Lawmakers pick a knife fight with Tesla

Plus more on those big K-12 $$s, affordable housing money, and recommended reading.

Democratic lawmakers are looking to pull the plug on an advantage Tesla has enjoyed over its competitors for years while leveling the playing field for at least some of its electric vehicle competitors.

First, some context. Right now, nearly every automaker—Honda, Toyota, General Motors, et. al— has to sell its rides through independent auto dealerships per state law. Teslas scored an exemption a while back. Today, the company runs 130 stores statewide and has built a cult following between its referral program discounts and Elon Musk’s foray into MAGA politics.

A bid from Senate Labor & Commerce Committee Chair Rebecca Saldaña, Senate Bill 5377, would snatch that exemption out of the electric vehicle giant’s hands, in theory forcing it to make nice with dealer networks. Senators Mike Chapman, D-Port Angeles, and Derek Stanford, D-Bothell, are both co-sponsoring the bill.