Washington’s Mockery of Justice

Washington’s current government seems hell-bent on beclowning itself at every turn.

News broke this week that Washington’s legislature passed a controversial bill, a bill that Governor Bob Ferguson promptly signed into law. Just a normal week in the life of Washington state politics.

What makes this bill stand out, though, is it’s blatant lawlessness when it comes to racial discrimination and bias.

Colloquially called the “Taylor Bill” – named for state representative Jamilla Taylor – house bill 1696, now a signed law, offers an average of $120,000 in down payments to families whose annual income is 120% of the average median income (AMI) in Washington state, provides total loan forgiveness after five years for families making less than 80% AMI, and ensures that at least one member of the committee reviewing applications is also a member of a nonprofit housing counseling organization.

Oh, one more pertinent detail. Per the original iteration of the bill, the applicants must qualify for the “Covenant Home Ownership program”, which requires the following:

The Covenant Home Ownership program offers home buying assistance to minorities who have faced housing discrimination in the past. The program is open to those who lived in or had a parent, grandparent or great-grandparent living in Washington before 1968 and who meet one of the following government-defined racial identities: “Black, Hispanic, Native American, Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander, Korean and Asian Indian.”

Yes, to qualify for this exclusive program, families must meet specific racial parameters before becoming eligible for this tremendous boon and leg-up toward first-time home ownership.

According to Rep. Taylor, one of three representatives from Washington’s 30th district, which includes Federal Way, nestled between Tacoma and Seattle; the bill addresses a serious disparity between white and black homeowners. According to the state records, nearly 70% of white families own their homes while only 34% of black families can say the same.

“Expanding this program is a step toward closing the homeownership gap between black and white households in our state,” said Rep. Taylor in her press release following Ferguson’s signing. “It’s not the only solution to the systemic inequities caused by centuries of discrimination, but it is meaningful progress”.

Her comment does leave out a small detail, that racially discriminatory practices such as redlining and restrictive covenants were formally outlawed in the U.S. in 1968.

In her opinion, though, this is more than just about shortening a supposed disparity.

“The policies may have changed fifty years ago, but the harm to individuals and communities continues,” said Rep. Taylor. “We are not immune to racism or discrimination—but I believe Washington is committed to correcting the injustices of the past.”

The Law of the Land

As this recent signing has leaked its way into the national conversation, conservative state and federal lawmakers have cried foul, rightly pointing to this new law’s blatant dismissal of Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act, known as the Fair Housing Act passed in 1968, which:

“Prohibits discrimination in housing based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, familial status, or disability”.

With all due respect to Utah Senator Mike Lee and his righteous indignation, the fly in the ointment here is that HB1696 is an expansion of a law passed in 2024 that was allowed to go into effect July 1 of last year.

While such a travesty of justice was commonplace in former President Joe Biden’s Department of Justice, it is astounding that as of this current writing, new Attorney General Pam Bondi has not deigned it worth her notice, nor taken legal action against Washington state’s illegal bill.

There was not even a motion to move against last year’s bill, which, again, held all the same provisions as the 2025 version, with the exceptions of loan forgiveness and increasing the AMI limit from 100% to 120%. Last year’s bill was the one to establish the Covenant Home Ownership program with its blatant catering to specific skin color.

This is somewhat unsurprising as the federal government’s vision seems permanently blind to what happens beyond the Rocky Mountains. It is clear, however, that until something changes at the federal level to challenge these laws, Washington’s government will feel emboldened to keep on their crusade of “social justice” and “DEI.”

Either that, or, for a more permanent solution; Washingtonians need to wake up and smell their morning coffee. For a state that is moving its current $12 billion deficit onto the shoulders of tax payers and property owners, this program will only serve to increase the debt and the burden. It is time to send Olympia a message and remove the wicked from their positions of power.

Elections have consequences and the time is ripe for a total shift in 2026.