Democrats in the Washington Legislature on Feb. 22 proposed tapping the state’s rainy day savings account and slashing hundreds of millions of dollars for a child care program for low-income families to balance the state’s budget into next year.

Washington state budget writers finally got some rosy news on Feb. 16 as they prepare to release their spending plans.

Washington state moved one step closer Feb. 16 to creating a personal income tax two years after the Legislature said it wouldn’t.

Democrats advanced controversial income tax legislation out of a key Washington state Senate committee on Feb. 9 after pledging more proceeds to local public defender costs and increasing a tax break for small businesses.

Most elected officials have no idea what it’s like to risk everything you have or to struggle to meet payroll for your employees and their families as waves of new taxes, fees and regulations threaten to drown you and your business.  

Washington has long been a high-cost state for employers, but new data show the state is increasingly losing its competitive edge in key areas.

Homeowners may grumble about their property tax bills, but the biggest share of the burden falls on large agricultural and industrial companies across Benton and Franklin counties. 

Do Washington state taxes get you thinking of moving away?

Even before state lawmakers passed a large package of new taxes last year, the state already had a reputation for putting a significant tax burden on businesses, according to a recent report.