Budget & Spending | Future 42

New polling: Washingtonians strongly oppose tax hikes being pushed in state budget

New polling from the Napolitan News Service shows strong opposition to tax increases and especially in using them to balance the state budget which includes record levels of spending. Some key findings include: 80% believe slowing the growth of government spending is a better way to address Washington’s budget deficit, as opposed to 12% who...

Countdown to end of legislative session: Can We Kill These Bills in Time?

Washington lawmakers are running out of time—and that’s a good thing. This week, including today’s committee meetings, are key legislative deadlines. If certain bills don’t advance out of committee by then, they’re done for the year. That means you still have time to stop some of the worst proposals on the table. Here’s What’s Still Alive:...

Olympia Madness: On to the Deadweight Eight

Round 1 of Olympia Madness is in the books. Washingtonians voted on the 16 worst bills lawmakers proposed this legislative session, and we now present to you: Round 2 kicks off today, with Rep. Jake Fey’s Vehicle Mileage tax going up against a double-team effort to raise your property taxes from Sen. Jamie Pederson and...

WA Democratic Lawmakers Prepare to Quickly Advance Largest Tax Hikes in State History

Most everyone at one point or another has been faced with personal financial challenge where money is tight, and you have to prioritize your spending. It’s what any responsible person does, dealing with what’s in your direct control. Cut back on eating out and entertainment. Cancel a subscription you can live without. Focus on basic...

Op-ed: Activist judge and Inslee appointee overturns the people on I-2066, natural gas can now be banned

The Lynnwood Times has published an op-ed from Brian Heywood, founder of Let’s Go Washington, regarding the legal proceedings surrounding 1-2066, which overturned the state’s ban on natural gas. Under one party rule in Olympia, over the past 12 years, it has become custom for judges to step down before their term is up so...

Mid-session update: Several disastrous bills fall short, but much to watch out for

Thank you to the thousands of you who have contacted lawmakers and signed in for committee hearings in response to our action alerts. With sign-ins especially often 10:1 in favor of a common-sense position, the response from our community has not gone unnoticed. Wednesday, March 12, marked a significant cutoff date for the Washington legislative...

Washington lawmakers move to weaken the initiative process and repeal the Parental Notification Law

Washington Democrats are moving forward with two bills that undermine citizens’ influence over state policy. Senate Bill 5382 would impose new restrictions on the state’s initiative process, making it significantly harder for grassroots campaigns to place measures on the ballot. Meanwhile, Senate Bill 5181 seeks to repeal a recently enacted parental notification law— one that...

Washington’s education system is failing—but a solution is on the horizon

Washington’s education system is failing students, despite a dramatic increase in funding. 8th grade math scores have dropped, and 4th grade reading scores continue to decline, even though per-student spending has increased by 110% since 2013. Clearly, the status quo with your children’s education hasn’t worked. So, what if we could put parents in control instead? 30 other states are already doing this, many of them...

The fight over your wallet: Capping property tax increases, rent control, wealth tax, and the Jumpstart payroll tax

This legislative session that began this week has already seen four proposals that could hit Washingtonians right where it hurts: their wallets. With a $6.7 billion budget shortfall looming, state legislative leaders are eyeing measures like raising the property tax cap, rent control, a wealth tax, and a statewide version of Seattle’s Jumpstart Payroll Tax....

New poll: Washingtonians advise governor, lawmakers on budget shortfall

New polling from Napolitan News Service released today provides an update on where Washington voters stand on potential tax increases, as lawmakers begin a legislative session and must decide how to address a $12 billion budget shortfall over the next several years. Some highlights from the poll include: Seventy-eight percent (78%) of voters believe that taxes in Washington...

Wall Street Journal: Inslee’s Last Tax Insult to Washington

Governor Inslee – who once said, “I do not believe tax increases are the right path for the state of Washington” when he was running for governor in 2012 – has proposed a consequential tax on unrealized capital gains, a “wealth tax” as he and others are calling it, and it’s garnered national attention from...

Washingtonians in Seattle and two counties rise up to oppose tax hikes

Seemingly emboldened by the recent election results, some local elected officials in Seattle and in two of the largest counties in the state have been eager to propose and vote on various tax hikes before the end of the year. But they didn’t count on the response from constituents they’ve been seeing thanks to your...

Nehring: County exec’s property tax proposal poorly timed

This article was originally published in the Everett Daily Herald. Last week’s election saw voters soundly reject tax increases proposed by the county and municipal governments throughout Snohomish County. With one exception, all local tax increases were rejected by voters. These are in addition to Everett voters’ rejection of a levy lid lift property...

2024 Election Recap: The fight continues on

Despite facing a billionaire and public sector union-funded opposition campaign that spent nearly 5 times as much as the YES campaign, the repeal on Washington’s natural gas ban appears on track for success, with 51.43% support as of votes reported by Nov. 7. This hard-won success joins three other powerful citizen-led initiatives passed into law...