Do the people of Washington have it worse than Americans did 250 years ago when it comes to taxation? It’s a timely question as we approach the semiquincentennial of the Declaration of Independence – and the answer is at least a qualified “yes.”
The 27 complaints laid out by the Founding Fathers include how the ruler of Great Britain was “imposing taxes on us without our consent.”
The Democrats who rule Olympia don’t just impose taxes without obtaining the people’s consent. They go out of their way to suppress those who dissent.
Research by the Tax Foundation found American colonists paid significantly less in taxes than other British subjects. However, Washington taxpayers don’t get a break because of their address.
Democrats here have imposed so many new and higher taxes in recent years that only five states rank worse than ours on the tax competitiveness index published annually by the Tax Foundation.
We are in the bottom 10 nationally along with states like Minnesota, California and New York. Florida, Texas and Tennessee are among the 10 states with the highest competitiveness rankings. A growing list of successful people or firms have left Washington to reside or do business in those states instead.
Our state’s place on the index has fallen from 15th for 2022 to 29th the following year to 35th in 2024, as taxes and other costly policies approved by Democrats in Olympia have added to the tax burden.
The new income tax is simply the latest example of how Democrats keep ratcheting up the tax burden on Washingtonians without their consent.
Republicans did all we could through the legislative process to let the people’s voices be heard in November. Democrats rejected every one of our proposals.
The only opportunities for dissent – so far, that is – came ahead of the public hearings in the Senate and House on the income-tax bill. More than 100,000 people went online to register as “con,” which was five times as many as those in the “pro” category.
This outpouring shattered the previous record for opposition to a bill. It shocked Democrats who thought calling Senate Bill 6436 a “millionaire tax” would fool people into falsely thinking the tax would never hit them.
In the end, however, all those concerned citizens’ voices were canceled out by just 79 Democrats: 27 senators, 51 representatives and Governor Ferguson. They alone consented to a tax which will initially take an estimated $3.2 billion from the people every single year and can be expanded with a simple majority vote.
Rather than seek voter consent, the income-tax sponsors included text to specifically block the people’s constitutional right to either confirm or reject the tax through a referendum.
Fortunately, the Let’s Go Washington organization is working hard to make an initiative happen, so the people can have another shot at dissenting when it counts the most.
I hope you got the opportunity to sign a petition in support of IP26-645. I’m optimistic it will get to the November ballot and have faith that a majority will then choose “yes” to repeal the tax, just as an income tax has been rejected by Washington voters 10 times before.
It’s important to know that even without an income tax, our state was already 45th on the Tax Foundation index. For that we can point to the record package of tax hikes Democrats pushed through in 2025. Five of those increases, including a massive sales-tax expansion, will enrich Olympia by nearly $10.7 billion over four years.
For a fuller sense of just how high Washington’s tax burden has become, simply go back a few more years to find the start of the Democrats’ capital-gains income tax and long-term care payroll tax.
You’ll also see their climate policies that function like taxes and have made motor fuel more expensive here than nearly any other state, without any measurable improvement in air quality.
What have these high taxes brought our state? Affordability hasn’t increased – but the operating budget adopted in March climbed above the $80 billion mark, double the spending level of just 10 years ago.
The growth rate of median household income has increased by just half in the same timeframe, so working families aren’t coming out ahead. Also, we’ve been warned to expect a third multibillion-dollar budget shortfall in as many years.
History tells us how the British tax policies of 250 years ago helped spark a revolution. The tax policies being imposed on our state deserve to be met with a revolt as well – at the ballot.
Defeat the income tax. Dump the Democrats who voted for it and the other taxes and misguided policies that have raised the cost of living here. Trust Republicans to get our state moving in the right direction again. That’s how we do better.
Senator John Braun was first elected to the Washington State Senate in 2012 to represent Southwest Washington’s 20th Legislative District, which includes most of Cowlitz and Lewis counties along with parts of Clark and Thurston.
John is leader of the Senate Republican Caucus and a member of the Senate Ways & Means Committee, the Labor & Commerce Committee, and the Housing Committee.
Prior to his business career, John served on active duty in the U.S. Navy. He holds a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from the University of Washington and master’s degrees in business administration and manufacturing engineering from the University of Michigan.
He and his family reside on a small farm in rural Lewis County, outside Centralia.
COMMENTARY DISCLAIMER: The views and comments expressed are those of the writer and not necessarily those of the Lynnwood Times nor any of its affiliate
Author: Lynnwood Times Contributor
One Response
Hopefully we will be able to change the course of Washington state. When our governor starts to sign agreements with California, and isn’t willing to back off on the gas/carbon tax it’s time to revalate the administration we have in place. Those Democrats in Olymipa won’t cut spending, they only add to the burden the citizens of Washington are carrying. It’s gotten to the point that truckers can not stay in business unless the taxs are cut on fuel, or we won’t be able to afford to live here any longer. All of this, and if Washington met all the carbon reduction numbers, it would not help in the way they say it will. When this group of Democrats pass laws that are unconstitutional to both the States & Federal
Constitutions, you should start to get involved in the process thats driving all of this greed. No matter weather you like our President or not, when the Governor puts aside 50 millions to fight his policies on or before he’s sworn in, & then put 150 millions up to pay for Medicade for illigals there’s something going on that smells like this administration has no respect for the Citizens who are paying the bills, and are willing to go against federal law to support those who break the Law before
They even arrive in our country, there’s something wrong.