Has Washington Found a Way to Stop People
From Moving Out of the State?
Townhall,
by
Amy Curtis
Original Article
Posted By: ladydawgfan,
3/19/2026 10:20:19 PM
As more and more people flee blue states and their high-tax, soft-on-crime, expensive cost-of-living environments, Democrats are going to become more desperate to stop the population hemorrhaging. Some places, like California, have tried exit taxes. New York Governor Kathy Hochul begged wealthy New Yorkers to return to fund her fraudulent, expensive welfare programs.
In Washington, they're now forcing people to prove their houses have an acceptable "home energy score" before they're allowed to sell.
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Reply 1 - Posted by:
DVC 3/19/2026 10:52:29 PM (No. 2082495)
Make it basically illegal to sell your home.
So, if you have a loan, you'll walk away and lose your equity. Banks will be screwed, big time.
25 people like this.
Mindless, humorless GOOBERMINT. While I have the means and on occasion the reason to visit the state of Washington, I refuse to ever set foot there. So many states and all of our once-great cities are on my boycott list.
34 people like this.
Reply 3 - Posted by:
wilarrbie 3/20/2026 12:41:13 AM (No. 2082520)
Let the unintended consequences commence.
22 people like this.
Reply 4 - Posted by:
Geoman 3/20/2026 1:37:58 AM (No. 2082522)
Who in Thurston County's political apparatus determined how to identify and define an "acceptable home energy score?" Who decided, and through what process, what the pass/fail threshold should be and how it will be objectively measured? Even in Washington, this should fail in court on a numbers of grounds but it would be interesting if the people that voted their county politburo into office, decided to rise up and peacefully protest borrowing the Minneapolis tactics, the 2026 new norm version of "peaceful protesters."
18 people like this.
Reply 5 - Posted by:
sunset 3/20/2026 2:39:02 AM (No. 2082524)
California had an "origination" tax that was ruled illegal. They were taxing California issued pension payments of retirees who moved out of state.
14 people like this.
Reply 6 - Posted by:
seamusm 3/20/2026 5:02:28 AM (No. 2082528)
I could certainly imagine a way to make insurance 'buy' my home.
15 people like this.
Reply 7 - Posted by:
OkieTom 3/20/2026 5:35:08 AM (No. 2082533)
Why don’t they just build a giant wall with barbed wire on top to keep people from leaving? Worked for the USSR, and East Germany, at least for a while…
18 people like this.
Reply 8 - Posted by:
Jesuslover54 3/20/2026 6:09:06 AM (No. 2082539)
Commies will do anything, say anything, to keep the boot on your neck. It's only about power.
24 people like this.
Reply 9 - Posted by:
privateer 3/20/2026 7:03:54 AM (No. 2082553)
Except: walk away from your mortgage, stiff the bank....see what happens to your credit score. Good luck getting a home loan in a decent red state.
7 people like this.
Reply 10 - Posted by:
Strike3 3/20/2026 7:29:32 AM (No. 2082561)
Democrats can get very creative when attempting to steal other people's money.
18 people like this.
Reply 11 - Posted by:
Strike3 3/20/2026 7:32:28 AM (No. 2082564)
Me too, #2. I can't decide whether Chicago, New York City, Portland (both of them), Austin, Detroit or Philadelphia is at the top of my list.
6 people like this.
Reply 12 - Posted by:
RuckusTom 3/20/2026 7:54:25 AM (No. 2082582)
Everyone has their price. Homeowners wanting to sell their homes to leave Washington state are going to save up their pennies in order to stuff the pockets of the assessors (bribe them).
Be on the lookout for these assessors driving new, expensive cars or taking lavish vacations or making home improvements or ... over the next few years.
5 people like this.
Reply 13 - Posted by:
mifla 3/20/2026 7:57:47 AM (No. 2082586)
I am reminded of JFK's speech to the residents of Berlin in 1963.
"Life in freedom is not easy and democracy is not perfect. But we never needed to build a wall to keep our people with us and prevent them from going elsewhere".
11 people like this.
Reply 14 - Posted by:
petrichor 3/20/2026 8:05:26 AM (No. 2082590)
It sounds like it may be a county level rule. All they mention are the coastal (Leftist) counties.
1 person likes this.
Reply 15 - Posted by:
presty 3/20/2026 8:39:16 AM (No. 2082609)
OK, so for argument's sake let's say the law stands and induces the current residents from "leaving:"
1. Going forward, why would anyone want to move INTO the state and buy a house knowing this burden exists?
2. What precludes current homeowners from being equally as clever, e.g. transfer the home to a trust which doesn't earn income OR lease/rent it out to preclude a sale while the law is in effect?
3. What if, contigent to the sale, a purchaser commits to the required "energy improvements" or whatever some WA state illiterati decides is "necessary" and those costs get rolled into purchase price. What effect do you think that ass-pain will have on home prices and the associated tax revenue?
4. Would this also apply to commercial properties? (yes, yes, do it, do it, Washington, and drive your economy deeper into the dirt!). If not, what will preclude current homeowners from coming up with a barely legal schemes (one cow, thus a ranch; raise bees, thus a farm; do sewing piecework thus an enterprise ; etc.) from turning their property into commercial entities?
This will definitely crash the real estate business and all those who work in it like the agents, contractors, lawyers, etc. (hmmm....what tax impact will that have?)
Man, the Law of Unintended Consequences is a bish.
7 people like this.
Reply 16 - Posted by:
starsNstripes 3/20/2026 8:39:25 AM (No. 2082610)
This will be a very closely-watched case for the 14th amendment when it eventually goes to trial. This could take years and would likely go to US Supreme Court. If upheld, all other blue states would do the same. I couldn't imagine what the USA would look like if that were to happen.
4 people like this.
Reply 17 - Posted by:
franq 3/20/2026 8:44:47 AM (No. 2082611)
Tyranny.
9 people like this.
Reply 18 - Posted by:
Sardonic 3/20/2026 8:50:32 AM (No. 2082616)
What do you expect from a one party state run by Democrats? The whole lot of them are lower than whale poop.
6 people like this.
Reply 19 - Posted by:
JHHolliday 3/20/2026 9:26:35 AM (No. 2082640)
This shows that blue states are getting desperate to hold on to their tax payers. This leaves the unfortunate citizens who can't leave their jobs and move elsewhere along with those on welfare. It will also deter anyone thinking about moving to WA since other counties will follow suit. It's really more an attempt at punishment for those who dare to try to leave their socialist "Utopia". It won't work and end up as losing more tax revenue as people leave the state while they still have time and the means to move. Of course, many will have no choice but to stay but in-migration will slow to a trickle as the years go by and the sheep get tired of being fleeced. This will be their best taxpayers moving and the lower income citizens will be left to pick up the slack.The legislatures should be forced to read "The Wealth of Nations" but that's assuming that most can read above 3rd grade level.
6 people like this.
Reply 20 - Posted by:
snowoutlaw 3/20/2026 9:36:15 AM (No. 2082647)
So what if you have to spend thousands to get it up to code, just add it to the sales price. Will do wonders for the affordability problem.
2 people like this.
Reply 21 - Posted by:
Venturer 3/20/2026 9:37:50 AM (No. 2082649)
My Demorat State of Maryland has a 6% tax on property of people leaving.
1 person likes this.
Reply 22 - Posted by:
mobyclik 3/20/2026 10:01:03 AM (No. 2082659)
Poster #20: ''So what if you have to spend thousands to get it up to code, just add it to the sales price.''
Problem is, you're dealing with communists here, after spending thousands, they will show up for Final Inspection and guess what? Eight or ten NEW violations were found and must be rectified before any sale is possible. Rinse and repeat.
6 people like this.
Reply 23 - Posted by:
mc squared 3/20/2026 11:21:27 AM (No. 2082701)
For those interested, this webpage has pics of the guilty party. Yes, she appears to be an AWFL.
https://revonect.com/contact/Ashley%20Arai/id/353935627
2 people like this.
Reply 24 - Posted by:
MickTurn 3/20/2026 11:42:14 AM (No. 2082731)
Idiots. Do a lousy job then screw taxpayers to pay for their THEFT! Seems like it's time to resurrect the Guillotines and take care of business!
3 people like this.
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