Rantz: Democrats released so many inmates that Washington has a shortage of license plates

Washington Democrats have worked so hard to empty out prisons and keep criminals on the streets that now the state’s running short on license plates.

Washington state license plates are made by inmates through the Washington State Correctional Industries program, giving prisoners job skills to help them post-release. But thanks to Democrat policies, fewer felons are entering the program and producing plates, leaving the state with fewer workers — and a license plate shortage.

The average wait time for new license plates in Washington is now three months, with the Department of Licensing leaning on temporary plates in the process.

The state doesn’t seem all that concerned. In fact, they appear to be proud to be in this inmate staffing pickle.

“In a post-COVID world, like everyone else we are definitely experiencing shortages (of staff),” Department of Corrections Deputy Secretary Sean Murphy told KOMO-TV. “During the last 15 years, both the legislature and the Governor’s office has done quite a bit of work to reduce mass incarceration in our state.”

Soft on crime, hard up for license plates

Using COVID-19 concerns as a pretense, Washington Democrats have implemented plans to depopulate prisons. They argued the criminal justice system is an example of white supremacy culture and that Black and Latino Washingtonians are purposefully targeted.

Governor Jay Inslee signed emergency orders that expedited the release of nearly 1,000 inmates in 2020. He claimed they were at an increased risk of contracting COVID-19 by being in congregate settings. This came after the Washington State Supreme Court ordered Inslee and the Department of Corrections to “immediately exercise their authority to take all necessary steps to protect the health and safety” of inmates.

Meanwhile, state lawmakers worked to keep criminals out of jail via legislative changes that cannot be easily reversed.

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Democrats kept criminals out of jail

Democrats banned police from vehicular pursuits in almost all cases. They also prohibited police from speaking to juvenile suspects without a lawyer present, even if a parent gives permission. This helped the crime crisis flourish.

Democrats also made significant changes to the state’s three-strikes law by removing second-degree robbery from the list of offenses that can count as a “strike” toward a life sentence. This crime, which involves taking property without using a weapon or causing serious injury, was deemed less serious than other violent felonies, such as murder or rape, because more Black people were committing this crime than white ones. It was applied retroactively.

Left-wing judges, particularly in King County, were also doing their part to keep criminals out of jail, even if it made our streets more dangerous. Rather than jail, activist judges favored electronic home monitoring for pre-trial release and plea agreements that pushed lawbreakers into restorative justice programs instead of jail.

And here we are with a license plate shortage in Washington

Washington’s soft-on-crime approach has again backfired, this time impacting another basic service a government agency is unable to fulfill because of bad policy. It’s pathetic that Washington can’t manage to produce license plates because Democrats are so soft on crime.

With fewer criminals behind bars, the state’s prison labor force has dried up, leaving us with a ridiculous license plate shortage. But don’t expect Democrats to change course anytime soon. They’re too busy patting themselves on the back for being “progressive,” even as they let public safety slide.

It’s clear they care more about protecting criminals than protecting the public from them. If this is what they call reform, it’s no wonder the state is falling apart. Maybe it’s time to rethink how we handle crime before our roads — and streets — are filled with even more chaos.

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