FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Patrick Connor, Washington State Director,  patrick.connor@nfib.org,
or Tony Malandra, Senior Media Manager,  anthony.malandra@nfib.org

OLYMPIA, Wash., Jan. 9, 2025—NFIB, the state’s leading small business advocacy association, applauded Governor-elect Bob Ferguson’s budget priorities statement released today.

“Washington’s small business owners wholeheartedly agree with the governor-elect that we cannot tax our way out of the state’s budget troubles,” said Patrick Connor, state director for NFIB in Washington. “Responsible spending reductions, thoughtful fund transfers, and a zero-based budget approach must be the first steps in bringing common sense and fiscal discipline back to Olympia’s budgeting process.”

While acknowledging the need to consider sweeping funds from some fee-based accounts, NFIB cautions that careful attention must be paid to the purposes for which those fees are collected, and whether the accounts would retain sufficient balances and income to meet core obligations — without forcing a fee increase on the entities or individuals who pay them. This also presents an opportunity to reform programs whose fees raise more than is needed for the intended purpose.

“We are also encouraged by the governor-elect’s childcare proposal aimed at providing needed assistance to small business employees,” Connor added. “We look forward to learning more about this plan to ensure it meets the unique needs of Washington’s Main Street employers.”

Keep up with the latest Washington state small-business news at www.nfib.com/washington or by following NFIB on Twitter @NFIB_WA or on Facebook @NFIB.WA

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For more than 80 years, NFIB has been advocating on behalf of America’s small and independent business owners, both in Washington, D.C., and in all 50 state capitals. NFIB is a nonprofit, nonpartisan, and member-driven association. Since our founding in 1943, NFIB has been exclusively dedicated to small and independent businesses and remains so today. For more information, please visit nfib.com.

NFIB Washington
111 – 21st Avenue Southwest
Olympia, WA 98501
360-786-8675
NFIB.com/WA
Twitter: @NFIB_WA
Facebook: @NFIB.WA