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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opinion
Why Washington Shouldn’t Control Transportation Decisions
Predictably, President Barack Obama’s 2016 budget request calls for higher taxes to partially finance a $4-trillion spending tsunami. One of the more senseless tax hikes would fall on multinational businesses and is sought to pay for a transportation budget more lavish than necessary. It’s baffling why Obama would propose this tax on businesses’ foreign income,… -
opinion
Washington Might Not Be Pushing Tax Cuts, But Republican Governors Are
While the prospects for tax reform in Washington are dim, as many as 20 Republican governors are moving forward with their own pro-growth tax-relief initiatives. This is on top of the 14 states, including Florida, Michigan, Ohio and Wisconsin, whose 2014 tax cuts will take effect this year. Arizona’s new Gov. Doug Ducey says his… -
news
Border Patrol Union Leader Blasts Washington: ‘We’re in the Middle of Political Football’
A union leader for U.S. Border Patrol agents spoke out today to voice concern about the political haggling over funding for the Department of Homeland Security. “We don’t want our border left unguarded,” says @Shawn_Moran Shawn Moran, vice president for the National Border Patrol Council, says the congressional showdown over President Obama’s executive actions and… -
news
Washington State Might Hike Legal Smoking Age to 21
Washington state may become the first state to make the legal smoking age the same as the legal drinking age: 21. State Attorney General Bob Ferguson, a Democrat, is behind the new proposal, according to Fox News. In a statement, Ferguson said, “The harmful consequences of tobacco are clear. Smoking kills 8,300 Washingtonians every year,… -
opinion
Washington Needs to Stop Being Clueless About the Internet, Cybersecurity
On Monday, U.S. Central Command lost control of its Twitter and YouTube accounts. It serves as yet another reminder of irresponsible social networking practices by federal agencies. The Internet is used for everything from downloading Taylor Swift to waging war, yet Washington seems hopelessly inept at finding its way in the cyber world. The Central… -
news
Republican’s Plan to Fix No Child Left Behind Fails to ‘Limit Washington Overreach’
Local education needs are being ignored in a proposed rewrite of the federal No Child Left Behind law, an education policy expert says. Association of American Educators member Tracie Happel, a second-grade teacher at Northside Elementary in La Crosse, Wis., which has a high number of students from disadvantaged families, says students from low-income families… -
opinion
Why Washington Politicians Want to Hike the Gas Tax
Suddenly everyone in Washington wants a gas tax hike—apparently so consumers don’t save too much money at the pump. As prices keep falling, the politicians and the moochers in Washington want a piece of the action. Rather than raise the federal gas tax, a better policy would be to repeal the federal tax and let… -
news
The Real Story of George Washington’s Decisive Christmas Attack at Trenton
TRENTON, N.J.—We all know the story from high school history. Or think we do. Gen. George Washington and his tired and tiny Continental Army scored one of the most significant battlefield victories in American history at Christmas in 1776. The Continentals launched a surprise attack on the Hessians—mercenaries from Germany who were protecting Trenton, N.J.,… -
news
Ted Cruz: ‘I’m Not Trying to Play the Washington Rules, I’m Trying to Change the Rules’
Facing a series of tough questions from Fox News’ Bret Baier tonight, Sen. Ted Cruz defended his actions over the weekend to force a Senate vote to defund President Obama’s executive actions on immigration. “Every single Senate Democrat is now on record supporting the president’s unconstitutional amnesty,” says @SenTedCruz The rare weekend session drew complaints… -
opinion
Cartoon: Tree Trimming…Washington Style
The spending bill, released and passed this week, wasn't exactly the greatest holiday gift for taxpayers … From Heritage budget expert Romina Boccia's column earlier this week: At more than 1,600 pages, Congress’s $1.1 trillion behemoth spending bill funding almost all government agencies through September 2015 has arrived. … The “CRomnibus” spending bill represents a strange… -
opinion
Why Does Washington Want to Hide Science Data From the Public?
When federal bureaucrats drive up costs for American families and businesses through heavy-handed regulation, it shouldn’t be too much to ask for a solid scientific underpinning for that regulation. And it shouldn’t be too big of a burden for the federal government to make its data available to the public. Congressman David Schweikert’s, R-Ariz., Secret… -
news
Beyond Washington, Republicans Seize Control of State Capitals
The Republican takeover of the U.S. Senate may have been the biggest election news. But the most consequential storyline resonates beyond Washington and into the heart of the country, as Americans delivered Republicans firm control of the nation’s state capitals. Republicans picked up Democratic-held governorships in traditionally liberal states such as Massachusetts, Maryland and Illinois,… -
opinion
The Washington Post Misses the Point on Immigration Enforcement
Last week, The Washington Post’s editorial board criticized the GOP for trying to “frighten” voters about a wide-open border. The Post points to substantial increases in border security in the past decade as an indicator that the U.S. is already doing a great deal to stop illegal immigration. Yet, the article misses the real issues… -
opinion
Washington Shouldn’t React to White House Fence Jumper By Making Government Buildings Less Accessible
Since this article was originally published, it has been reported that the fence jumper, Omar Gonzalez, got further inside the White House than was known. Courtesy of Mashable, here's an image showing how far Gonzalez got. Image: Mashable Composite, WhiteHouse.gov Last Friday, a troubled Army veteran jumped the White House fence and dashed across the… -
opinion
Politico Found Lois Lerner. So Why Can’t the U.S. Attorney in Washington?
Politico obviously had no problem finding Lois Lerner for an exclusive interview that it published on Monday. So why can’t the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, Ronald C. Machen, Jr., find Lois Lerner so that a federal grand jury can interview her? Perhaps the Obama administration doesn’t want Lerner answering any real questions… -
news
Washington Considers Legislation That Would Let You Only Buy One Cable Channel
WASHINGTON — Concerns about higher consumer prices if cable and satellite customers could unsubscribe from local channels stalled a move on Capitol Hill to create a la carte local TV. But the proposal’s champions are fighting to keep the idea alive. In August, Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Jay Rockefeller, D-W.Va., and Ranking Member John Thune,… -
news
Gov. Bobby Jindal Says Americans Want a ‘Hostile Takeover’ of Washington
Gov. Bobby Jindal today said Americans are clamoring for a “hostile takeover” of Washington, D.C. While speaking at The Heritage Foundation to a group of reporters about his new energy plan, the Louisiana governor and potential 2016 presidential candidate said voters are calling on Republicans to offer “real ideas” and “real solutions” in Washington. “We… -
opinion
Why the Washington Post Is Right to Oppose Legalized Pot in D.C.
In a refreshing move, The Washington Post came out against legalizing pot in the District of Columbia in an editorial this weekend. The Post supported the decriminalization of marijuana when it was on the ballot a few years back, but draws the line at outright legalization – which is what’s on the ballot this November… -
opinion
It’s Time to End Cronyism in Washington. Let’s Begin With the Export-Import Bank.
It’s unfortunate that while we’re faced with so many critical issues like ISIS terrorists and unsecure borders, Washington is instead focused on delivering special favors to Wall Street lobbyists. The Export-Import Bank is an unfair corporate welfare bank that helps a privileged few at the expense of other American businesses. Americans are tired of politicians taking… -
news
State Supreme Court to Decide if Washington Will Allow Charter Schools
Washington state’s Supreme Court will determine whether charter schools will be allowed in the state. A hearing is scheduled in October. The charter school law, approved by Washington state voters in 2012, allows for about 40 charter schools to open during the next five years. This fall, the private school First Place will be the…