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Dear Friends and Neighbors,
The 105-day 2025 legislative session has ended. We are back in district and excited to spend time in the most beautiful part of this state and visit the wonderful people in the 7th Legislative District. It has been an amazing ride and we know it is just begun.
We have the privilege of representing you in Olympia and we will never take that for granted. Our doors are always open. We look forward to meeting as many of you as we can over the interim so we can better serve you in the House of Representatives.
The Legislature missed a chance to right-size state government: taxpayers will pay the price
Democrats in the Legislature turned a $15 billion surplus to a $10 billion budget deficit in just a few years. Overspending beyond estimated tax collections, using one-time funds for ongoing expenses, delaying payments for new policies, creating new programs and more, all added to a significant budget hole.
Majority party budget writers had an opportunity to right-size government and commit to spending hard-earned tax dollars wisely. Instead, they passed a budget with a myriad of new and increased taxes, along with a few reductions. We believe this was the wrong approach and a wasted opportunity.
The 2025-27 budget contains the largest set of tax increases in state history, to the tune of $3.86 billion in 2025-2027, and $9.5 billion over the four-year outlook. WE VOTED NO!
Some of the taxes include:
- HB 2081 | Business tax increases: Across-the-board business tax increases and additional punitive business tax surcharges on certain industries.
- SB 5814 | Sales tax expansion: Applies sales tax to critical business services, including temporary staffing, digital services, and security services, and applies tobacco taxes to nicotine products.
- SB 5813 | Capital gains income and death taxes: Increases tax rates for the capital gains income and estate taxes.
- HB 2077 | Tesla tax: Punitive excise taxes on the sale or banking of zero-emission credits held by Tesla.
- SB 5794 | Eliminating tax incentives: Will start charging sales tax on gold and silver among a host of other things.
- SB 5390 | Discover Pass: 50% hike in the cost of a Discover Pass.
- SB 5583 | Hunting and fishing licenses: 38% fee increase for a hunting and fishing license.
- SB 5083 | Insurance premiums: Shifts health care costs from state employee insurance to working family insurance.
- HB 2061 | Concession fees: 10% tax on duty-free stores.
- SB 5786 | Liquor license fees: Increases the cost of liquor licenses for grocers, restaurants, and bars.
- HB 1858 | Document recording fees: Applies document recording fees to substitutions or assignments of deeds of trust.
- HB 1488 | Another property tax increase: Conservation district property tax increase, which was allowed without a vote of the people.
- HB 2015 | Another sales tax increase: Local sales and use tax increase.
- HB 1392 | Another insurance premium increase: Additional taxes on private health insurance.
- HB 2003 | Another fishing license increase: Enhanced fee on salmon and steelhead fishing in the Columbia river that doesn’t apply to the Puget Sound where the bill sponsors live.
- HB 1498 | Adds an additional $100 tax on marriage licenses.
And let’s not forget the 6 cent gas tax increase now tied to inflation and the 12 cent diesel fuel increase. Truck weight fees, passenger car weight fees, and filing fees have all been increased. Washingtonians will pay more at the pump and the costs for consumer goods and groceries will increase.
In the end, this budget will spend $77.9 billion, an increase of $6 billion over current spending levels, which is an 8% INCREASE in spending and represents the fourth consecutive budget that spends more than expected tax collections. This is NOT responsible budgeting and is a disappointing outcome for WA taxpayers.
Priorities vs. politics
The budget is the single greatest piece of legislation that should represent your priorities. We think you would prioritize spending differently than what was adopted in our state budget this year. Some policies the majority party identified as priorities include:
- Giving six weeks of unemployment benefits to striking workers
- Paying $154 million for non-citizen healthcare
- Giving $4 million in grants to activist groups
- Retaining DEI funding
- Funding reparations housing grants to decedents of African Americans.
But not all was doom and gloom
Rep. Engell’s bill to make it easier for people to share small a Group B water system was signed into law by the governor. And, while Rep. Abell’s bill to hire more law enforcement officers didn’t pass, a similar Senate bill passed and some funding was included in the budget toward that end. Again, we go back to priorities. Washington state ranks last in the nation for law enforcement per capita. In fact, if we hired 1,000 new officers today, we would barely surpass the next worse state! We support and prioritize safer streets!
In addition, here are a few more “good” bills that passed this year:
- Lot splitting (HB 1096)
- CCA fuel exemption for agriculture (HB 1912)
- Preserving wildlife conflict specialists (SB 5343)
- SVP electronic monitoring (HB 1457)
- Minors in CTE programs/work (HB 1121)
- Manufactured home titles (HB 1191)
- Disabled veterans property tax (HB 1106)
- Housing cost driver task force (HB 1108)
You can read more about the legislative session in our op-ed with Sen. Shelly Short here. We are gleaning from her vast experience and legislative knowledge to fast track our way to serving you better. Together, we make a formidable team to present your priorities and principles to the other legislators in Olympia.
Thank you for the opportunity to serve you and for the trust you have placed in us. We are continually humbled by your support.
Sincerely,
Hunter Abell
