Lawmakers refrain from tax hikes

A miracle of sorts took place under the Capitol dome on April 23. The state Legislature adjourned its 2023 legislative session without raising taxes.

I want to point it out because I’m not sure anyone outside Olympia will notice. There have been a dozen major tax increases in the state since the Legislature fell under one-party control in 2018. The biggest ones kicked in this year and are just beginning to bite.

We also saw four big new tax proposals. None of them passed this session, but don’t worry – they’ll be back on the Democrat’s table when we return in 2024.

On my side of the aisle, we...