October 7th, 2025
In this issue:
- Lu Hill: State Leaders Must Act to Protect People in Eastern Washington from Harmful Congressional Actions
- Comment: State’s Tax Code Needs Rewrite for Fair Share
- How Will the Government Shutdown Hit Washington State? It Depends
- WA Lawmakers Cut Spots for Free Preschool Program
- Microsoft President Bashes Washington State Taxes, Saying They are ‘Driving People and Jobs Away’
When big businesses and billionaires wanted tax cuts, the federal government delivered. But now, when every day people like you and me need Congress to act so our healthcare premiums don’t skyrocket, they’ve shut down. Make no mistake, this government shutdown won’t harm the wealthiest of Americans, but it will add strain to workers and families that are just trying to get by.
So how can you help?
If you’re receiving this email, we hope you will complete our 5-minute Activist Survey. It may seem small, but this simple step will help us know how best to work with you when the legislative session starts in Washington state. We’ll need all hands on deck to tell lawmakers why it’s important that they make the super rich in our state pay what they owe.
As a bonus, after the survey closes, we’ll select 10 random people to receive a free Invest in Washington Now coffee mug!
Thank you,
Treasure
STATE LEADERS MUST ACT TO PROTECT PEOPLE IN EASTERN WASHINGTON FROM HARMFUL CONGRESSIONAL ACTIONS
While some members of Congress have sold us out, I hope state leaders will have our back. They can decide whether to backfill the cuts made by Congress or let them stand and see people suffer. I ask the governor and state legislators to lead with courage and do what this moment requires: ask the wealthy and massive corporations in our state to pay more of what they truly owe in taxes so everyone in our community can get what they need to thrive.
Last session, legislators continued the important work of fixing our upside-down tax code, a common theme of my past columns. Legislators updated the estate tax, raised the capital gains tax to apply to bigger stock market gains, and adjusted the B&O tax. Next session, they’ll have to go further to neutralize harmful cuts coming from Congress and make sure our tax dollars are invested in things that help all of us, not just millionaires and billionaires.
More – Lu Hill, The Spokesman-Review
STATE’S TAX CODE NEEDS REWRITE FOR FAIR SHARE
Washington is set to lose about $41 billion over 10 years in Medicaid funding, with up to 328,000 Washingtonians losing coverage. Additionally, the state could lose hundreds of millions of dollars in SNAP funding and be forced to fill those gaps, with 517,000 Washingtonians at risk of losing food assistance. What’s more, 14 rural hospitals are at risk of closing, along with grocery stores.
Put simply: The cost of our lawmakers doing nothing will mean thousands of people in Washington will suffer.
Our elected leaders must have the courage to overhaul our tax code during the next session in 2026.
More – Treasure Mackley, The Everett Herald
HOW WILL THE GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN HIT WASHINGTON STATE? IT DEPENDS
“The services that WIC provides reduce infant deaths, improve the growth of infants and children, increase immunization rates, increase access to community supports, and help ensure early prenatal care for pregnant participants,” Brittany Tybo, director of Washington’s Office of Nutrition Services, said in a press release. “All of these benefits are at risk for WIC families, and the risk increases the longer the shutdown continues.”
WA LAWMAKERS CUT SPOTS FOR FREE PRESCHOOL PROGRAM
Katy Warren, deputy director of the Washington State Association of Head Start and ECEAP, has worked there for 18 years. This is the first year in that time the state Legislature has cut funding for the preschool program, she said. The legislature cut slots for the program by about 12%, and eliminated funding for a version of ECEAP for children under 3 years old.
“There’s a lot of sadness out there in the community, a lot of longtime partnerships with local school districts going by the wayside, a lot of families who aren’t getting services, a lot of staff laid off,” she said.
More – Claire Withycombe, The Seattle Times
MICROSOFT PRESIDENT BASHES WASHINGTON STATE TAXES, SAYING THEY ARE ‘DRIVING PEOPLE AND JOBS AWAY’
Treasure Mackley, executive director of Invest in Washington Now, doubts that [Brad] Smith [Microsoft President] is interested in helping the state’s economy. Otherwise his company wouldn’t have laid off some 15,000 workers, she told McClatchy in an emailed statement.
While working people are getting kicked off their health insurance and losing jobs, she said, Smith — whose total compensation reportedly exceeded $20 million in fiscal 2024 — gripes that the state “isn’t generous enough to multi-millionaires and billionaires like him.”
“This oblivious rhetoric is one reason why support in Washington for taxes that make the few pay what they truly owe is at an all time high,” Mackley said.
More – Simone Carter, The Chronicle
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