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Tax increases passed by Democrats since 2019

Despite strong state tax collections during the 2019-21 legislative sessions, majority Democrats chose to increase taxes on individuals, families and businesses in Washington state. You can find details on these tax increases below.

State lawmakers entered the 2022 legislative session with a historic, $15 billion budget surplus. Unfortunately, majority Democrats ignored various Republican tax-relief proposals and chose not to provide meaningful tax relief to Washingtonians. They passed a supplemental operating budget (SB 5693) that continued a trend of massive state spending increases. Compared to 2019-21, this budget increased state spending by nearly $12.5 billion (24%) – the largest percentage increase in modern budgeting history.

In the 2022 legislative session, majority Democrats also passed a partisan, $17 billion transportation package (SB 5974 and SB 5975) that increased transportation-related fees and taxes for Washingtonians. Learn more here.

 

†This took personal property tax on heavy equipment off the rolls and instead charges a tax at point-of-sale. The property tax will be shifted to everyone else, so this is a net revenue gain to the state.

*This bill assessed a premium for long-term care. The fiscal impact represents Employment Security Department’s assessed premiums for fiscal years ’22-25.
**This bill did not directly raise taxes but allowed local school districts to raise additional property taxes.