Budget breakdown: How new taxes & fees could impact your bottom line
Lawmakers drafted the new state budget with the expectation of significant funding shortfalls over the next six years. So the final $78 billion plan, which is still awaiting final approval from the governor, includes several new taxes and fees. Here are the highlights:
⛽ Gas prices. In July, drivers will see a slight price hike at the pump as the gas tax goes up from 49.4 cents per gallon to 55.4 cents. It would go up 2% each year to keep pace with inflation.
🪪 Vehicle registration, ID cards, marriage licenses & outdoor recreation passes. Filing and service fees associated with registering your vehicle will go up slightly, as will the cost of getting a new driver’s license or a marriage license. Discover Passes will be slightly more expensive and the price of hunting and fishing licenses will go up 38%.
Among the changes to Washington’s taxes and fees to address the state’s budget shortfalls: The cost of a combination fishing license will rise from from $45.50 to $62.49, a 38% increase. (Dorothy Edwards/CascadePBS)
🚬 Nicotine products. Beginning January 2026, nicotine products like Zyn pouches would be taxed similarly to other tobacco products, at 95% of the taxable sales price.
The biggest revenue-driver in this budget, however, comes from an increase to the business and occupation tax, which most businesses must pay based on the value of their products, proceeds and income. The budget also includes some cuts and new funding for K-12 education.
Nosh newsletter: Try pastries from all across Africa in Pike Place Market
In the latest episode of The Nosh with Rachel Belle, we explored Seattle’s diverse, global coffee culture. And in the Nosh newsletter, Rachel shared the inside scoop on what to eat at the spots she visited while filming.
At Lands of Origin in Pike Place Market, an abbreviated version of a traditional Ethiopian coffee ceremony is accompanied by Mozambique-style egg custard tarts, encased in a shatteringly flaky pastry shell and lightly scented with orange blossom water. And at Hello Em in Little Saigon, lattes zhuzhed up with housemade Maggi seasoning caramel, miso, pandan condensed milk or a luscious cloud of salty sweet egg whip come alongside bánh mì. Rachel’s favorite is the grilled croissant pâté, stuffed with fried shallot omelette, bone marrow pâté and Viet mayo.
The election signals discontent over the outdoor retailer’s handling of unionization efforts, as well as its endorsement of Trump’s Secretary of the Interior, which it retracted following backlash. Newly appointed REI CEO Mary Beth Laughton said the results were a “clear sign” the company has an opportunity “to listen to what our members and employees are telling us.”
Washington immigrant rights organizations mobilize amid a deportation push
Outside the Northwest ICE Processing Center in Tacoma, volunteers with Advocates for Immigrants in Detention Northwest wait, every weekday from 2-7 p.m., to greet released detainees and provide them with whatever they might need, from a warm meal to Wi-Fi. AIDNW also collects data on detainee release rates, and they say the number of releases has “dropped sharply” in recent months. The population of the facility may have grown as much as 70% since late last year, and it’s approaching its top capacity of 1,575 detainees.
La Resistencia independently documents deportation flights at the King County International Airport, and volunteer coordinator Stan Shikuma said the number of deportations has crept up since Inauguration Day, with mid-February marking a record number. Outside of its flight observation efforts, La Resistencia organizes protests against conditions at the NWIPC, calling on the facility to shut down following a string of hunger strikes, suicide attempts and deaths in recent years.
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