Commentary by Rep. Peter Abbarno, R-Centralia
As our kids head back to school this fall, many families across Washington are feeling the sting — not just from the cost of backpacks, pencils and notebooks, but from the crushing financial weight imposed by Olympia.
The Washington state Legislature’s 2025 tax package has made the essential act of preparing for school even more unaffordable for working moms and dads.
This spring, state lawmakers passed the largest tax hike in Washington’s history — $9.3 billion in new taxes at the state level, with another $2.9 billion tacked on locally. All to support a massive $78 billion operating budget that has ballooned nearly 85% in just eight years.
Here’s the problem: while Olympia has doubled down on spending — up 116% over the last decade — median household income in Washington has grown by just 47%. Families are being asked to do more with less, while the state government continues to grow at more than twice the pace of their paychecks.
And yet, despite all that spending, there was no relief — no sales tax cut, no property tax break, no fuel tax suspension, and no help for small business owners who serve our communities.
Instead, families were handed higher business and occupation (B&O) taxes, impacting health care, groceries, child care and more; expanded sales tax to temporary staffing services, motor vehicle purchases, car sharing and IT, costs that ripple out to nearly every good and service; a 6-cent gas tax increase and 12 cents per gallon for diesel, driving up the cost of transporting school supplies and groceries; and new packaging and recycling mandates under Senate Bill 5284, which will add hundreds of millions in compliance costs — again, passed along to every one of us.
These changes come just as parents are already battling price hikes. What used to be a $150 to $200 back-to-school shopping trip per child can now easily exceed $300. Prices on basic goods continue to rise. And so do property taxes, utility costs, food prices and the cost of simply getting to work.
Budget analysts estimate that a typical working family of four could pay up to $2,000 more this year just from the 2025 tax increases. That does not include tax increases and regulations passed this year that go into effect later this year.
It’s not just about school supplies — it’s about survival for working-class families and our neighbors on fixed incomes.
I am deeply concerned that the majority party in Olympia continues to speak of equity while approving policies that raise the cost of living disproportionately for low- and middle-income residents. Our sales tax is among the highest in the nation. Our property taxes are pricing seniors out of their homes. Our gas prices top the West Coast. And now our state budget is exploding while family incomes barely inch forward.
It didn’t have to be this way. The majority refused to hear proposals for a tax-free back-to-school holiday. They also ignored proposals for permanent tax-free childcare essentials. It is about priorities, transparency, accountability, and basic fairness.
The Legislature had a choice in 2025: provide tax relief and help families recover, or grow government and ask you to pay more. This year, Democrats in Olympia chose to force you to tighten your belt, rather than tighten their own.
As your state representative, I will continue fighting for tax relief, a sustainable budget and real solutions for working families — not bigger bureaucracy. Let’s repeal or delay the most regressive tax increases and restore some fairness to our system. Together, I know we can fix Washington and stop our state from moving backwards.
As we near the school bell’s ring, families deserve policies that help — not hinder. I stand ready to work with any member in Olympia dedicated to relieving cost-of-living pressures — not compounding them.
Washington families shouldn’t have to choose between buying school supplies and putting food on the table. We can do better. We must do better.
•••
Rep. Peter Abbarno represents the 20th Legislative District and is the House Republican Caucus chair.
