On the heels of a controversial move by Washington Governor Bob Ferguson to overturn the Parental Bill of Rights—an initiative signed by over 450,000 Washingtonians—Brian Heywood, founder of Let’s Go Washington, joined Ari Hoffman on Talk Radio 570 KVI to lay out what comes next. For Heywood, the fight is far from over.
“It does feel like we’re lonely warriors out here,” Heywood admitted. “But I know there’s at least 454,000 people that agree with us.”
Brian Heywood Responds to Gov Bob Ferguson and Democrats Gutting of Parental Rights in Washington: "We’re Going to Fight Back"
Heywood was all in when I issued a challenge to collect 1 million signatures for the initiative. “That viral model is how we’ll hit a million.” pic.twitter.com/cfvuO5z2XN
— Ari Hoffman 🎗 (@thehoffather) May 21, 2025
Earlier in the day, Governor Ferguson and state lawmakers effectively nullified Initiative 2081, which focused on protecting parental rights in education and healthcare decisions. Despite bipartisan support in both chambers—unanimous in the Senate and nearly unanimous in the House—the final bill stripped key elements of the original initiative.
Heywood criticized the move as not only undemocratic but also deceptive.
“In the dark of night, they changed everything and gave us this terrible bill,” he said. “They’re undoing the will of the people of Washington—and then they call us a threat to democracy?”
Heywood outlined two potential responses: launching a new initiative or pursuing a legal challenge.
- Initiative to the People or Legislature:
A new initiative—either to the people (requiring signatures by July) or back through the Legislature—is already drafted. Heywood and his team are currently evaluating which path to pursue, promising a decision soon. - Legal Challenge:
Heywood revealed that the final bill (SB 1296) included multiple topics—a tactic known as “logrolling”—which may violate Washington’s constitutional “single subject” rule for legislation.
“It clearly violates the single subject law,” Heywood said. “They love throwing that at us, so throwing it back at them would be entertaining—and justified.”
One of the biggest challenges facing Let’s Go Washington is money. Heywood pointed out that during the last campaign, the opposition spent $50 million compared to his side’s $5 million.
“I can beat them at a 4-to-1 ratio,” Heywood said. “But 10-to-1? That’s hard.”
Despite the uphill battle, he’s optimistic this next campaign may face fewer financial obstacles.
“There were no big-money interests against us last time. That’s why the Legislature passed it—they didn’t want it on the ballot.”
Importantly, repealing SB 1296 won’t carry a financial impact, meaning the ballot won’t require a confusing fiscal disclaimer that could sway voters.
Heywood stressed the importance of sustained grassroots action.
“Every spring, the grass grows high on my ranch. I go out, cut it, and make hay. Then it grows back—and I cut it again. The more I cut it, the fewer weeds there are,” he said. “That’s what we have to do here. Keep cutting.”
When asked about launching a simultaneous school choice initiative, Heywood confirmed it’s on his radar, but not quite ready.
“They should expect it’s coming,” he warned. “But we want to be fully prepared before we fire all the cannons.”
To cap off the interview, Ari Hoffman issued a challenge to his audience: collect one million signatures for the next initiative. Heywood was all in.
“We have a list of everyone who signed last time. Once we launch, people can request initiative sheets through our website. Take a sheet, get 20 signatures, send it back. Then do it again,” he said. “That viral model is how we’ll hit a million.”
For Brian Heywood and Let’s Go Washington, the overturning of the Parental Bill of Rights wasn’t a defeat—it was a rallying cry. Whether through another initiative or a legal challenge, Heywood made one thing clear: they’re not backing down.
“We’re going to fight back,” he said. “And this time, we’re bringing an army.”
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.
