The operating budgets proposed by majority Democrats are bad for our state, just as we expected.
It isn’t only the massive tax increases they want, like the record $21 billion worth of new and higher taxes wrapped into the Senate Democrats’ version. These budgets also continue the overspending that caused the state government’s financial shortfall in the first place.
The revenue forecast for the 2025-27 budget cycle is expected to be up 7.5%. Many Washington families would be more than satisfied if their household income would grow that much in the next two years. Not the Senate majority — its budget would increase spending by 9%, even draining the rainy-day fund to make up the difference.
Now that we’re seeing the details of the $78.5 billion plan from the Senate Democrats and the $77.8 billion version from the House majority, the Senate Republicans’ “$ave Washington” proposal looks even better than when our budget team introduced it in mid-March.
Our budget would spend billions less while still funding the priorities Washingtonians share, starting with support for K-12 education and social services for the most vulnerable. It also includes $100 million for law-enforcement support, a must-have for the governor, that is missing from the Democrat plans.
Best of all, the $ave Washington budget balances without any new taxes or cuts in services. Neither of the Democrat budgets can make that claim, so they give us marketing words instead — in hopes it will keep people from noticing the big cuts and the bigger tax increases.
Senate Democrats say crafting their budget required “tough choices, thoughtful conversations, and a strong commitment to the people of Washington.” In the House, it’s “Democratic values, tax fairness, and equity.”
Tax fairness? “Tax madness” is more like it. Together, legislative Democrats have nearly 20 tax bills in play. They’ve been very quiet about many, such as the higher tax on cellphones and smart watches, the tax hike on smoking-cessation products, increases in hunting and fishing licenses, and a tax increase that will drive up prescription-drug prices. That doesn’t even count the bill to raise tuition at our state-run colleges and universities, which amounts to a tax hike for every family whose child is college-bound.
Not one of these added costs is necessary. Our $ave Washington budget is proof of that.
Senate Democrats will have public hearings on their tax package starting at 4 p.m. Monday, March 31. Keep reading for how to be heard on those.
By far, the most outrageous part of the tax madness in Olympia is the ongoing effort to raise property taxes, which would affect renters and employers as well as homeowners.
The property tax bill wrapped into the House Democrats’ budget package goes beyond the one shelved by Senate Democrats last year in the face of intense public pressure.
HB 2049 would allow a tripling of the annual growth rate of both state and local property taxes, without voter approval. The decision to raise the rate is made instead by the local council or commission, or in the case of the state, by legislators.
What’s new about the House tax bill is an increase in the K-12 local-levy cap, specifically allowing school districts to raise more in property tax.
At their budget news conference, House Democrats were asked to explain how they claim to be protecting middle-income families while enabling property taxes to climb. It was an appropriate question – and perhaps the question they feared most, judging from the evasive response.
Reporters got answers like “we have not talked about that” and “that’s a conversation for another day.” The truth is, House Democrats have had the conversation already, because their budget assumes a 3% increase in property taxes instead of the 1% currently in state law.
The Senate majority’s budget also assumes that 3% increase in state property-tax collections. But the policy change in their property-tax bill, SB 5798, would be far more costly to people than what was abandoned last year, or what the House Democrats propose now.
As in the House bill, the 1% cap established by voters in 2001 would be completely gutted, but the Senate majority bill does not replace it with a different cap. The new standard would be the rate of inflation plus population growth. In 2022 it was over 8%. The average over the past decade would have been 4.7% — much more than 3%. By not mentioning the actual numbers in the bill, they can camouflage the sharp increases.
While the higher tax-rate growth enabled by either of these property-tax bills is a problem, the bigger concern is the compounding effect of this policy. An increase of $200 million in the first year becomes $800 million by the third year, and three years after that it’s up to $1.7 billion. That is money out of the pockets of every homeowner and renter in the state.
To say it again, the fact that property taxes hit just about everyone eventually, regardless of income level, goes completely against the Democrats’ messaging about “making the wealthy few pay what they owe.” It was good to see more members of the news media pick up on the hypocrisy. That needs to continue.
There is reason to think some legislators are getting nervous about the property-tax hike. In an email about the Senate-majority budget to her constituents in liberal-leaning Olympia, one wrote of the “significant tax reforms” aimed at the wealthy but left out that she’s also a sponsor of the Senate property-tax bill.
There is no guarantee public pressure will again get Democrats to give up on raising property taxes, as we saw in 2024, but they deserve to know how their misguided efforts would make Washington’s affordability crisis even worse.
Here’s how to let them know. Go online to leg.wa.gov and enter 5798 where it says, “Enter bill number.” From there, look for links to send a comment or testify at the March 31 public hearing. Then do the same for 2049.
Names and contact information for the eight Democrat sponsors of SB 5798 should be easy to find online — again, through the leg.wa.gov website under the “Legislators” tab. The same goes for the other Democrat senators, who also would benefit from knowing how you feel.
Whether you write or call to voice your opinion, be civil and respectful — it’s far more effective. Explain that you’re not one of the ‘wealthy few” and tell them to say “no” to higher property taxes. The tax madness needs to stop.
While you’re at it, encourage them to support a new budget that doesn’t require new taxes or make harmful cuts to services. State government already gets enough of your tax dollars; the proof is in the Senate Republicans’ $ave Washington budget. It’s the better way for our state.
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Sen. John Braun of Centralia serves the 20th Legislative District, which spans parts of four counties from Yelm to Vancouver. He became Senate Republican leader in 2020.