Washington's affordability crisis is getting worse - Centralia

District 20 Representative Peter Abbarno

By Peter Abbarno
For the C-C Chamber of Commerce

As your state representative, part of my responsibility is to keep you informed about policies that will strengthen businesses across our communities, district, and state.

Equally important, however, is my duty to sound the alarm when legislation threatens economic stability and job creation.

Unfortunately, we have reached the point in this legislative session where the majority party’s true priorities become clear, and it is not good news for families or business owners.

We have passed the critical policy cutoff deadline, the point in the legislative session where bills that do not make it through the committee process will no longer advance.

Rather than advancing meaningful reforms to alleviate the financial pressures crushing Washingtonians, the majority party blocked real solutions to Fix Washington while allowing costly and burdensome policies to advance through the legislative process.

Washington is already one of the most expensive places in the nation to live and do business.

We have the third-highest gas prices, the fourth-highest grocery costs, and the third-most expensive housing market in the country.

Families struggling with childcare expenses find little relief, as Washington ranks as the seventh least affordable state for child care.

And, when you factor in all costs of living, Washington is the third most expensive state in America.

These numbers are not just statistics. They represent real people with real stories of struggle—small business owners, working parents, and seniors—who are being priced out of their communities.

Here are some of the bills that could make it harder to live and work in Washington:

House Bill 1921 seeks to impose new transportation revenue sources based on motor vehicle usage, creating a pay-per-mile system that disproportionately burdens rural communities and small businesses that rely on vehicles for work.

House Bill 1320 proposes modifications to the business and occupation tax rates that would drive up costs for many employers, discouraging investment and job creation.

Senate Bill 5186 also shifts the state’s responsibility to support school construction to local communities in a way that could lead to higher local property taxes and threaten investments in critical infrastructure.

What makes this even more frustrating is that clear, common-sense solutions were available—proposals that would have helped ease financial burdens for families and job creators. But instead of giving these bills a fair chance, the majority party let them die.

One of those solutions was House Bill 1307, which would have removed sales and use taxes on essential childcare products—something that could have provided relief for young families already struggling with the cost of raising children.

House Bill 1340 sought to exempt prepared food from sales tax, a move that could have benefited restaurants, food vendors, and consumers.

House Bill 1564 proposed a tax credit for businesses that provide childcare assistance to employees, helping alleviate one of the biggest cost burdens facing working families today.

There were also efforts to help businesses grow and strengthen our workforce. House Bill 1777 aimed to streamline the process for approving apprenticeship programs, ensuring more Washingtonians could get the skills they need for high-demand jobs.

House Bill 1245 focused on promoting small business development, making it easier for entrepreneurs to succeed.

All these bills—real solutions that would have helped families, businesses, and workers—were rejected.

So, where does that leave us?

It leaves us with an affordability crisis spiraling further out of control while the majority party pushes policies that will only deepen the damage.

It leaves working families, small businesses, and job creators with fewer and fewer options to stay afloat.

I have always believed that government should be an advocate for the people, not a roadblock to their success. That is why I will continue to fight for real, practical solutions that make life in Washington more affordable—not just for a select few, but for everyone.

I urge you to stay engaged, speak out, and join me in holding Olympia accountable. We cannot afford to let these bad policies go unchallenged.

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Rep. Peter Abbarno represents the 20th Legislative District and is the Ranking Member on the House Capital Budget Committee.