[Statement] Seattle Metro Chamber Response to Representative Shaun Scott’s Statewide Tax Proposal

Statement from Gabriella Buono, Interim President & CEO, Seattle Metro Chamber, in response to Representative Shaun Scott’s Statewide Tax Proposal:

Adding billions in new spending and raising taxes in an affordability crisis will mean higher prices on everyday essentials, fewer job opportunities, and more closures in sectors that are already on the edge. Washington families and employers are already struggling with some of the highest costs in the nation, and proposals from Olympia for even more spending would only make life here more expensive. 

For years, Washington has repeated a damaging cycle: rising costs push employers to pull back or leave, shrinking the tax base, shrinking jobs, and the state responds by raising taxes again instead of improving outcomes. Despite record-high revenues and a decade of unprecedented spending growth, results have not improved – not in education, not in housing, and not in homelessness. Voters across the political spectrum are clear: they want smart spending, transparency, and results, not new taxes that make it harder to live and work in this state. 

The Chamber urges lawmakers to break this cycle. Washington must put affordability first, use existing resources responsibly, and focus on delivering results.