Author Archives: kimberlywirtz

Just in time for Tax Day, Democrats double down on taxes

OLYMPIA…As if proposing the largest tax increase in Washington state history wasn’t enough, Senate Democrats in Olympia doubled the number of taxes proposed by introducing five tax bills just in time for Tax Day.

Senate Republican Leader John Braun, R-Centralia, offered this reaction:

“On Tax Day, no less, Democrats have decided to double down on taxing Washingtonians by introducing five new tax bills—not even two weeks before the end of session. This isn’t just bad timing; it’s bad governing.

“Washington families are already feeling the pinch of high inflation, soaring housing costs, and a slowing economy. Now, Democrats want to pile on even more taxes—on small businesses, on innovation, and on the very people who are trying to build a future here.

“Republicans believe government should live within its means—just like working families have to. We oppose these last-minute tax grabs and will continue to fight for policies that grow paychecks, not government. And because the Democrats have taken their budget negotiations into the proverbial back room, there’s no way of knowing why they want all these additional tax bills.”

The new tax bills will be heard in the Senate Ways & Means Committee meeting at 5:30 p.m., Wednesday, April 16 in Senate Hearing Room 4 in the John A. Cherberg Building on the Capitol Campus in Olympia.

 

These include:

Senate Republicans’ no-new-taxes budget a better option than any Democrat proposal, says Braun

OLYMPIA…Senate Republican budget leaders have filed their no-new-taxes, no-cuts-to-services operating-budget proposal as standalone legislation.

Crafted by Sen. Chris Gildon, R-Puyallup, and Sen. Nikki Torres, R-Pasco, the Senate Republican version of a 2025-27 state operating budget is a truly viable alternative to the $78 billion Democrat budget that relies on billions in higher property taxes, business taxes, job taxes and a variety of others cost increases.

Senate Republican Leader John Braun, R-Centralia, released the following statement in support of Senate Bill 5810, which up to now had been proposed only as an amendment to the Senate Democrats’ budget.

“Democrats sure seem to love the word ‘billion.’ Their out-of-control spending on unsustainable programs has created a multibillion-dollar budget shortfall. Now, their 2025–2027 budget proposal includes billions more in new spending, ballooning state government to the largest it’s ever been. To pay for it, they’re pushing tens of billions in new and higher taxes—regressive hikes that hit working families the hardest.

“Taxpayers are exhausted. The mismanagement, the misplaced priorities, the fiscal incompetence—it’s become too much.

“Senate Republicans have a better plan. The budget introduced by Senators Gildon and Torres gives taxpayers a much-needed break. Our proposal includes no new taxes. None. Because the last thing families need right now is government reaching deeper into their pockets.

“This year, we’ve heard from countless constituents who fear that the tax hikes Democrats are demanding will push them onto welfare—or into homelessness. And when you look at what Democrats are actually prioritizing in their spending, it’s even more alarming.

“Their budget priorities are misguided and unfair, and what they fail to acknowledge is the real economic harm their approach would do. Their ‘gimme more’ game plan risks driving out affordable housing, killing family-wage jobs, and stifling investment in our region.

“If we want to tackle the high cost of living in Washington, the answer is simple: stop making it more expensive.”

Democrats pass bill to bully schools, sideline parents

OLYMPIA…Parents’ rights, local control of our schools, and common sense took another hit today when the Democrat majority in the Senate passed a bill that would drive a wedge between parents and children, while also using state funding to punish school districts for not complying with liberal-agenda-driven state mandates.

Senate Republican Leader John Braun, R-Centralia, had the following reaction to House Bill 1296:

“Today, Senate Democrats ignored the will of Washington voters and continued their assault on parental rights by passing House Bill 1296. Not a single Republican supported this legislation—and for good reason.

“HB 1296 chips away at the foundation of the Parents’ Rights Act, a voter-approved law meant to keep parents informed and engaged in their children’s education. While Democrats removed one of the most egregious provisions—prohibiting schools from notifying parents during medical emergencies—this bill still crosses the line by interfering in the parent-child relationship and centralizing more power in Olympia.

“It’s especially troubling that HB 1296 allows the state to withhold up to 20% of a school district’s constitutionally guaranteed basic education funding if it doesn’t comply with partisan mandates. That’s not support—it’s coercion. These aren’t just policy differences. This is an attempt to weaponize education funding and force local schools to adopt a far-left social agenda, regardless of community values or capacity.

“Half of our students are failing English assessments. Two-thirds can’t pass math. This Legislature should be focused on academics, not politics. The people of Washington expect their lawmakers to prioritize learning, not use state dollars to bully school districts into compliance.

“Republicans stand with parents, with students, and with local communities. We will continue to fight for transparency, accountability, and excellence in education.”

NEWSLETTER: Gov. Ferguson rejects details of Democrat budgets — what now?

Dear Friends and Neighbors,

The primary reason for Washington state government’s multibillion-dollar budget shortfall is years of overspending by majority Democrats. This is a bipartisan belief. Our new Democrat governor said as much during his recent press conference, during which he also vowed not to sign any budget that does not meet certain criteria. (See below.)

Governor Ferguson drew a line in the sand, telling legislators once again he doesn’t support untested taxes. He also said that this is not the year for new spending, no matter how much it’s desired. This is a more common-sense approach to the state budget than Republicans saw from his predecessor, and it’s an approach we wholeheartedly support.

WATCH MY VIDEO UPDATE

However, we encourage the governor to also take a stand against the limitless property-tax increase in Senate Bill 5798. This is the bill that would remove any cap on how much state and local governments can raise your property-tax rates each year without voter approval. Inflation and population growth would be the factors determining the allowable rate each year, under the Senate Democrats’ bill. Over the next 10 years, it could potentially result in government taking $16 billion more of your money.

This increase would hit households with lower incomes the hardest, making it extremely regressive. During his news conference, Governor Ferguson said the state’s tax code is already too regressive. If that’s the case, it makes sense for him to oppose further property-tax hikes, but he didn’t really say whether he supports or opposes that tax.

Higher property taxes would hurt renters as well as homeowners, potentially pushing many of them out of their homes. Our retirees on a fixed income will be equally hard-hit.

In many cases, people trying to get into their first home may not be able to break into the market because of the tax increases, affecting their ability to build generational wealth for their families.

Earlier this week, 43,153 people signed in CON against this bill before its public hearing in the Senate Ways and Means Committee. That is, by far, the most opposition recorded for any bill in the history of the Legislature.

Sadly, the news media aren’t covering it as much as some of the other taxes. I encourage you to spread the word about this harmful tax while there’s still time to stop it.

You may contact the chairs of the budget and finance committees in both chambers.

Chair of the House finance committee

Chair of the Senate budget committee

You may also contact the governor and demand that he not sign any budget that includes a property-tax increase.

Email the governor

Call the governor at 360-902-4111

 

Sincerely,

Sen. John Braun

LISTEN: My podcast on the governor’s stance on taxes and spending

Listen to my latest podcast for thoughts on some of Washington’s statewide leaders. From the Treasurer’s warnings about the rainy day fund to the Governor’s cautious stance on taxation and spending, the discussion highlights key policy debates. Plus, criticism of the Attorney General’s litigious approach and its implications for local governance and public services.

 

 

Thank you to those 43,153 who signed in CON

 

Sen. Chris Gildon, R-Puyallup, shows the enormous list of people who signed in CON against SB 5798. Thank you to everyone who shared their opposition to the property tax.

 

 

Watch: Most recent media availability

WATCH the weekly Senate and House Republican media availability originally airing April 1.

 

 

FACT: The Senate proposal to increase the property tax growth rate,
with no caps, would hurt low-income families the hardest.

Source: Dept. of Revenue

43,153 people sign in to oppose property-tax increase being heard today in Senate budget committee

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 and Means Committee. The proposal has already proven to be wildly unpopular, despite receiving little media coverage.

If passed, SB 5978 would eliminate the current 1% cap on annual property-tax increases by state and local governments without requiring voter approval. Future rate increases would be tied to inflation and population growth, potentially raising property taxes by 8% to 9% annually.

Senate Republican Leader John Braun, R-Centralia, offered this reaction:

“I haven’t heard a single property owner or renter say they want to pay more in taxes on their home. I’m encouraged by the overwhelming opposition to this latest attempt by the Democrats to raise property taxes. We’ve worked hard to educate the public about Senate Bill 5978, and the response has been clear: people do not want the property-tax rate to grow beyond 1% a year without their say. They have good reason to feel that way. If this tax had been in effect for the past decade, property taxes would be 50% higher today. There’s a reason Washington voters supported the 1% cap nearly 25 years ago — to keep government accountable to voters. If cities and counties need more money to provide critical services than the current cap allows, they should make their case directly to the people, as the law permits.

“What’s odd is the lack of media coverage on this bill. I can understand why Democrats might not want to draw attention to it, because it completely contradicts the claim that they’re making the wealthy pay more, but the public has a right to know. It’s puzzling that the media is not doing more to inform people about a policy that could have such a significant, detrimental impact on people across Washington, regardless of their income.

“To make matters worse, Senate Bill 5978 contains a provision that strips citizens of their right to repealing the bill through a referendum. While an initiative would still be an option, it requires gathering twice as many signatures to qualify for the ballot. Even if the media isn’t interested in the size of this tax increase, then at least report on how this bill repeatedly undermines the will of the voters.”

Watch Sen. Braun share his concerns about the Democrat property tax increase.

Senate Democrats REJECT opportunity to pass a no-new-tax and no-cuts budget

 

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 the Democrat budget with $ave Washington — a proposal with ZERO dollars in tax increases and no cuts to services. $ave Washington also would not have taken any money out of the rainy-day fund, preserving it for future emergencies.

Senate Republican Leader John Braun, R-Centralia, shared his reaction:

“Today, the Senate had a choice between a budget that respects the hardworking taxpayers of Washington state and one that continues down a dangerous path of over-taxation, overspending, and economic decline.

“The $78.5 billion Democratic budget is built on the same failed philosophy we’ve seen for years—spending beyond our means and raising taxes on families and businesses already struggling with inflation and high costs of living. It’s the same tired approach that pushes people and businesses out of Washington. It’s no wonder that so many of our neighbors are leaving for states that don’t treat them like a never-ending ATM.

“By contrast, the Republican ‘$ave Washington’ budget is something people can believe in. It’s built on common sense, fiscal restraint, and sustainable investments in the core functions of government. It recognizes a simple truth: we must live within our means. It prioritizes what truly matters—education and public safety—without raising a single new tax. And it saves for the future — ensuring we don’t face massive deficits down the road.

“The Democratic budget assumes we can spend indefinitely, as if there’s no cost to their ever-growing list of government programs. We’ve seen where that leads — higher taxes, businesses closing, and working families struggling to make ends meet. Worse yet, it continues down the road of destroying the trust between the government and the people of Washington. Year after year, taxpayers are told that higher taxes and bigger budgets will fix our problems, yet the same problems persist—homelessness, crime, a struggling economy. The people of Washington deserve honesty, not broken promises.”

Watch Sen. Braun’s floor speech.

Watch the full debate.

NEWSLETTER: The largest tax increase in state history and how you can help stop some of the taxes

Largest tax increase in Washington state history

Dear Friends and Neighbors,

As Washington faces the largest tax increase in state history, I wanted to explain the worst ones to you here.

Senate Bill 5798 would remove the 1% cap on the annual rate at which state and local governments can increase property taxes without voter approval. A similar bill in 2024 proposed tripling the cap to 3%, but SB 5798 goes even further—tying increases only to inflation and population growth, with no limit, which could result in annual hikes far exceeding 3%.

Local governments support the bill because it would let them collect more money. However, current law already allows them to exceed the 1% cap, if their voters approve — a fact not advertised by the bill’s advocates.

This policy would blow the doors off everyone’s property taxes. Had this been in effect over the past decade, Washingtonians would be paying double what they pay now. If the state or local governments want to raise property taxes beyond the 1% cap, they can already do that—they just need voter approval. That’s a critical check against excessive government growth. I’m opposed to this effort to bypass the will of the people to take more of their money.

Washington is in the middle of a housing crisis. Homeowners and renters alike are worried about rising costs pushing them out of their homes. Larger annual property-tax hikes under this policy could lead to more foreclosures and evictions. It would also force many homeowners to sell, increasing demand for rental housing and driving rents even higher.

Renters often think policies affecting property owners won’t touch them, but that’s not true. Landlords will have to pass tax increases on to their tenants. And if the Democrats also succeed in imposing rent control on our state , many rental-property owners—unable to recover their losses—will sell, taking those homes off the rental market permanently.

Everyone should be concerned about this bill. If both state and local governments fully exercise the authority granted under SB 5798, property taxes could rise by 8% or more each year. The compounding effect of this tax policy over multiple years will result in billions of dollars in new property tax.

Sincerely,

Sen. John Braun

 

 

 

Sign in to oppose the property tax increase

Hearing set Monday for Democrat-sponsored bill to remove 1% cap,
allow steeper annual property-tax increases without voter approval

Sign in CON, testify, and/or submit written testimony in the 4:00 p.m. hearing of the Senate’s budget committee. If you plan to attend in person, it will be held in Senate Hearing Room 4, which is in the John A. Cherberg building on the Capitol Campus in Olympia.

If you would like to sign in CON online, you can do by clicking on the following links. Remote testimony is also available.

SB 5798 – Tax on Your Home

SB 5796 – Tax on Jobs

SB 5797 – Tax on Innovation

 

 

 

Listen to my podcast:

A closer look at Democrat tax proposals

 

In my podcast this week I go into a deeper discussion about the various taxes included in the Democrat tax proposal, which would be the largest tax increase in state history.

The Democrat “wealth tax” is really a tax on innovation and will drive our largest job creators out of Washington. A similar tax has been repealed in other countries and states where it’s been tried because it was a failure. And it will be bad for Washington too.

The “payroll tax,” which is a tax on jobs, was tried in Seattle and caused the city to lose tens of thousands of jobs. The Democrat mayor of Seattle, Bruce Harrell, opposes a state jobs tax because of how it hurt Seattle economically.

Worst is the increase in the annual rate at which the state and local governments can increase your property taxes without your approval. If government needs more of your money beyond a 1% increase to cover expenses, they can already raise your property taxes more than 1%, but they must get voter approval. 

This tax increase could quickly grow property taxes to more than $1 billion a year out of your pocket.

Democrats would take away your ability to vote on large tax increases.

Learn more at taxmadness.com.

 

 

 

Charging you more to enjoy the outdoors

Senate Democrats this week passed a bill (Senate Bill 5583) that would increase the cost of hunting and fishing licenses by 38%.

All Republican senators voted “no.” This bill, along with one to increase the cost of using state parks by raising the price of the Discover Pass and another one that would add an 11% sales tax to firearms and ammunition, would continue to chip away at your ability to enjoy the outdoors in our beautiful state.

I hope SB 5583 can be stopped in the House.

You can tell the Chair of the House Committee on Agriculture and Natural Resources to let the bill die.

Braun: Tell the majority “NO” on higher property taxes

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% cap on the annual rate at which state and local governments can increase property taxes without voter approval. A similar bill in 2024 proposed tripling the cap to 3%, but SB 5798 goes even further—tying increases only to inflation and population growth, with no limit, which could result in annual hikes far exceeding 3%.

Local governments support the bill because it would let them collect more money. However, current law already allows them to exceed the 1% cap, if their voters approve—a fact not advertised by the bill’s advocates.

Senate Republican Leader John Braun, R-Centralia, strongly opposes the bill, stating:

“This policy would blow the doors off everyone’s property taxes. Had this been in effect over the past decade, Washingtonians would be paying double what they pay now. If the state or local governments want to raise property taxes beyond the 1% cap, they can already do that—they just need voter approval. That’s a critical check against excessive government growth. I’m opposed to this effort to bypass the will of the people to take more of their money.

“Washington is in the middle of a housing crisis. Homeowners and renters alike are worried about rising costs pushing them out of their homes. Larger annual property-tax hikes under this policy could lead to more foreclosures and evictions. It would also force many homeowners to sell, increasing demand for rental housing and driving rents even higher.

“Renters often think policies affecting property owners won’t touch them, but that’s not true. Landlords will have to pass tax increases on to their tenants. And if the Democrats also succeed in imposing rent control on our state , many rental-property owners—unable to recover their losses—will sell, taking those homes off the rental market permanently.

“Everyone should be concerned about this bill. If both state and local governments fully exercise the authority granted under SB 5798, property taxes could rise by 8% or more each year. The compounding effect of this tax policy over multiple years will result in billions of dollars in new property tax.”

Senate Democrat budget proposal raises taxes and overspends – as predicted

OLYMPIA… Senate Republican Leader John Braun, R-Centralia, released the following statement in response to the $78.5 billion operating budget proposal announced today by Senate Democrats:

“The Senate Democrats’ budget does exactly what we expected — it raises taxes and overspends. Their plan adds $12.1 billion in new policy spending despite Washington already facing a multi-billion-dollar budget shortfall. Instead of living within existing revenue, Democrats are pursuing unsustainable spending, leaving the state vulnerable. As the saying goes, ‘If you find yourself in a hole, stop digging.’

“The proposal relies on more than $17 billion in new or higher taxes, including an increase in the amount state and local governments can raise property taxes annually without voter approval. Last year, Democrats wanted to triple the allowable growth rate from 1% to 3%, but didn’t succeed because of such strong opposition. But this proposal eliminates any cap. Property owners could face annual increases of 8% or more — year after year — with no recourse. This could force many homeowners and renters out of their homes.

“While the plan includes a 0.5% cut in the state sales tax, it’s too little to make an impact. The cut wouldn’t take effect until 2027, and Democrats could repeal it in 2026. Local governments could also increase their sales taxes, canceling out any savings for consumers. It’s no wonder House Democrats didn’t include this token cut in their own budget proposal.

“In addition to raising taxes, Senate Democrats are hiking fees that will dig even deeper into family budgets. They propose increasing college tuition by $3,000 per family and eliminating financial aid for around 17,000 students. They’re also doubling annual long-term care fees, adding $90 million in costs that will be passed on to private-pay residents, making their ‘Washington Cares’ program an even worse deal.

“One of the biggest disappointments is the failure to fund hiring grants for more law-enforcement officers, despite Democrats’ repeated claims about prioritizing public safety. Fortunately, Governor Ferguson has pledged to veto any budget that doesn’t include this funding. I hope he keeps that commitment if necessary.”