Blog
Attacking Democracy in the Name of Democracy
A healthy democracy produces good policy in the midst of tension, meaningful debate, and bipartisan compromise. That has all but evaporated in Olympia, as the scale has tipped so far in one direction that the guardrails that…
Washington Passed an Income Tax to Fund Education. Then the Same Majority Cut Education — and Left $700+ Million on the Table.
Washington’s legislative majority accomplished two mutually exclusive fiscal maneuvers in a span of about 24 hours. On March 11, they passed the long-opposed, unpopular state income tax to “fully fund” education. The very…
Hiring someone to jobs around the house? Legal advice from DWT
I appreciated this information about Washington state's new domestic workers' law from Davis Wright Tremaine (DWT), a business law firm. It details what households should know and need to do when House Bill 2355 is…
Montana Schools Say They Need $100 Million More. The Full Story Is Complicated
"But is the level of facility funding really the problem for our school districts? There’s at least some evidence to say: not exactly." The following has been adapted from an excerpt of the Frontier Weekly…
House and Senate Send Supplemental Budget to Governor
The legislature passed its agreement on the 2026 supplemental operating budget and adjourned yesterday. The budget now sits on Governor Ferguson's desk, where he can sign it, veto sections, or veto it entirely. I broke…
Legislature Agrees to Increased Spending in Supplemental Budget
The legislature passed its agreement on the 2026 supplemental operating budget and adjourned yesterday. The budget now sits on Governor Ferguson's desk, where he can sign it, veto sections, or veto it entirely. I broke…
How to Start a Business in Washington
As Director of the Center for Small Business, I've heard from countless entrepreneurs about the challenges of navigating Washington's complex regulations. High taxes, licensing hurdles, and layered local rules make…
The Bottom Line of Hochul’s Essential Plan Overhaul
Now that New York has won partial federal approval for overhauling its Essential Plan, it’s worth being clear about what the state is doing and why. The redesign sought by Governor Hochul is not primarily about “preserving…
Labor law to hit households — causing confusion, threatening voluntary work arrangements
Lawmakers have passed a labor law for the living room, using workplace rules designed for HR departments. The result is a gray zone where families, house cleaners, adult caregivers, babysitters, gardeners, handymen and…
Washington’s CO2 tax declines slightly but is still 52 cents per gallon
Washington state drivers could see a reduction of 4 cents per gallon as the cost of greenhouse gas permits in the state’s climate law declined by 8 percent to $65.26 per metric ton of CO2.The price equates to 52 cents per…
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