The Blog at MSPC

The phrase “render unto Caesar” comes into play here, but politicians should understand that they are to represent the people of Washington state, who have said time and time again that car tabs are just too damn high.

It’s the oldest trick in politics: sell a major policy shift by assuring voters it only targets someone else. Olympia is now running that play with the 9.9 percent “Millionaire Tax.” For those of us who have watched Washington’s spending habits for decades, the warning signs are obvious. The “fair share” narrative depends on intellectual dishonesty—and it’s being used to wedge open the door to a permanent state income tax.

Wyoming legislators are right to address the necessity of upholding the principles of federalism in the 2026 Legislative Session in the form of SJ 2.

Now Washington state legislators want to take this experiment statewide, arguing that a new 3-cent sugar-sweetened beverage tax will improve health outcomes and fight hunger. It sounds noble. It sounds decisive. And it’s deeply disconnected from reality.

Despite Washingtonians consistently and overwhelmingly rejecting income taxes and the legislature in 2024 enacting I-2111 to prohibit state or local income taxes, some lawmakers in the Evergreen State are again pushing for an income tax this year.

"This is taxation without representation- something we fought a war over 250 years ago. I hope that Utah’s leaders realize that these dependencies run both ways, and as dependent as Idaho is on Utah for motor fuels, Utah is dependent on Idaho for water. I hope we don’t have to enter a cycle of mutual exploitation. I hope we can remain good friends and partners.”

Washington already has the highest per-resident debt in the region, owing approximately $15,400 per capita, making it the 11th highest in the nation. While more maintenance and preservation dollars are needed, a significant amount would go to add-ons like bike lanes on highways in lieu of preserving the system that carries the most traffic.

One reason property taxes are a blazing issue in Montana is that the state constitution affords insufficient protection against tax hikes.

We have dozens of policy recommendations for lawmakers to consider. These reforms can be acted on even with the challenging budget situations across the states. Here are a couple of our top recommendations for Idaho, Washington and Wyoming lawmakers

As we prepare for the start of the 2026 Legislative Session in a few weeks in Idaho, Washington and Wyoming (there’s no legislative session next year in Montana), it’s a good time to look back and reflect on the many exciting things that occurred in 2025. Here are just a few that stand out

Ada County officials have significantly increased development impact fees to pay for transportation projects, passing an ordinance to charge

States and local governments across America have collectively accumulated over $6 trillion in liabilities, roughly $5 trillion of which are

Just as low-quality steel will lead to a lower quality chassis of a car, poorly educated American workers will lead to a drop in quality of

During his recent speech at the Associated Taxpayers of Idaho (ATI) conference, Governor Little noted how “C.O.W.s” are one of the state’s current challenges, but also an opportunity.

The Wyoming Supreme Court made the right decision earlier this month to pause education mandates from Laramie District Judge Peter Froelicher that seemed more like royal decrees. Legislators can now wait until the appeal to his February 26 order is decided in the Wyoming Supreme Court, which heard arguments in the case on November 12.

The Tax Foundation's State Competitiveness Index reveals which states are taxpayer-friendly for both individuals and businesses. States are ranked based on income, sales, excise, property, capital gains, corporate, payroll, estate, and VAT consumption taxes.

Roughly three out of four businesses say they’ve been hit directly by the recent sales tax on services or B&O tax increases. More than half are raising prices because of it. The rest are just absorbing the blow and hoping things calm down.

Whether and where to attend college can be a life-changing decision with significant impacts on an individual's future job opportunities and potential debt liabilities. Students, parents, and policymakers all have a vested interest in ensuring the return on investment is worth the considerable expense.

What comes back from the dead more frequently than Michael Myers, Jason Voorhees, and Freddy Krueger? Efforts to impose an income tax in Washington State. Like those perennial terrors, this income tax fixation in the Evergreen State should finally die, too.

This exciting new tax credit was enacted through House Bill 93 to help Idaho families pay for qualified private education expenses.