Washington voters are sending a clear message to lawmakers in Olympia: rein in spending, don’t raise taxes. New polling from the Napolitan News Service reveals strong opposition to proposed tax hikes, particularly those aimed at closing a ballooning state budget deficit driven by record spending levels.
The survey, conducted between April 9 and 14 among 800 registered voters, found that a staggering 80% of respondents prefer slowing government growth over raising taxes to address budget shortfalls. Just 12% supported raising both spending and taxes — a striking rebuke of the current fiscal trajectory.
In another decisive response, 68% of voters favor a no-new-taxes budget approach, while only 7% opposed it. Voters also overwhelmingly rejected a proposal to triple the maximum annual property tax growth rate, with 77% in opposition and a mere 19% in favor.
The state’s business and occupation (B&O) tax also drew ire: 69% oppose any increase, compared to just 22% who support it.
These numbers come amid what many originally thought was a sharp course correction by state Democrats. On Monday, they dropped their proposal to repeal the voter-approved 1% cap on property tax growth, a plan embedded in House Bill 2049 that would have allowed increases up to 3% annually, targeting a broad swath of local and state levies.
The reversal came after Governor Bob Ferguson, following closed-door meetings with Democratic leaders, signaled opposition to the tax plan. It’s the second time in recent weeks Ferguson has nixed major tax proposals from his own party, having already squashed a new wealth tax idea aimed at Washingtonians with over $50 million in certain financial assets.
APRIL FOOLS?
Gov Bob Ferguson rejected Democrats' budgets that would have levied the biggest tax increase on Washingtonians with no meaningful cuts to solve the state's budget gap
Is this 4D chess where he's being set up to look like the good cop & they're playing the bad cop?… pic.twitter.com/EetKfQ5stY
— Ari Hoffman 🎗 (@thehoffather) April 2, 2025
However, Ferguson still claimed that fixing the budget gap would require spending cuts as well as “progressive revenue.”
But despite the retreat, Republican lawmakers say HB 2049 still opens the door to substantial tax increases. While the bill no longer triples the property tax growth cap, it still lifts limits on local school levies, raising concerns about equity and repeating the mistakes of the past.
“Democrats appear to be backing away from the original plan, but no one should be fooled,” said Senate Republican Leader John Braun (R-Centralia). “This bill still aims to lift the cap on local school levies — a move that could plunge us back into the inequities that led to the McCleary court decision.”
The 2012 McCleary v. State of Washington ruling found the state had failed to adequately and equitably fund K-12 education, relying too heavily on local levies. Republicans led the bipartisan fix, ensuring all students, regardless of zip code, had a fair shot at quality education.
Now, with HB 2049, critics say the state is poised to undo that progress.
“Before the McCleary fix, a levy rate of $1.28 in Seattle raised $3,712 per student, while a $4.05 rate in Pasco raised just $1,267,” noted Senator Nikki Torres (R-Pasco). “This bill risks re-creating that kind of inequality.”
Under the amended version, local levy authority could rise to $500 per pupil above inflation in the first year, with increases of 3.3% above inflation in subsequent years — far outpacing Washington’s current 2.5% inflation rate.
Torres warned the proposal could once again favor wealthier, urban school districts at the expense of rural and lower-income areas.
“This is a giant step toward McCleary 2.0,” she said. “It unravels years of bipartisan progress, all with barely a whisper of public input.”
Despite attempts by some in the media to frame Democrats’ move as a full retreat, HB 2049 still contains mechanisms that could significantly raise property taxes for many Washington families, all without voter approval.
In a time of economic uncertainty and skyrocketing living costs, voters appear united in their demand for fiscal discipline — not new taxes.
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