The Blog at MSPC

The check engine light for Washington’s business climate is flashing. Lawmakers have passed a series of massive tax increases and regulations that have caused companies in Washington to financially suffer and some leave the state altogether.

Small businesses are an essential part of a strong economy, and in the Mountain West, recent data suggest that the entrepreneurial spirit remains strong. Idaho, Wyoming, and Montana all ranked among the top ten states nationwide for small-business growth.

It is past time for Reykdal to put students over his union allies. Governor Ferguson should also follow the example set by Governor Hochul and commit to working with education leaders across the state to make sure these resources reach students in every community.

This one-stop portal supports the initiative that government services should be organized around the people who use them, not the bureaucracy that administers them.

Is a potato created by a farmer, a packer, or a wholesaler? If the potato is turned into French fries, who is responsible for the packaging fees under Extended Producer Responsibility laws?

With the federal rules now on the table, Washington's remaining question is no longer how the program will work. It is whether the state will participate. Taxpayers and students in Idaho, Montana and Wyoming are already set up to benefit from the new federal Education Freedom Tax credit.

It is vital for the judicial branch to hold the legislative branch to the same standard it uses to override citizen-approved ballot measures. If the legislature is going to pass omnibus tax bills and policy “hot messes,” the people should be free to exercise their right of initiative to respond.

By adopting I-645, voters would have the opportunity to restore the state’s “competitive advantage” of no personal income taxes while working to increase faith in Washington’s business climate.

Supporters are free to make their case. They can argue that only a small percentage of Washingtonians will pay the tax. They can argue that its revenue is necessary to pay for government services and tax reductions elsewhere. But the media has a different job. It shouldn't make the branding decision for voters.

Wildfire will remain part of life in the Mountain West. The question is whether states will continue paying primarily after disaster strikes or invest more deliberately before the next fire begins.

After years of lectures from Seattle about the dangers that dams pose to fish, a multibillion-dollar Seattle-area transit project appears to be literally shocking them.

Seattle’s threat of an illegal strike should be a warning. Washington’s education system should put children at the center of every spending decision.

The vivid contrast between Seattle and Bellevue is a lesson every municipality in the country can learn from. Imposing high local taxes and onerous regulations incentivizes individuals and businesses to look to neighboring jurisdictions for relief.

It takes an average of 18 to 36 months to rebuild a home burnt by wildfire in mere minutes, and most communities ravaged in an afternoon will take decades to be restored. Every day of this process is a day too long, but bureaucratic delays should not be adding months to the permitting process.

A new study from consumer spending site WalletHub recently ranked the “Best States to Live” across the country, with Idaho grabbing the top spot in the study. The other Mountain States scored relatively well, with Wyoming coming in sixth and Montana 14th, though Washington state ranked in the bottom half at 33rd.

It's no coincidence that the top states in the country for growing hourly wages embrace limited regulations, prioritize tax relief, and favor a small government approach. Combining growing wages, affordable purchasing power, and a favorable business climate means higher productivity and economic growth.

How does repealing a brand-new income tax that won’t be collected for another three years impact any government services today? It doesn’t. This dubious crystal-ball fiscal clairvoyance has dismayed policy experts and government transparency advocates.

Maintaining a competitive economy requires constant attention to workforce development, business investment, tax and regulatory restraint, and the policies that encourage innovation and opportunity.

The study isn't asking whether removing the dams is wise. It's asking how to replace them after they're gone. That's not an honest analysis. It's an attempt to justify a predetermined political objective. The study isn't asking whether removing the dams is wise. It's asking how to replace them after they're gone. That's not an honest analysis. It's an attempt to justify a predetermined political objective.

Washington's AI Task Force failed to meaningfully help the state move the dial on leveraging AI to improve human flourishing. This outcome was in many ways predictable.