The Blog at MSPC

Parents in Idaho and Montana are among the most satisfied in the country with their children’s schools. In Montana, 51% of parents say they are very satisfied with their child’s school, well above the national average of 47%. Idaho parents report similar confidence, with 48% saying they are very satisfied.

Growing up in the era of pagers and pay phones, I survived cell phone-free until college. As a mom to a teenage boy, I tried to stave off phone use as long as possible. Debates on appropriate screen time, talks about cyberbullying, and warnings about predators have become the norm. For most students, cell phones are an integral part of everyday life, and thus, their use in school has become a contentious issue. Washington, Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming are each addressing cell

Civic education doesn’t belong to one type of school or region. It belongs to everyone. Our hope is that teams will come from across Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, and Eastern Washington, so students can meet peers from different communities, compete respectfully, and go home with a deeper appreciation for how our system works.

Lawmakers willfully defying a ruling they don’t like in hopes that different judges will change a century of legal precedents, against the backdrop of voters consistently rejecting income tax constitutional amendments, is a recipe for constitutional chaos.

The phrase “render unto Caesar” comes into play here, but politicians should understand that they are to represent the people of Washington state, who have said time and time again that car tabs are just too damn high.

If the Legislature expects results from schools, it must also regularly assess whether its own policies are clear, relevant, and properly funded.

It’s the oldest trick in politics: sell a major policy shift by assuring voters it only targets someone else. Olympia is now running that play with the 9.9 percent “Millionaire Tax.” For those of us who have watched Washington’s spending habits for decades, the warning signs are obvious. The “fair share” narrative depends on intellectual dishonesty—and it’s being used to wedge open the door to a permanent state income tax.

Now Washington state legislators want to take this experiment statewide, arguing that a new 3-cent sugar-sweetened beverage tax will improve health outcomes and fight hunger. It sounds noble. It sounds decisive. And it’s deeply disconnected from reality.

Despite Washingtonians consistently and overwhelmingly rejecting income taxes and the legislature in 2024 enacting I-2111 to prohibit state or local income taxes, some lawmakers in the Evergreen State are again pushing for an income tax this year.

By opting in and embracing the federal education tax-credit scholarship program, Washington can expand opportunity, strengthen educational outcomes, and put families first.

One of the perennial questions that gets asked each legislative session is “How many bills are enough?” Too often, monitoring legislative bill introductions can feel like that scene in the original Harry Potter movie, where thousands of pieces of mail are floating around the house.

Although unstated, the goal of SJR 8206 is a constitutional amendment to force Washingtonians into a thinly veiled state-run, taxpayer-funded health care system.

Washington needs to seriously consider additional nuclear power that can meet the rising grid demand for generations to come.

Just two weeks ago, the state increased the mandatory bag fee from 8 cents to 12 cents. That’s already a slap in the face to families who are being told to pay more for a product the government forced onto them—thicker plastic bags that are worse for the environment and cost more than the thin bags people used for decades.

Washington already has the highest per-resident debt in the region, owing approximately $15,400 per capita, making it the 11th highest in the nation. While more maintenance and preservation dollars are needed, a significant amount would go to add-ons like bike lanes on highways in lieu of preserving the system that carries the most traffic.

The inaugural poll, conducted January 2–9, 2026 among 800 registered voters in Washington, shows voters focused on kitchen-table issues—particularly the economy, taxes, and state spending—while also expressing strong interest in education reforms and greater transparency in public schools.

We have dozens of policy recommendations for lawmakers to consider. These reforms can be acted on even with the challenging budget situations across the states. Here are a couple of our top recommendations for Idaho, Washington and Wyoming lawmakers

History is rarely kind to policies that treat property rights as expendable. Housing affordability will not be achieved by suffocating peaceful uses of private property, but by expanding supply and allowing markets to respond to demand.

Teacher compensation should move beyond outdated salary schedules and begin rewarding what matters most: results for students.

Good headlines don’t make good policy — especially when the real effects rip through the labor market and everyday life.