By Matt McIlwain Since Washingtonians rejected a state income tax by 64% to 36% in 2010, the state has prospered economically and substantially grown tax revenues. Now the state Supreme Court has reversed a lower court ruling and invented an excise tax on capital gains income that exists nowhere else in the world. If the...
The capital gains income tax is one step away from becoming a reality. Washingtonians are just one step away from being subjected to a new tax on their income. This state-level capital gains income tax would mean that any Washington citizen, business or property owner who undertakes an activity that is subject to the filing...
As the rest of us consider our 2023 resolutions, perhaps state lawmakers would consider adopting a few of their own?
Punishing billionaires was a higher priority for the governor.
by Todd Myers, Environmental Director, Washington Policy Center With one of the highest costs of electricity in the country, California residents pay more than double the rate we do in Washington state. And yet, they have trouble keeping the lights on. Last summer, California faced widespread blackouts due to a shortage of reliable electricity. Only...
While details are still murky, here are what issues we can expect to pop up.
This article is republished here courtesy of the Building Industry Association of Washington. Over the last 30 years, Washington’s population has grown by 60%; yet we’ve only increased the number of housing units by 33%. The failure to accommodate this growth has created a market so tight in Washington that median home prices have nearly tripled in the last decade to roughly...
In Brandi’s recent segment of [un]Divided, she reflects on gratitude and the things we are grateful for during the holidays, like family, a steady job, and income. But she also acknowledges those who are struggling – crushed under the weight of inflation and high gas prices – in Washington state. Brandi welcomes Barb Houston, Executive...
Although mortgage rates have leapt from 3 percent to 7 percent in a year, the cost of home ownership isn’t going down anytime soon. According to a forecast by Norada Real Estate, the typical Washington home’s value increased by 15.1 percent in the past year. Although next year’s value increases are expected to be much...
Monumental change will hit low- and middle-class Washingtonians especially hard. State lawmakers and Gov. Jay Inslee are moving forward with plans to ban the purchase of gas-powered vehicles by 2035. In addition, the governor has declared a statewide goal for all “private” new car sales to be zero-emission vehicles by 2030. The state is trying...
Washingtonians squeezed despite record surplus Washington is already one of the most expensive states to live in – and inflation is making it even less affordable. The cost of living in the evergreen state is 13% higher than the national average. Housing and healthcare are each 22% above the national average, while transportation is 18%...
Last week Governor Jay Inslee announced he’d end the state of emergency for COVID-19 on Oct. 31, mere days before the November election. The state of emergency declaration has remained in place since Feb. 29, 2020, a period of more than 900 days. The reality is that regardless of what actually transpires (or expires) on...
In February 2021 the Seattle City Council voted unanimously in favor of a new building code banning the use of natural gas in all new commercial and residential buildings over three stories high.
Commuters in the state of Washington have suffered these last few years with unreliable ferry service. Unlike some states where such transport options are more for leisure than practicality, Washingtonians rely on the ability to take a ferry to work, doctor’s appointments – you name it. Ferries are an integral part of the state’s transportation...