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Dear Friends and Neighbors,
Last week, I talked about the House and Senate tax increase proposals being the largest in state history. These are on top of the nearly 50 new taxes and fees the majority party has implemented since 2014. And to remind folks once again, the current budget of just under $72 billion has more than doubled since the 2011-13 budget of $30.9 billion. Olympia has a habit of overspending during the good times, and then raising taxes to compensate for the bad times. It’s a rollercoaster that must stop.
House Republican Budget Reforms
In the House, Rep. Travis Couture, the Republican budget lead on the House Appropriations Committee, has proposed a package of budget reform bills aimed at curbing out-of-control spending. These reforms focus on:
- Prioritizing essential services first.
- Implementing new limits on excessive budget growth.
- Enhancing accountability to prevent wasteful spending.
Gas tax increase
We also got our first glimpses of the transportation budgets this week. The 2025-27 House transportation budget proposal adds $4.4 billion in new taxes, including a nine-cent gas tax increase at a time when our state already has the third-highest gas prices in the nation. It also includes a new highway user fee and raises vehicle weight and registration fees, and more. These costs will hit working families hard. Small businesses, farmers and freight industries will also take a hit, as these increases threaten to raise the costs of goods and services across our state.
The majority party’s transportation budget proposal relies on massive tax and fee increases to funnel billions into transit, electrification programs, bike and pedestrian projects, and other initiatives that serve relatively few Washingtonians.
Instead of increasing the gas tax, we need to pass reforms that address why our state has some of the highest per-mile construction costs in the nation. We need to increase fees for electric and hybrid vehicles which use our roadways but don’t pay the “user fee” represented via our state’s gas tax. And finally, although I don’t support the Climate Commitment Act (CCA), we need to redirect billions from the program into maintaining important projects like the North/South Freeway and the preservation and maintenance of our current roads and infrastructure.
New and increased taxes cannot continue to be the answer for every question in Olympia. As grandma used to say, “You can only squeeze so much blood from a turnip.” I know most of you feel like I do – we’ve been bled dry!
Natural gas ban
On the natural gas issue, a judge recently ruled Initiative 2066 to be unconstitutional. This unfortunate partisan ruling could open the door to a full-on gas ban. Voters supported this measure to protect access to natural gas in new homes and businesses. The new law was designed to require utilities to offer natural gas and to prohibit any plan that discourages or eliminates its use. Initiative organizers and supporters gathered over 533,000 signatures in just 50 days to get it on the ballot. This is a very loud and clear message from the people. While this ruling is a hurdle, the fight for natural gas may not be over. The judge’s decision could be appealed and voters may yet have their voices heard on this issue!
Rural health care award
Working on behalf of the many rural and critical access hospitals in my district and across the state has been a decade-long endeavor. Rural health care – whether it’s working for more online and telehealth access, or keeping our local rural pharmacies solvent – is a passion of mine. It always seems to be an uphill battle each year, but it’s a fight I’m willing to take on in order to keep health care accessible to so many people who DON’T live in or near a city.
I was scheduled to receive an award recently at the Northwest Rural Health Conference but was unable to attend due to session activities. Former Rep. Jacquelin Maycumber accepted the award on my behalf. She said some very kind things about me. While legislators often receive many awards from various groups and associations over the years, I am especially proud of this one. I am happy and honored to an advocate for rural health care in Washington state.
There is one month left in the 2025 legislative session. The next four weeks are going to go by fast as budget negotiations heat up, we see more floor action, and dead bills fall by the wayside and other ones race to the finish line. Thank you for staying engaged and for your support.
Sincerely,
Joe Schmick
