An often-overlooked factor correlated to the health of an individual or family is their financial security. When families can pay their bills, keep the lights on and put food on the table without fear of falling behind, they don’t just have more money — they have healthier outcomes.
Last year, a Washington State Food Security Survey evidenced that 55% of Washington households experienced food insecurity in the past month. The highest rate of food insecurity was found in households with children. Furthermore, due to rising food prices, 70% of food-insecure households reported reducing their food quality or quantity because of higher costs.
The stress of constant financial strain is well-documented to increase rates of anxiety, depression, high blood pressure, domestic violence and divorce. Parents with stable finances can devote more time and energy to their well-being, their children’s education and emotional needs, and provide healthier and nutritious family meals.
That’s why I’m deeply concerned about Olympia Democrats’ decision this year to unnecessarily raise massive taxes on families, seniors and even recent graduates just entering the workforce.
Instead of creating financial opportunities, these additional costs and taxes take a larger bite out of paychecks and force Washingtonians to make painful choices: Do I pay for my child’s after-school program or cover the higher utility bill? Do I skip a doctor’s visit because the gas to get there costs more?
This year alone, Olympia Democrats passed a gas tax increase that makes every trip to work, school or the doctor more expensive; business tax increases on grocery stores, which means higher prices at the checkout line for every loaf of bread and gallon of milk; new and increased taxes on child care providers, driving up the already staggering cost of quality care for our children; and higher taxes on health care services, making it harder for families to afford the care they need.
Recently, the governor’s budget office released a report warning that federal tariffs could potentially cost Washington $2.2 billion over the next four years. However, this is far less than the actual $9 billion in tax increases the governor signed this year.
Both Washingtons can do more to reduce the costs of living, housing, and health care. Unfortunately, the governor and his majority party in Olympia are being disingenuous by shifting all the blame onto the “other Washington” while ignoring that families in this Washington are already paying more for food, gas, housing, child care and health care because of decisions they made.
Pointing fingers eastward doesn’t change the fact that our state consistently ranks among the highest in the nation for cost of gas, housing, child care, health care and groceries. It doesn’t have to be that way.
For children growing up in financially stressed households, the consequences are long-term.
Poverty isn’t just a temporary hardship — without the right policies, it can become a generational cycle.
When parents are constantly scrambling to make ends meet, it limits access to nutritious food, extracurricular opportunities and a stable home environment.
That’s not how we lift children out of intergenerational poverty — it’s how we lock them in.
It is estimated that the tax increases passed out of Olympia this year could cost families $2,000 per year.
These massive increases in household expenses only contribute to food insecurity and perpetuate intergenerational poverty.
Rather than taxing our way to prosperity, we need to focus on policies that strengthen the earning power of working families and make it easier to save for the future.
That means reducing the tax burden, encouraging small business growth and ensuring that public dollars are spent effectively on education, workforce development and economic development.
The connection between financial security and health isn’t a theory — it’s reality. Every dollar we take away from families through excessive taxes is a dollar that could have gone toward a healthier meal, a counseling session, a medical checkup or an enrichment program for a child.
Passing House Republican proposals for a “tax-free back-to-school” holiday, permanently exempting childcare essentials like diapers, holding the line on property taxes, and eliminating the tax on prepared food would have been welcomed relief for every Washingtonian.
House Republicans opposed massive sales, property, and business tax increases that have regressive impacts on our neighbors. At the same time, Democrats in Olympia chose the largest tax increase in Washington state’s history — a financial burden forced onto the shoulders of those least able to carry it.
If we are serious about improving the mental and physical health of Washingtonians, we must be equally serious about protecting their financial well-being.
You can’t build a healthy community on a foundation of economic insecurity.
The people of our state deserve a government that understands this simple truth — and acts accordingly.
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Rep. Peter Abbarno represents the 20th Legislative District and is the House Republican Caucus chair.
