NEWSFLASH: A budget proposal with no new taxes, no drastic cuts

Mar 14, 2025

Copy of Copy of Copy of Save Washington graphic (1600 x 900 px) (1)

A common-sense budget

No new taxes, no drastic cuts

Senate Republicans announced a no-new-taxes budget this week to positive reviews.

Sen. Chris Gildon, R-Puyallup, and Sen. Nikki Torres, R-Pasco, crafted a proof-of-concept budget to show how it’s possible to cover our budget deficit without raising taxes or making drastic cuts.

Listen to Sen. Chris Gildon explain the $ave Washington budget to radio host Lars Larson.

The $ave Washington budget, which would save taxpayers billions of dollars, is a stark contrast to the House Democrats’ “Chicken Little” approach that is written as if the sky is falling.

It’s not.

“The ‘Chicken Little’ budget is what I would write if I wanted people to beg me to raise taxes.”

– Sen. Chris Gildon

“The majority Democrats act like the choice is between catastrophic spending cuts or huge tax hikes — as though there is no other way to deal with the multibillion-dollar shortfall in the budget. That simply is not true,” said Sen. Chris Gildon.

“It’s the plan no one else thought was possible — but anyone who takes the time to look will see this is a serious and viable proposal.”

Our budget prioritizes K-12 education, helping the most vulnerable in society, and making government work better.

Our budget differs from what we expect to see from Democrats in the way we treat the $4 billion in proposed raises for state employees. They have hinted that they have no choice but to raise taxes to cover those raises.

We have a better way.

We propose that every state employee get a $5,000 bonus ($2,500 per year for two years). This is a PROGRESSIVE solution. Why? Because those employees making less than $80,000 per year would be BETTER OFF with the bonus than they would with the raises.

Alternatively, the employees at the higher end of the pay scale would be the big winners if Democrats implement the existing raise agreement, which gives raises based on a percentage of salary.

You would be paying higher taxes to give the biggest raises to people who make more than the average Washingtonian does.

That is unfair. The bonus proposal is more equitable.

Other highlights of $ave Washington:

Does not require new or higher taxes
Only grows spending by 5%, in contrast to double-digit spending growth every year since the Democrats took back the majority in the Senate
Increases funding for K-12 education so that it receives a larger share of the budget than any other expense
Preserves and maintains services for Washington’s most vulnerable residents
Invests in public safety
Reduces the middle management government workforce by 10%
Reduces the regulatory burden on childcare workers
Creates 1,800 slots for new students and sticks to the higher education tuition cap set by the Senate Republican majority back in 2015 (Democrats sponsored a bill this year to increase tuition)
Funds Sen. Jeff Holy’s bill to provide $100 million for hiring more law enforcement
Freezes the fees for the use of state parks, and for hunting and fishing licenses (Democrats have bill sot increase both)
Redirects funds from higher gas prices resulting from the Climate Commitment Act to support the Working Families Tax Credit (Currently, 90% of the projects funded by the CCA don’t reduce carbon anyway.)

AND MORE!

While we don’t expect Democrats to adopt $ave Washington, we do expect them to look at our proposal, talk to nonpartisan committee staff, do the math, and think twice about raising billions of dollars in new taxes to fix their past mistakes.

$ave Washington proves we do not need to raise taxes or make drastic cuts to balance the budget.

SHR = Senate Hearing Room
John A. Cherberg Building
Capitol Campus

Monday, March 17

Higher Education & Workforce Development
10:30 AM SHR 2
Public Hearing

2SHB 1587 – Encouraging local government partner promise scholarship programs within the opportunity scholarship program.

Labor & Commerce
10:30 AM SHR 1
Public Hearing

2SHB 1788 – Concerning workers’ compensation benefits.
2SHB 1524 – Concerning workplace standards and requirements applicable to employers of isolated employees.
SHB 1821 – Expanding the definition of “interested party” for the purposes of prevailing wage laws.

Law & Justice
10:30 AM SHR 4
Public Hearing

HB 1215 – Removing references to pregnancy from the model directive form under the natural death act. (57-36)
HB 1457 – Requiring electronic monitoring of sexually violent predators granted conditional release. (GRIFFEY)
SHB 1244 – Concerning training as an alternative to driver license suspension for the accumulation of certain traffic infractions. (58-39)

Transportation
4:00 PM SHR 1
Work Session

Washington State Ferries updates.

Tuesday, March 18

Law & Justice
8:00 AM SHR 4
Public Hearing

E2SHB 1440 – Concerning seizure and forfeiture procedures and reporting.

Labor & Commerce
10:30 AM SHR 1
Public Hearing

ESHB 1875 – Allowing the use of paid sick leave to prepare for or participate in certain immigration proceedings.
ESHB 1644 – Concerning the safety and health of working minors.

Human Services
1:30 PM SHR 4
Public Hearing

E2SHB 1131 – Concerning clemency and pardons.
ESHB 1233 – Concerning work programs for incarcerated persons.

Ways & Means
4:00 PM SHR 4
Public Hearing

SHB 1791 – Increasing the flexibility of existing funding sources to fund public safety and other facilities by modifying the local real estate excise tax.
SSB 5400 – Supporting local news journalism.

Executive Session

HB 1060 – Concerning newspapers and eligible digital content.

Wednesday, March 19

Business, Financial Services & Trade
8:00 AM SHR 2
Public Hearing

SHB 1081 – Establishing consumer protections for owners of solicited real estate.
2SHB 1516 – Conducting a study of insurance coverage options for permanently affordable homeownership units.

Human Services
8:00 AM SHR 4
Public Hearing

E2SHB 1232 – Concerning private detention facilities.

Early Learning & K-12 Education
10:30 AM SHR 1
Public Hearing

ESHB 1651 – Concerning teacher residency and apprenticeship programs.

Housing
1:30 PM SHR 4
Public Hearing

EHB 1217 – Improving housing stability for tenants subject to the residential landlord-tenant act and the manufactured/mobile home landlord-tenant act by limiting rent and fee increases, requiring notice of rent and fee increases, limiting fees and deposits, establishing a landlord resource center and associated services, authorizing tenant lease termination, creating parity between lease types, and providing for attorney general enforcement.
2SHB 1696 – Modifying the covenant homeownership program.

Thursday, March 20

Health & Long-Term Care
8:00 AM SHR 4
Public Hearing

ESHB 1291 – Concerning cost sharing for maternity services.
EHB 1382 – Modernizing the all payers claim database.

Law & Justice
10:30 AM SHR 4
Executive Session

HB 1046 – Protecting the vulnerable by providing immunity from civil liability for damage to a motor vehicle arising from the rescue of vulnerable persons or domestic animals. (61-35)
EHB 1052 – Clarifying a hate crime offense.
HB 1215 – Removing references to pregnancy from the model directive form under the natural death act.
HB 1457 – Requiring electronic monitoring of sexually violent predators granted conditional release. GRIFFEY
SHB 1244 – Concerning training as an alternative to driver license suspension for the accumulation of certain traffic infractions.
E2SHB 1440 – Concerning seizure and forfeiture procedures and reporting.

Agriculture & Natural Resources
1:30 PM SHR 1
Executive Session

HB 1647 – Establishing surface mine reclamation permit fees.

Transportation
4:00 PM SHR 1
Work Session

Advanced Clean Trucks regulations.
- Washington State Department of Ecology.
- Climate Solutions.
- Washington trucking associations.

Friday, March 21