Opinion: An unacceptable tax burden

Nancy Churchill outlines new tax proposals in Washington state, warning of growing burdens on working families amid budget shortfalls and government overspending.

Nancy Churchill writes about a new kind of March Madness

Nancy Churchill
Dangerous Rhetoric

Washington state is facing a projected $13 billion shortfall over the next four years. But instead of facing the real problem — runaway government spending — Democrats in Olympia are reaching deeper into your wallet. From gas and groceries to housing and jobs, a wave of new tax hikes threaten to saddle working families with costs they simply can’t afford. This isn’t how you fix a budget crisis. You fix it by restoring discipline, not punishing taxpayers.

The Problem: Overspending and the manufactured deficit

Let’s be honest: Washington doesn’t have a revenue problem — it has a spending problem. Over the past decade, Democratic lawmakers have nearly doubled the state budget. Even with record revenues, they’ve built a bloated, unsustainable government. Now they’re claiming they “have no choice” but to raise taxes? That’s not leadership — that’s avoidance. Instead of trimming the fat, they’re targeting your paycheck.

The House proposals: A tax hurricane

In the House, proposed tax increases hit nearly every sector. A new real estate excise tax (REET) would give counties the power to tack on an extra 0.5% to home sales, raising costs for buyers and sellers and worsening the housing crisis.

Massive business & occupation (B&O) tax increases target companies making over $250 million annually, including a hike from 1.2% to 1.9% on financial institutions. These costs will inevitably be passed on to consumers in the form of higher prices, driving inflation even higher.

There’s also a proposed 5% payroll tax on wages above the Social Security cap ($176,100) for companies with payrolls over $7 million. That’s a direct penalty on job creators and highly skilled workers—exactly the people we need to keep here.

Fun taxed to death

And it doesn’t stop there. Democrat lawmakers want to raise Discover Pass fees by 50%, pile new taxes on sporting events and concerts, increase hunting and fishing fees — even for kids and seniors — and slap a 10-cent tax on every beverage container.

They want to tax vacation rentals, double rental car taxes, hike liquor license fees, and hit electronics like phones and smartwatches with new surcharges. They even want to slap nearly a 50% tax on nicotine alternatives like Zyn.

The House Democrats’ plan is death by a thousand cuts. If it moves, if it works, or if it brings joy — they want to tax it.

The Senate proposals: Big-ticket burdens

Senate leaders are proposing a massive new “wealth tax” on individuals with $250 million or more in financial assets. While billed as a tax on billionaires, critics warn it’s legally questionable and likely to push investment — and jobs — right out of the state.

In addition to the increasing burden of the Climate Commitment Act carbon taxes, gas taxes are back on the table. These taxes will hit working-class commuters and rural residents the hardest. A 6-cent hike from the Senate and a 9-cent hike from the House are being proposed—plus an automatic inflation adjustment that would let lawmakers keep raising the tax without even voting on it. Talk about highway robbery!

Your home, their piggy bank?

Perhaps most concerning, there’s a plan to eliminate the 1% cap on yearly property tax increases. Instead, they’d tie increases to population growth and inflation, with NO CAP—giving government a blank check to raise your property taxes year after year without a vote. This could open the floodgates for large property tax hikes every year, making housing even less affordable. Like with the gas taxes, the inflation-based adjustment allows your taxes to be raised without a vote.

To make this whole mess seem palatable, they’re dangling a tiny sales tax cut — from 6.5% to 6%. But let’s be real — it won’t come close to making up for all the other new costs they’re stacking on families.

Action items: Push back before it’s too late

There is still time to take action — our voices can have a big impact. Start by contacting your legislators and demanding they oppose these tax hikes.

Email House and Senate Democratic leaders and tell them — respectfully but firmly — that raising taxes isn’t the answer. Leaders in the House include Laurie Jinkins, Chris Stearns, Joe Fitzgibbon, Lillian Ortiz-Self, Monica Stonier and Alex Ramel. Leaders in the Senate include Jamie Pedersen, Manka Dhingra, and Steve Conway. Email addresses are firstname.lastname@leg.wa.gov.

Other actions include submitting testimony or written comments during public hearings. Share articles and resources with your neighbors, especially those who are unaware of how wide-ranging these proposals are.

Support grassroots efforts like StopBadBills and policy watchdogs such as the Washington Policy Center. Subscribe to “Influencing Olympia Effectively“ on Substack to get daily updates on how to participate in the lawmaking process. Follow Future 42 and be alert for potential ballot initiatives or referenda that may emerge to overturn these proposals. Stay informed and become involved.

Encouragement: You can make a difference

This tax madness isn’t inevitable. We’ve stopped bad bills before, and we can do it again. Senator John Braun said it best: “This is not about left or right. It’s about protecting the people from a government that has forgotten who it serves.”

We don’t need more taxes — we need more accountability. We need to raise our expectations, raise our voices, and demand that our government live within its means — just like we have to.

Nancy Churchill is a writer and educator in rural eastern Washington State, and the chair of the Ferry County Republican Party. She may be reached at DangerousRhetoric@pm.me. The opinions expressed in Dangerous Rhetoric are her own. Dangerous Rhetoric is available on Substack.