Washington Politics & News
The Daily Signal covers Washington state politics with reporting on progressive Seattle policies, rural-urban divides, tax debates, and political divisions between Western and Eastern Washington.
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- News
Washington Supreme Court Will Hear Case of 70-Year-Old Florist Sued for Declining Gay Wedding Request
The Washington Supreme Court has agreed to hear the case of a 70-year-old florist who declined to make flower arrangements for a gay couple’s wedding. The florist, Barronelle Stutzman, was found guilty by lower courts of violating the state’s anti-discrimination and consumer protection laws. “Barronelle and many others like her around the country have been…Kelsey Bolar -
- Opinion
What This Washington Post Columnist Got Wrong in Analysis of Conservatives
Beware of friendly progressives like E. J. Dionne, Jr., who come bearing beguiling gifts like how conservatism can get back on the right track. In his new book, “Why the Right Went Wrong: Conservatism from Goldwater to the Tea Party and Beyond,” Dionne, a featured columnist of the always helpful Washington Post, argues that because…Lee Edwards -
- Opinion
George Washington Deserves His Own Day, Not Presidents Day
Poor George Washington. His birthday, spontaneously celebrated since the revolution and formally declared a holiday in 1879, has slowly morphed into the insipid Presidents Day you’ll hear about Monday. Washington, the “indispensable man” of the revolution who was rightly extolled for being “first in war, first in peace, and first in the hearts of his…David Azerrad -
- News
Want to Give a Tour of Washington, DC? You’ll Need a License for That
Bill Main knows a lot about history, but at one time he faced arrest if he shared what he knows in Washington, D.C. The owner of Segs In The City, Main started a tour guide business in nearby Annapolis, Md., in 2004. After having some initial success, he tried to expand his operation into the nation’s capital, where…Eric Boehm -
- Opinion
How The Washington Post Got Virginia’s Voter ID Law Wrong
Virginia provides an excellent example of how the photo ID battle has been waged in state legislatures and reported (poorly) by the media. Opponents of voter ID laws began a campaign immediately upon the introduction of the photo ID bill in Virginia and were given a huge assist by The Washington Post, which on the eve…Don Palmer -
- News
Washington Quietly Adopts New Transgender Bathroom, Locker Room Policies
One day after Christmas, Washington state quietly adopted a set of new policies regarding transgender individuals using sex-specific facilities. The rules, adopted by the state Human Rights Commission, make it illegal for business owners to limit sex-specific facilities such as bathrooms, showers, and locker rooms to persons with the anatomical parts of one sex. “To my…Kelsey Bolar -
- Opinion
Liberalizing Crude Oil Exports Should Be a Given, Not Washington Horse Trading
The United States is awash in crude oil and technology, which is allowing the oil industry to find more oil at less expense. Allowing exports of this oil would yield economic and national security benefits and remove an outdated barrier to the free market, helping to advance the cause of liberty in the U.S. According…Katie Tubb -
- News
Charter Schools Go Back to the Drawing Board in Washington State
Charter schools in Washington state face an uncertain future, leaving roughly 1,300 children and their families wondering what to do. As eight of nine new charter schools in the state navigate their first school year, the Washington Supreme Court upheld a decision that deemed the state’s charter school law unconstitutional. Liv Finne, director of education…Leah Jessen -
- Opinion
Why George Washington Thought the Practice of Gratitude Was Essential for the American Character
Our two greatest presidents, George Washington and Abraham Lincoln, respectively thought Thanksgiving sufficiently important to initiate its national celebration and to later revive this tradition. Our accepted convention is that Thanksgiving is about family togetherness and feasting. Surely this is part of it—but perhaps a more refined notion of what this nearly ancient holiday should…Arthur Milikh -
- Opinion
Liberal Party Wins Canadian Elections: Washington Should Pay More Attention to Canada
The Liberal Party of Canada won yesterday’s election, giving them an outright majority in the Canadian Parliament. Justin Trudeau, the prime minister designate and son of former Liberal Party Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau, led his party to victory with just under 40 percent of the vote. (Since there is a significant third party, the New…David Inserra -
- Opinion
Washington Sets the Stage for Another Financial Crisis
My 13-year-old son told me at the dinner table the other day that Franklin Roosevelt was one of America’s “greatest presidents” because “he ended the Great Depression.” He’s usually a good student, so I checked where he got this tripe, and sure enough, the fairy tale was right there in his American history book. The textbook tells kids that the New Deal ended…Stephen Moore -
- News
Washington Post Reporter Convicted in Iran, Reigniting Republican Criticisms of Nuclear Deal
Washington Post correspondent Jason Rezaian was convicted in Iran on espionage charges after being detained in Tehran for more than a year, Iranian media reported Sunday. The verdict sparked immediate backlash from U.S. lawmakers, reviving GOP-led charges against President Barack Obama’s signature Iran nuclear agreement. Republican Reps. Lee Zeldin of New York, Peter Roskam of Illinois,…Natalie Johnson -
- News
21 Questions With Washington Florist Who Refused to Serve Gay Wedding
Barronelle Stutzman, more commonly known as the “Washington florist,” came under fire this year for refusing to make flower arrangements for a gay couple’s wedding. Stutzman, owner of Arlene’s Flowers in Richland, Wash., cited her Christian religious beliefs about marriage. After she was labeled a “bigot” by those who oppose her, The Daily Signal sat down with…Kelsey Bolar -
- Opinion
Washington Gimmickry Protects Planned Parenthood
One of the reasons Washington works so well for the well-connected is because opaque congressional procedures often determine the real policy outcome well in advance of the actual policy debate. This afternoon will provide yet another example of such duplicitous maneuver. The House will vote on a rule to govern debate on a seemingly innocuous…Mike Needham -
- News
‘Everything Is Just Going Crazy’: Washington Gears Up for Pope Francis’ Visit
According to Joshua Gonnerman, a doctoral student in historical theology at the Catholic University of America, it’s been anything but business as usual on campus for the past few weeks. “I honestly wouldn’t describe it as much as a buzz or an energy so much as an insanity,” Gonnerman, who has a ticket to attend…Madaline Donnelly -
- Opinion
Personal Trainers Next on Washington’s Over-Regulation List?
When Andrew Killion opened District Crossfit in 2010, he was training a few handfuls of people in a converted auto garage. Today, Killion oversees one of the largest Crossfit gyms in Washington, D.C., with six full-time employees—called “coaches” in the Crossfit lingo—who help more than 400 members sweat their way through daily workouts in a…Eric Boehm -
- News
The Washington Post’s Questionable Claim About a Community Health Center
The Washington Post published a questionable claim about a community health center in a story about an Ohio Planned Parenthood clinic. In a story published Tuesday titled “Planned Parenthood is a symbol. This is the reality of one Ohio clinic,” a Washington Post reporter shared anecdotal stories about a day she spent at a Planned Parenthood clinic…Kate Scanlon -
- Opinion
What’s Missing From the Washington Debate on Criminal Justice Reform
There has been a lot of talk lately on Capitol Hill about criminal justice reform, and it is expected that both the House and the Senate will take up the issue now that Congress is back in session. Rumor has it that behind-the-scenes discussions are taking place to try to forge bipartisan, bicameral compromise on…John G. Malcolm -
- News
At Home With Dave Brat: Conservative Who Ousted Eric Cantor Sees Little Change in Washington
GLEN ALLEN, VA.—Rep. Dave Brat is weaving his way through a crowd of businessmen and women at J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College, stopping to shake hands and say hello to nearly all of the 50 attendees who’ve come to watch him speak. To those observing the Republican congressman, it seems as if he knows nearly…Melissa Quinn -
- News
In Washington State, Thousands of Kids Aren’t Returning to School
As charter school teachers in Seattle are showing up to work despite a court’s ruling their schools unconstitutional, public school teachers in the city are on strike, leaving 53,000 students at home for the first few days of the 2015-16 school year. “There’s a big irony here right now in Seattle,” said Liv Finne, director…Kelsey Bolar