Standing up for small businesses in the wake of Olympia's overreach - Centralia

District 20 Representative Peter Abbarno

By Peter Abbarno
For the C-C Chamber of Commerce

As your representative and a proud member of our vibrant Lewis County community,
I’ve always believed that small businesses are the heartbeat of our local economy. From the corner café serving morning coffee to the family-owned hardware store that has supported generations, these enterprises are not only job creators but community builders.

That’s why I’m deeply concerned by the slate of tax increases and burdensome regulations passed during the 2025 legislative session in Olympia—legislation championed by the majority party that will make it harder for small businesses across Washington to survive, let alone thrive.

Let’s be clear: the last few years have not been easy for anyone. Our local business owners have weathered the COVID-19 pandemic, record inflation, supply chain disruptions, and labor shortages. Yet despite these challenges, many have continued to invest in our communities, hire local workers, and provide essential services with grit and resilience. They deserve our support, not more roadblocks from the state legislature.

Unfortunately, that’s exactly what they got this session.

New and higher taxes

In a time when small businesses are struggling to stay afloat, the Democrat majority in Olympia passed new taxes and increased existing ones, including a new regressive tax on certain business services and an increase in B&O taxes for many industries.

These changes hit small and mid-sized businesses hardest, especially those with narrow margins who can’t simply absorb the extra costs. At the same time, small business owners were taxed, while the majority exempted some of the largest and wealthiest corporations from the very same B&O tax.

More regulations, less flexibility

The regulatory burden has also grown significantly. From new environmental compliance mandates to stricter employment reporting requirements, the 2025 session was a regulatory onslaught.

Many of these rules were crafted without input from the small business community and with little regard for their cost or practical impact. What might be manageable for a multinational corporation in Seattle can be crippling for a five-employee machine shop in Chehalis.

We need a balanced approach that protects workers and the environment without sacrificing the entrepreneurial spirit that drives our local economy. These new regulations do the opposite. They are layered, unclear, and expensive to implement.

A rural voice that must be heard

As a representative of a largely rural district, I find it deeply frustrating that voices from communities like ours are too often ignored in Olympia.

Decisions made in the shadow of the Space Needle don’t always reflect the needs or values of places like Centralia and Chehalis. That disconnect was on full display this session.

I fought hard against these proposals, advocating for relief and support for our business owners through tax credits, regulatory reform, and investment in workforce development. Unfortunately, those efforts were consistently sidelined.

But our work is far from over.

The path forward

We must continue to raise our voices and demand that Olympia listen. Washington’s regressive tax system ranks at the bottom nationally, and has just gotten more regressive.

To fix Washington, Olympia must cut taxes and regulations on the businesses and individuals that can least afford the added burden, not increase them.

I encourage every business owner, every chamber member, and every concerned citizen to reach out, get involved, and share how these policies affect you. When lawmakers hear directly from the people they serve, change becomes possible.

In the months ahead, I will continue pushing for common-sense reforms prioritizing local businesses and working families, not bureaucratic expansion and tax increases.

I’m committed to building a stronger, more resilient economy for Southwest Washington that puts Main Street first.

Together, we can send a powerful message: small businesses are not Olympia’s piggy bank. They are the foundation of our communities—and they deserve better.

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Rep. Peter Abbarno represents the 20th Legislative District and is the House Republican Caucus Chair.