3/5 of Washington voters want to balance the budget primarily with new taxes on the wealthy and large corporations

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Washington voters are enthusiastic about requiring the wealthy and big corporations to pay what they owe despite a dishonest, corporate-funded effort to convince people that the state’s fiscal problems are due to overspending and overtaxing, the Northwest Progressive Institute’s latest survey of the Evergreen State electorate has found.

60% of 621 likely Washington voters surveyed last week for Civiqs by the Northwest Progressive Institute favor addressing the state’s revenue shortfall primarily by levying new taxes on the wealthy and large corporations that would fund our public services, while 31% would prefer that the Legislature balance the budget primarily with large cuts to public services like education, healthcare, and public safety. 9% were not sure.

Support climbs to 62% when voters are presented with the specifics of the revenue package unveiled by Senate Democrats earlier this month, with opposition staying at 31%. That package consists of five elements: (1) a new tax on high value financial assets that would be paid only by the wealthy, (2) an employer-paid payroll tax on high-earning employees, (3) the replacement of Tim Eyman’s artificial property tax cap with a more flexible limit, coupled with an expansion of the senior exemption, (4) a cut in the sales tax, and (5) the removal of tax loopholes that aren’t benefiting the state.

Most of Washington’s largest corporations dislike this plan, especially the employer-paid payroll tax, and have created a political committee to lobby the public against it called “People for an Affordable Washington.” A more accurate name would be “Corporations for Neglecting Washington.” If you go to their website, you’ll see it is chock full of stock images they bought and talking points they poll-tested with leading questions. It was made by consultants with money from the biggest names in our business sector.

https://www.nwprogressive.org/weblog/2025/03/three-fifths-of-washington-voters-want-to-balance-the-budget-primarily-with-new-taxes-on-the-wealthy-and-large-corporations.html