In a candid and fiery interview on Talk Radio 570 KVI, host Ari Hoffman and Brandi Kruse, commentator and host of the Undivided podcast, lambasted the latest Washington State legislative session, calling it one of the most troubling in recent memory. The conversation was marked by deep concern over rising taxes, controversial spending decisions, and what they deemed a growing imbalance in legislative priorities.
"You have people who, just because of their skin pigmentation, without having to prove any sort of actual tie to housing discrimination in our state's past, will be gifted a down payment of $120,000."@BrandiKruse discusses Democrats' racist Covenant Homeownership Program pic.twitter.com/sQVDaDiluh
— Ari Hoffman 🎗 (@thehoffather) April 25, 2025
“I don’t think in the time I’ve been in radio, I have seen a legislative session this bad,” Hoffman opened, setting the tone for a discussion that would delve into the fiscal and political impacts of newly passed laws.
At the center of Kruse’s criticism was the recent expansion of the Covenant Homeownership Program, a state initiative designed to support first-time homebuyers from minority groups that experienced redlining in Washington’s past through zero-interest loans. However, the loans are only available to certain minority groups and exclude many others who were also discriminated against.
🚨 BREAKING: Washington @GovBobFerguson just signed into law changes to the most outrageous, illegal reparations program in the entire country. It now GIFTS down payments, averaging $120,000, to black first-time homebuyers without ANY proof of direct housing discrimination. pic.twitter.com/dr0Xet0fHZ
— Brandi Kruse (@BrandiKruse) April 24, 2025
Originally introduced by Rep. Jamila Taylor (D-Federal Way) and passed in 2023, the updated bill, signed into law by Governor Bob Ferguson, now allows for these loans to be forgiven after five years, provided recipients earn 80% or less of the area median income (AMI).
As he signs the bill, @GovBobFerguson thanks Rep. Jamila Taylor for her "leadership" in getting the bill passed. Her brand of leadership was accusing Republicans who didn't support the bill of racism and making a weird comment about them wanting to call her a "monkey." pic.twitter.com/zg3fIYEqMD
— Brandi Kruse (@BrandiKruse) April 24, 2025
Kruse argued that the program, which she labeled a form of reparations, was being implemented in a fiscally irresponsible and legally questionable way and criticized the legislation’s shift from a self-sustaining loan model to a potential grant system funded by recording fees on home sales.
She said, “Bob Ferguson has been holding himself up as this sudden moderate who’s very fiscally responsible. To me, his signing an expansion of our state’s reparations program into law just completely negates all of that. You can’t support reparations and be a moderate, and you cannot support this kind of reparations program and be a fiscal hawk.”
Kruse also took issue with the criteria for loan forgiveness, highlighting what she perceives as racial discrimination in the program’s design. “So now you have people who, just because their skin pigmentation, without having to prove any sort of actual tie to housing discrimination in our state’s past, they will be gifted a down payment to the tune of $120,000 plus.”
The program’s exclusivity also raised equity concerns. Hoffman shared that his own family, who are Jewish and faced redlining in Seattle, would not be eligible under the current program guidelines, despite historical discrimination. “This program should not exist,” he stated. “It’s ripe for a legal challenge.”
Beyond housing, Hoffman and Kruse cataloged a slew of new or increased taxes they said were being rushed through: beer tax, property tax, gas tax, sales tax, death tax, reparations fees, capital gains tax, wealth tax, size tax, precious metals tax, ‘sin’ tax, tax on sporting events, Tesla tax, increases in the Discovery Pass fees, glass bottle fee, craft beer tax, hunting and fishing fees, and firearm permit fees.
Washington is currently facing a staggering $16 billion budget deficit, which Hoffman and Kruse attribute to Democrats’ out-of-control spending. They argue the state is attempting to tax its way out of the crisis by imposing levies on virtually everything.
Kruse suggested that the flurry of last-minute legislation was strategic, enabling lawmakers to avoid public scrutiny and pin responsibility on the governor. “They’re trying to get it all done as the clock runs out,” she said. “I think whatever they propose to him, probably tomorrow, he’s on board with and he’ll sign.”
The interview concluded with the pair warning of broader implications, including a potential push for a state income tax. “They’re going to say, ‘We have to make hard decisions,’ while still funding laser hair removal for transgender prison inmates,” Kruse said, referencing the state government’s wasteful spending.
Listen to The Ari Hoffman Show, weekdays 3-6 PM Pacific on Talk Radio 570 KVI, 101.5 FM HD-3, KVI.com & the KVI app. Subscribe to the show on your preferred podcast platform.
