On July 1, the price at every gas pump in Snohomish County ticked up by a fraction of a cent, and not one member of the Legislature had to put a name on it. That was the whole point. Washington’s state gas tax rose about 2 percent that morning, climbing to 56.5 cents a gallon. […]
Opinion
Op-Ed: Washington state’s gas tax is going up in July and will automatically increase yearly; that’s a big problem
Washington state’s third-highest-in-the-nation gas tax is going up again on July 1, 2026. It will be the first “automatic” or “inflation-based” increase since ESHB 2711, signed by Governor Bob Ferguson in 2025. The law allows state officials to increase the gas tax by two percent every year and does not require the public or elected […]
Harger: Our leaders say they love this economy. Try affording it at $5.56 a gallon
Around here, they say a single adult needs $135,000 a year to live comfortably. One person. No kids. That ranks Seattle as the sixth-highest among any metro in America. Now hold that against another number. Across the same Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue area, the median household income is about $112,000. That’s every paycheck in the house combined. The […]
The Breaking Point: How Olympia’s math is driving working Washingtonians away
I have spent decades designing, building and running an S-Corp on the Washington coast. In the construction industry, we are used to navigating tough conditions, from relentless coastal weather to complex supply chains. But today, the biggest threat to a working business isn’t the environment; it’s the state legislature. Olympia is currently operating on a […]
Washington broke the national diesel record — and the Climate Commitment Act made it worse
Washington just set an all-time diesel price record. Then it broke it again four days later. As of Friday, the statewide average for diesel hit $6.55 per gallon, according to AAA. That is the most expensive diesel ever recorded in Washington history. … Everyone is pointing at Iran, and they are not wrong. The U.S.-Israel […]
Lawmakers must preserve climate funding for its intended purpose
In Gov. Bob Ferguson’s effort to balance this year’s state budget, he suggests siphoning more than a half-billion dollars raised from carbon polluters to fund annual rebate checks to lower-income residents. But this sweep of funds raised through the state’s Climate Commitment Act carries risks for lawmakers. A wide majority of voters recently made clear […]
In Our View: Climate act needs accurate information
… Officials at the state Department of Commerce revealed this week that predictions about the effectiveness of Washington’s Climate Commitment Act have missed the mark. Expanding on the “missed the mark” characterization, if this were a basketball game, the shot would have flown beyond the hoop and hit a spectator in the upper deck. Carbon […]
Harger: WA has third-highest gas prices in nation. Now the state admits its climate program data was off by 96x
It takes a lot to shock me anymore. I’ve covered the Washington government for years. I understand rounding errors. I get that numbers shift, estimates change, projections don’t always pan out. That’s bureaucracy. That’s life. What the state quietly admitted Tuesday afternoon is different. WA drivers are paying billions more at the pump. For what, […]
Welch: State’s climate act failing to deliver on promises
Democratic lawmakers in Olympia sold the Climate Commitment Act with this promise: higher fuel costs today would mean stronger protection from floods tomorrow. That pledge helped justify what amounts to a hidden tax, now adding roughly 57 cents per gallon to gasoline, pushing the CCA’s effective fuel tax above Washington’s long-standing 52-cent gas tax. But […]
In Our View: WA must take heed to businesses’ concerns
Historically, Washington has been a hub for innovative, cutting-edge companies. Boeing, Starbucks and Amazon got their start here and blossomed into global brands. Microsoft moved to the state in its infancy and altered how businesses and households around the world function. While such companies have drawn headlines and become identified with Washington, businesses that are […]