Governor pressed to veto $1.8B piece of Democrats' tax bill
Hoteliers, restaurateurs and grocers are asking Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson to veto part of a tax bill that they say will drive up food costs for them and their customers.
-snip-
The debate centers on House Bill 2081, which contains an across-the-board boost in taxes for tens of thousands of businesses, including those in the hospitality and food industries, and a temporary surcharge on some of the state’s highest-grossing firms.
The Washington Hospitality Association and Washington Food Industry Association asked Ferguson on April 29 to remove the section imposing the three-year, 0.5% surcharge as it would hit food wholesalers and, when combined with the general increase, be a double hit to consumers.
These groups point out that some of the state’s biggest corporations in other sectors, including Boeing, oil refiners, and tech companies, are exempt from the surcharge.
https://washingtonstatestandard.com/2025/05/07/wa-governor-pressed-to-veto-a-1-8b-piece-of-democrats-tax-bill/