For all the Democratic Party’s talk about the cost of college, they can’t point to results like this.

Greg Piper reported at the College Fix.

Victory for Republican lawmakers as Washington state cuts tuition up to 20 percent

It was a priority of Republicans in the closely divided Legislature, and they got it through: Washington state will cut tuition at its four-year public universities by 15-20 percent over the next two years, the Associated Press reports.

Community colleges will see a 5 percent cut in tuition next year as a result of the two-year budget deal, if it’s signed by Democratic Gov. Jay Inslee:

Washington state Sen. Andy Hill said the tuition policy bill makes a long-term commitment by limiting future tuition increases to the rate of growth in median income.

“Lowering tuition is a great step in providing crucial relief to American families,” said Hill, R-Redmond, noting that college students in Washington are graduating with an average of $25,000 in student loan debt. “We think it has great economic impacts going forward.”

In-state tuition would drop about $500 at the University of Washington this fall compared to last year, and another $1,000 the following year.

It’s nearly unprecedented for states to cut tuition, AP says:

Although many states have frozen college tuition in the years since approving big increases during the recession, only Minnesota also has passed a tuition cut. The Minnesota Legislature approved a 1 percent tuition cut next year just for community college students for fall 2016, but four-year universities are allowed to increase tuition in Minnesota at the same time.