Shift Washington

Since 2015, DSHS spending has exploded 182%—from $9B to $25.4B. Why? Long-term care now eats up half the budget, even while nursing home usage is dropping.

Fiscal Fallout: Long-term care spending driver of Washington DSHS swelling budget (The Center Square) – The Washington state Department of Social and Health Services' spending since 2015 has nearly tripled from $9 billion to $25.4 billion, a 182.22% increase heavily driven

A new Pew report confirms it: Washington’s roads are crumbling. We’re already $1.4B short on basic maintenance. 5.5% of our bridges are structurally deficient. And while Olympia pours billions into progressive pet projects, drivers are stuck dodging potholes on highways that haven’t been touched in 40 years.

Report: WA among states with major funding gap in needed bridge, road improvements (The Center Square) – A new report from The Pew Charitable Trusts finds Washington among U.S. states struggling to make the investments necessary to preserve and maintain transportation systems, including