something federal courts have repeatedly ruled unconstitutional.

For the 2026 session, the House issues hard passes for the full session, while the Senate hands out weekly paper credentials—only to select media. Critics say it’s déjà vu: the same restriction-first approach that previously collapsed under scrutiny.

As Maynard put it, lawmakers can either fix the problem now or gamble on losing in court later. Either way, the message from Olympia is getting harder to ignore: press access is welcome—so long as the coverage stays comfortably predictable. Read more at Center Square.

$732 Million on the Table—And Olympia Is Staring at the Ceiling

Washington students and schools are poised to gain $732 million in new education funding next year—money that doesn’t come from the state budget, local districts, or taxpayers here at home. The only thing blocking it? A decision from the governor.

Congress created the nation’s first federal tax-credit scholarship program, allowing taxpayers to donate to nonprofit scholarship organizations and receive dollar-for-dollar federal tax credits (up to $1,700). Those nonprofits then award scholarships to K-12 students—public or private—from families earning up to 300% of area median income. The funds can be used for tutoring, special education services, transportation, technology, tuition, and more. No state bureaucracy. No new mandates. Just extra federal dollars flowing straight to students.

There’s just one catch: states have to opt in. If Bob Ferguson doesn’t sign Washington up by January 1, 2027, that $732 million doesn’t disappear—it simply goes to other states. And they’re not waiting. Colorado just became the 24th state to opt in, joining a long and growing list.

Meanwhile, Washington risks sitting on the sidelines while nearly half the country cashes in. Even former Obama Education Secretary Arne Duncan called keeping this kind of money in-state “a no-brainer.” Two dozen Washington lawmakers agree and have formally urged the governor not to leave the money behind.

Still, opposition remains. Superintendent Chris Reykdal and Senate Majority Leader Jamie Pedersen argue—somehow—that purely federal funding would hurt public education. That logic requires ignoring a basic fact: you can’t “lose” money you never had. Opting out doesn’t protect schools; it just guarantees Washington students get nothing while other states get richer.

The choice is painfully simple: opt in and secure $732 million for Washington kids, or do nothing and watch that money head elsewhere. At this point, the only mystery is why Olympia is hesitating while the rest of the country is already cashing the checks. Read more at the Washington Policy Center.

30 Seconds for the Whistleblower, Unlimited Time for the Scandal

A whistleblower who helped expose millions of dollars in alleged self-dealing tied to race-based, taxpayer-funded housing grants was given exactly 30 seconds to testify before Washington lawmakers—twice—on bills sparked by her own revelations.

According to reporting from The Center Square, real estate broker Corey Orvold, a former longtime volunteer with the Tacoma Urban League, stepped down in early 2025 after raising alarms that board members were allegedly steering Community Reinvestment Program grants to family, friends, and insiders. Those concerns are now under investigation by Attorney General Nick Brown.

The Community Reinvestment Program is supposed to help minority homeownership through taxpayer-backed grants. Instead, Orvold says she’s watched hopeful families be told the money was “gone” while connected insiders allegedly collected multiple grants for the same home purchases.

Her testimony came during a Senate Housing Committee hearing on two bills inspired by the controversy. Senate Republican Leader John Braun introduced SB 6205 to add oversight and accountability to the program after what he described as credible reports of misuse and “double dealing.” Braun laid out concerns that qualified applicants were shut out while those with nonprofit connections allegedly got special treatment.

Orvold arrived with a binder full of documentation—and barely enough time to finish a sentence. As the clock ran out, she described consoling devastated families who believed homeownership was within reach, only to lose out, take on debt, or even become homeless while funds allegedly flowed to nonprofit insiders.

She was then given another 30 seconds to support SB 6167, sponsored by Keith Goehner, which would block multiple grants or funding streams from going to the same developer or individual. That bill drew less support and appears unlikely to move forward, though Goehner said he would review the evidence Orvold uncovered.

Neither bill received a vote Wednesday, but Braun’s accountability measure still has a path forward. The takeaway from the hearing was hard to miss: Olympia has no shortage of enthusiasm for spending taxpayer money—but when someone shows up with evidence it may be abused, they get half a minute and a polite nod. Read more at Center Square.

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