Washington State
Here's Why Government Should Stop Throwing Money at Green Energy
In California, which has a slew of renewable energy regulations, the cost of electricity increased three times faster than in the rest of the U.S.—and the state still doesn't even get reliable energy.
How To Yell 'Fire' in a Crowded Theater
Aside from narrowly defined exceptions, false speech is protected by the First Amendment.
A Study Finds 'No Evidence' That Decriminalization Boosted Drug-Related Deaths in Oregon
The researchers reached a similar conclusion about overdose trends in Washington, where penalties for simple possession were reduced in 2021.
Washington State Prison System Sued for Using Unreliable Drug Tests To Put Inmates in Solitary
Reason reported in 2021 how prisons use cheap field kits to test mail for contraband—and use the faulty, unconfirmed results to severely punish inmates.
Immigrants Can't Naturalize if They Own a Marijuana Dispensary, Court Says
Maria Elena Reimers has been caught in legal limbo for years.
Desperate To Avoid Decriminalization, Washington Legislators Lovingly Threaten Drug Users With Jail
The imminent expiration of a law that recriminalized drug possession triggered a bipartisan panic.
'Assault Weapon' Bans Look More Legally Vulnerable Than Ever
A preliminary injunction in Illinois may signal the demise of a long-running public policy fraud.
Washington's 'Assault Weapons' Ban Will Be as Impotent as Most Gun Laws
Once again, firearm-averse legislators chase after a restriction-averse public.
Washington Is Now the 10th State With a Logically and Constitutionally Dubious 'Assault Weapon' Ban
A federal lawsuit notes that the new law draws arbitrary distinctions and targets guns in common use for legal purposes.
State Lawmakers Help Farmers by Improving Consumer Access to Raw Milk
The raw milk restoration is underway.
Zoning Police Continue To Find New Ways To Punish the Poor
Multiple factors contribute to housing shortages, but zoning constraints are mostly to blame.
Seattle School District Sues Google, Facebook, Snapchat, and TikTok for Causing Teen 'Mental Health Crisis'
It's hard to believe its arguments will hold up in court.
Washington Town To Pay $1 Million to Family of Woman Who Died by Suicide in Jail After Being Harassed by Guard
That guard would later be convicted of sexually assaulting four other incarcerated women.
Driving Electric Cars Produces Little Carbon. Making the Batteries Produces a Lot.
Many politicians who want to ban gas-powered vehicles appear to misunderstand the science.
After 975 Days, Washington's Governor Will Finally Relinquish His Emergency Pandemic Powers
Gov. Jay Inslee says Washington state's COVID-19 emergency will finally come to an end on October 31.
Seattle Public School Teachers on Strike, Since 6-Figure Pay Isn't Good Enough
After a whole year of COVID-related learning loss, kids are now losing out on even more instructional time thanks to Seattle's teachers union.
Professor Sues University of Washington Over 'Land Acknowledgment' Investigation
Stuart Reges placed a land acknowledgment in his syllabus. Just not the one his university wanted.
Supreme Court Says High School Coach's Postgame Prayers Are Protected Free Speech
A 6–3 majority sees it as noncoercive and not a violation of the Establishment Clause.
Deadly Pot Shop Robberies Underline the Need for Marijuana Banking Reform While the Senate Dithers
Majority Leader Chuck Schumer worries that approving the SAFE Banking Act would make broader changes less likely.
Washington Legislature Won't Limit Gov. Jay Inslee's Indefinite, Dictatorial COVID Emergency Powers
Then why even have a legislature?
You Can't Solve Homelessness by Making It a Crime
In an August ruling, Washington's Supreme Court found that a homeless plaintiff's truck qualified as his homestead.
Washington's Governor Wants To Prevent Another January 6 with Unconstitutional Censorship
Jay Inslee says we should make it a crime for politicians to lie about election results. What could go wrong?
She Tried To Report Sexual Harassment in Jail. After Her Suicide, the Guard Was Convicted of Assaulting Four Other Women.
"She was withdrawing from opioids and actively suicidal. She needed help, and she got the opposite."
Washington's Top Court Cracks Down on Excessive City Fines
A homeless man’s truck was impounded in Seattle and he couldn’t afford the costs to get it back. That’s unconstitutional, justices rule.
COVID Travel Bans Are a Death Sentence for This Remote Border Town
One of America's most isolated communities has struggled to weather the pandemic.
Police Reforms Make Progress Against Entrenched Opposition
Every time cops denounce reform efforts it is evidence of a win.
Man Arrested for Public Signs Wins Settlement From Sheriff's Office and Spurs Reform
Holding a sign in a public park should not cause an arrest.
The Police Dog Who Cried Drugs at Every Traffic Stop
Cops laugh about “probable cause on four legs” but the damage to innocent lives is real.
The Washington Supreme Court Just Decriminalized Simple Drug Possession. Legislators Shouldn't 'Fix' the Overturned Law.
The court said criminalizing unknowing possession violates the right to due process.
Washington State Might Tax 4 People Billions of Dollars. What If They Leave?
A proposed wealth tax would collect 97 percent of its revenue from famous billionaires.
I Asked for Public Records on a Fatal Police Shooting. Then a Washington Sheriff's Office Sued Me.
The move is similar to what's known as a "reverse FOIA" lawsuit, which forces the requester to go to court to defend his right to access public records.
Shootings, Stabbings Mar a Weekend of Pro-Trump Protests
Plus: Vaccine distribution begins, stimulus talks continue, and more...
CDC Antibody Studies Confirm Huge Gap Between COVID-19 Infections and Known Cases
The difference implies that the virus is much less deadly than it looks, but it also makes contact tracing a daunting challenge.
Seattle Says It Will Ask Protesters To Voluntarily Leave 'Autonomous Zone.' What Happens If They Don't?
Plus: Trump tries to cancel skilled worker visas, Seattle repeals "prostitution loitering" law, Pennsylvania makes cosmetologists prove "good moral character," and more...
Texas Admitted It Can't Enforce Its COVID-19 Lockdown. More States Should Do The Same.
The sooner everyone else recognizes those limits, the sooner we can shift to policies that balance public health and economic freedom.