Government Spending

The 2025 Democrat budget proposals from both the Senate and the House of Representatives grow the operating budget by another 9% — pushing it to an all-time high of $78 billion.

Most disturbing is that this leap in government spending comes at a time when Washington has a budget multi-billion-dollar shortfall. Nonpartisan staff set that shortfall at $7.5 billion, but Democrats inflate that number to $12 billion to $15 billion. Their high estimates assume additional government spending already, but they expand that spending even further.

How will Democrats pay for the 9% increase in spending? By implementing the largest tax increase in Washington state history — nearly $21 billion.

Instead of doing the right thing by balancing a budget without new taxes, cuts in services or large increases in spending, Democrats are doing the predictable thing — taking more of your money to fund bigger government.

There is a better way! Our $ave Washington budget balances the state operating budget, but not on the backs of hard-working taxpayers or by cutting services to the most vulnerable.

Read more about the 2025 Democrat tax proposals at taxmadness.com.

2025 Senate Democrat Budget Proposal

Overspending

9% increase in spending (when revenue growth is projected at 7.5%) continues pattern of Democrat overspending that caused the shortfall legislators now face
Of all the new spending, more than half of the 10 largest line items are about increasing pay and benefits for public servants
Drops state’s ending fund to $66 million and “rainy-day fund” to $25 million (from $1.25 billion today) during first half of biennium, leaving state vulnerable to federal decisions or economic downturn
Despite $21 billion in additional taxes, K-12 and higher education receive smaller share of budget than in Senate Republicans’ no-new-tax, no-service-cuts $ave Washington budget
In spite of billions in new taxes, support for childcare/ECEAP and Transition to Kindergarten is reduced or capped
No additional funding to help communities hire law-enforcement officers in the Senate Democrat budget, contrary to Governor Ferguson’s $100 million campaign commitment

Harmful Cuts

Eliminates state financial aid for about 17,000 students
Raises college tuition $3,000 for four years of study
Caps reimbursements to hospitals for treatment provided to state and school employees on the PEBB and SEBB insurance programs, which will shift costs to other patients and could result in less access to care for state/school workers
Cuts state employee salaries by 5%, canceling out the state employee raises negotiated in the collective bargaining agreements
Furloughs state workers with 5% reduction in hours, which will cut investigations of abuse and neglect of children and the elderly, as well as cut supervision of those on parole

Higher Taxes & Fees

Removes the 1% cap on the amount that state and local governments can increase your property taxes WITHOUT a vote of the people — if this had been in effect the past decade, each of them could have raised your property taxes 4.7% annually
Levies a 5.2% tax on the payrolls of Washington’s largest employers (e.g. – Amazon, Microsoft, Boeing, etc.)
Imposes $12.2 billion in taxes on jobs in the technology industry, risking the jobs they provide in our region
Doubles the annual bed fees for long-term care facilities, including, including nursing homes, assisted living facilities and adult-family homes — will shift $90 million in fees to private-pay residents, making the “Washington Cares” long-term care benefits even LESS helpful
Hurts restaurants and bars by increasing the annual liquor license fees by 50%
Increases the cost of hunting and fishing licenses by 40%
Increases the cost for families to use Washington’s state parks through a 50% increase in the Discover Pass
Read on about the additional taxes Democrats want to raise to fund their overspending

Over the past four budget cycles...

…majority Democrats have increased state spending by an average of nearly 17% from each operating budget to the next

Spending decisions created this situation...

…and Republicans see spending decisions as the way out of it.

Democrats say the budget gap is $12 billion over the next four years...

…Republicans point to the $6.7 billion estimate from the Senate’s non-partisan budget staff.

While revenue growth had been forecast for $5 billion (7.5%) in the 2025-2027 biennium,...

…the March forecast revised that to $4.5 billion (6.8%) revenue growth.

Video

VIDEO: Deputy House Republican Leader Chris Corry and Deputy Senate Republican Leader Drew MacEwen expose issues with state spending, unfunded mandates, and bureaucratic roadblocks that hinder efficient governance.