News

OLYMPIA…Today, majority Democrats in the Washington State Senate passed a misguided rent-control bill they claim will address the state’s critical shortage of affordable housing. Senate Republican Leader John Braun, R-Centralia, voted against House Bill 1217, as did his Republican colleagues. Braun shared this reaction to the vote: “We all agree that rents across our state...

“Regular people” will share personal impacts of bill to remove cap from annual property tax growth rate   OLYMPIA — The Washington State Senate Republican Caucus will hold a news conference to oppose continued efforts by majority Democrats to eliminate the 1% cap on the annual growth of state and local property taxes. Community members...

    “Sometimes we need to tell our friends hard truths.” Earlier this week, the governor announced at a press conference that he will not sign any version of an operating budget that does not meet the following requirements: Protects the “rain-day fund” Is based on realistic revenue projections Minimizes new investments Includes savings and...

OLYMPIA… The senators behind the no-new-taxes, no-cuts operating “$ave Washington” budget proposed by Senate Republicans offered this reaction to comments made today by Gov. Bob Ferguson about the operating budgets adopted by the Senate and House of Representatives in the past few days. From Sen. Chris Gildon of Puyallup, who is Senate Republican budget leader:...

OLYMPIA…More than 43,000 people have signed in to oppose Senate Bill 5978, a proposal that would drastically raise property taxes — more than four times the opposition received for any previous bill to receive a public hearing in the Senate. SB 5978 is scheduled for a hearing today at 4 p.m. in the Senate Ways...

OLYMPIA… The state Senate’s majority Democrats today passed a $78.6 billion operating budget that relies on the largest tax increase in state history, after rejecting the smaller, no-new-taxes, no-cuts budget proposed by Senate Republicans. The “$ave Washington” budget, which doesn’t outspend the state’s anticipated level of revenue, was offered in place of the Democrats’ own...

OLYMPIA… The state Senate’s majority Democrats today passed a $78.6 billion operating budget that relies on the largest tax increase in state history, after rejecting the smaller, no-new-taxes, no-cuts budget proposed by Senate Republicans. The “$ave Washington” budget, which doesn’t outspend the state’s anticipated level of revenue, was offered in place of the Democrats’ own...

  OLYMPIA…In a 28-21 vote, the Washington State Senate Democrats today passed their $78.5 billion operating budget proposal, the funding for which relies on the largest tax increase in state history and a raiding of the “rainy-day fund.” Senate Democrats also rejected a striking amendment proposed by Sen. Chris Gildon, R-Puyallup, that would have substituted...

REMINDER: Sign in CON Don’t miss the opportunity Monday, March 31 to sign in CON on the Democrat bill to increase the annual property tax growth rate that state and local governments can charge without your approval. It and other tax bills will be heard in the Senate budget committee (Ways & Means) at 4...

SAY NO TO THE PROPERTY TAX INCREASE   Property tax increase will be heard in the Ways & Means Committee meeting at 4 p.m., Monday, March 31. Don’t let this bill out of committee.   As part of the largest tax increase in Washington state history, the majority wants to remove the 1% cap on...

OLYMPIA – A Democrat-sponsored bill that could dramatically increase Washington’s property taxes will receive a public hearing in the Senate Ways & Means Committee at 4 p.m. Monday, March 31. The public is encouraged to sign in CON, testify against the bill, and/or submit written testimony opposing it. Senate Bill 5798 would remove the 1%...

OLYMPIA… Sen. Chris Gildon, R-Puyallup, and Sen. Nikki Torres, R-Pasco, offered this reaction to the operating budgets proposed today by the Legislature’s majority Democrats. The Senate majority’s plan would spend $78.5 billion in the 2025-27 budget cycle – $3 billion more than the Senate Republican “$ave Washington” proposal – while the corresponding House Democrats’ plan...