Voters Attribute State Budget Shortfall to Failure to Control Spending

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

OLYMPIA – Washington voters are in the know – they know why the state is facing a budget deficit and they are aligned on the solution, saying it’s a bad idea to increase state spending.

Fulcrum Strategic and EMC Research conducted a statewide poll of 600 registered voters in January that also found voters are concerned about the state economy and jobs. They believe the state has enough money to address key priorities and they do not trust the Legislature to spend new tax money wisely.

Together, the Association of Washington Business, Bellevue Chamber of Commerce, Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce, and Washington Roundtable commissioned the poll to better understand Washingtonians’ views of taxes and the economy as state lawmakers consider how to address a projected $12 billion state budget shortfall. The organizations are united with two-thirds of Washington voters who agree raising taxes is a bad idea and could cost individuals and businesses billions per year, resulting in an even higher cost of living, a weaker economy and depressed job growth.

Additional findings:

  • Economy and jobs: 71% of voters are concerned about the state economy and the availability of good-paying jobs.
  • Legislative spending: 76% of voters say the state Legislature has enough money to address important priorities, and they just need to spend it more effectively. 65% of voters do not trust the Legislature to spend their tax dollars responsibly and almost all voters (90%+) believe that the doubling of state spending over the past decade has not had an impact on key quality-of-life issues such as the cost of living, cost of housing and homelessness.
  • Cause of state budget shortfall: Prior to hearing any messaging from pollsters, 59% of voters say the projected state budget shortfall is due to the Legislature’s failure to control spending.
  • Key Issues: Voters overwhelmingly believe our state has failed to make meaningful progress on key issues including cost of living, housing, homelessness, public safety and K-12 education.

In response to the polling data, organizational leaders said:

“Voters are signaling deep concerns about the state’s fiscal direction. They overwhelmingly believe new business taxes will not improve outcomes in key areas like education, housing, and public safety, and the real issue is how existing dollars are being managed.” – Steve Mullin, president, Washington Roundtable

“Voters understand Washington has a spending problem, not a revenue problem. And they understand raising taxes on employers will ultimately drive up the cost of living for all of us, whether through higher prices, fewer jobs, or reduced investment in communities. It’s clear from this polling that Washingtonians are really questioning how their tax dollars are being spent.” – Kris Johnson, president and CEO, Association of Washington Business

“Voters are smart. And while, like us, they are proud to call themselves Washingtonians, they are concerned about our state’s economy, they understand how our state’s current economic conditions impact their personal financial situations and they believe we could lose good-paying jobs if we raise taxes to increase spending by billions. As someone who spent nearly 15 years working in government, I know that budgeting is not doing everything you have always done, at the same level, and then adding to it – it is about making good decisions, funding priorities and getting results.” – Rachel Smith, president and CEO, Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce

“State tax collections are projected to grow by $10 billion over the next four years without any tax increases, so it’s not surprising that voters are skeptical of proposals to raise billions more in taxes that could threaten jobs and economic growth.” – Joe Fain, president and CEO, Bellevue Chamber

Methodology: Fulcrum Strategic and EMC Research conducted 600 telephone, email and text-to-web surveys of registered voters in Washington state from Jan. 13-21, 2025. The overall margin of error is plus or minus 4.0 percentage points. The data set is available at www.seattlechamber.com/advocacy.

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About the Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce
The Seattle Metropolitan (Seattle Metro) Chamber of Commerce is the regional business advocacy organization that engages the innovation and entrepreneurship of its 2,500 members to promote inclusive economic prosperity. Founded in 1882 by local business leaders, the Chamber today is an independent organization representing a regional workforce of approximately 750,000. For more information, visit www.seattlechamber.com.

About Washington Roundtable
Washington Roundtable is a nonprofit organization comprised of senior executives of major private sector employers in Washington state. Roundtable members work together to effect positive change on public policy issues that they believe are most important to supporting state economic vitality and fostering opportunity for all Washingtonians.

About the Association of Washington Business
Formed in 1904, the Association of Washington Business is Washington’s oldest and largest statewide business association representing all sectors of business. AWB serves as both the state’s chamber of commerce and the manufacturers association. While its membership includes major employers like Boeing and Microsoft, 90% of AWB members employ fewer than 100 people. More than half of AWB’s members employ fewer than 10. For more about AWB, visit www.awb.org.

About the Bellevue Chamber
With hundreds of members representing tens of thousands of employees, the Bellevue Chamber is the relationship, policy, and business development hub for organizations throughout the Puget Sound region. We connect businesses with potential employees, sales opportunities, and social engagement, and provide our members access to industry experts and real-time information impacting our city and the Eastside. Learn more at bellevuechamber.org.

Media contact: Jillian Henze, APR
Cell: (425) 785-6731
jillianh@www.seattlechamber.com