Gov. Ferguson rejects ‘untested’ wealth tax, sends state budget writers back to drawing board; Editorial: Lawmakers, heed the warnings of Puget Sound-area mayors on taxes

Gov. Ferguson rejects ‘untested’ wealth tax, sends state budget writers back to drawing board

The News Tribune — State Rep. Travis Couture, the House Republican budget lead, told McClatchy that he agrees with Ferguson’s five budget points. The Republican caucus has espoused many of the same aims, Couture said. “It’s good to hear the governor come out and kind of lay down a line in the sand for some of those things,” the Allyn Republican said. “But it also feels like a reset button has been pushed on the session.” Couture likened House lawmakers’ current budget to a house of cards: Without the wealth tax, it would topple. And now that lawmakers are two-thirds of the way through the 2025 session, questions remain about whether a special session will need to be called. Couture pointed out that there’s a multi-billion-dollar chasm between what Ferguson wants and what lawmakers produced. “I don’t see a path at the moment where this doesn’t land us in a special session,” Couture said. “I just don’t think you have a lot of runway left to close the gap.” $

EDITORIAL: Lawmakers, heed the warnings of Puget Sound-area mayors on taxes

The Seattle Times — Mayors of a dozen cities around the Puget Sound region are sounding the alarm that some tax hikes, proposed by majority Democrats in the Legislature, could lead to job losses in the state. At a news conference Friday, some of the mayors said tax increases on businesses and employees “pose a great danger” to their cities and Washington’s overall prosperity, in the words of Bellevue Mayor Lynne Robinson. Lawmakers should listen carefully to what these local leaders say. The warning within their words: Raising taxes on innovative employers risks pushing their operations out of Washington — a move that could diminish the very revenue Democrats are attempting to raise. $

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