Letter: The Great Reversal – Cortes cuts local taxes, then loads schools and hospitals with unfunded state mandates

Vancouver resident Shauna Walters says Adrian Cortes’ record in the Washington State Senate ‘paints a picture of ideological drift’

Editor’s note: Opinions expressed in this letter to the editor are those of the author alone and may not reflect the editorial position of ClarkCountyToday.com

Since his narrow election to the Washington State Senate in 2024 and swearing-in in January 2025, Senator Adrian Cortes (D-18th District) has sponsored or co-sponsored a range of bills in the 2025-2026 session, many centered on expanding government programs in education, health care, and social services. While some involve targeted tax relief for working families or specific exemptions, others — including his co-sponsorship of SB 6346 — push for new revenue mechanisms and mandates that clash sharply with the anti-tax, limited-government record he built as a Battle Ground City Council member and mayor.

Locally, Cortes positioned himself as a fiscal conservative. He spearheaded the largest tax cut in Battle Ground’s history, reducing utility taxes and saving residents $1.5 million while eliminating city debt. He also led the unanimous passage of Resolution 21-07 in 2021, which banned any local income tax outright, declaring there was “absolutely no reason” to impose one and framing it as vital to protect families, businesses, and economic growth in a low-tax environment. These actions reinforced a clear message: government should do less with taxes, not more.

In Olympia, that message has largely evaporated. Cortes now routinely backs measures that grow state intervention, add mandates, and — in the case of income taxation—directly contradict his prior stance.

The most glaring example remains SB 6346 (co-sponsor), the so-called “millionaires’ tax.” Introduced in early February 2026, it would impose a 9.9% tax on individual incomes exceeding $1 million starting in 2028, projected to raise billions for K-12 education, health care, higher education, and expanded credits. As of mid-February 2026, the bill has advanced to the Senate Rules Committee after committee hearings and an executive session in Ways & Means, moving forward on party lines despite massive public opposition (tens of thousands signed in against it). This proposal stands in direct opposition to Cortes’s 2021 local ban on income taxes and his repeated emphasis on avoiding new tax burdens. Critics warn it’s a stepping stone to broader income taxation, eroding Washington’s long-standing no-income-tax advantage that Cortes once actively defended at the municipal level.

Other sponsorships reveal a similar pattern of embracing expanded government roles:

• SB 5823 (prime sponsor): Mandates that certain hospitals provide patient advocates to help navigate care. While well-intentioned and low-cost, it adds state-required protocols on private institutions — hardly the deregulatory, business-supportive approach implied by his local tax cuts for economic vitality. The bill has progressed through committees.

• SB 5951 (prime sponsor): Authorizes schools to stock and administer albuterol for asthma emergencies. This student-safety bill advanced to executive session in the Early Learning & K-12 Education Committee. It imposes additional responsibilities and potential costs on schools, contrasting with any prior local focus on avoiding unfunded or burdensome requirements.

• SB 5149 (sponsor): Expands Early Childhood Courts to aid family reunification. This measure reportedly passed the Senate, marking one of Cortes’s early legislative successes—but it expands specialized court programs and associated state resources.

• Additional efforts: Cortes has co-sponsored bills expanding the Working Families Tax Credit (e.g., SB 5768, SB 5771), providing senior property tax relief, enhancing consumer protections, improving election processes, and increasing school board director pay. He’s also on multiple health-related bills beyond SB 5823. While some offer relief (like targeted credits or exemptions), the overall thrust leans toward more state programs, mandates, and — critically with SB 6346 — new taxing authority.

This record paints a picture of ideological drift. The Battle Ground Cortes cut taxes, banned income taxes, and prioritized fiscal restraint to keep government small and residents’ wallets intact. The Senate Cortes sponsors bills that grow spending commitments, layer on regulations, and introduce revenue tools he once rejected outright. Even his support for some tax credits feels overshadowed by the embrace of income taxation, which many in his conservative-leaning district view as a betrayal of core principles.

Residents of the 18th District — covering Battle Ground, parts of Vancouver, and rural Clark County — elected Cortes on promises of responsible leadership, not on expanding state government or flirting with income taxes. As SB 6346 lingers in Rules and other bills advance, the stark contrast between his local legacy and current actions fuels growing skepticism. Far from pragmatic adaptation, this looks more like a calculated shift to fit a Democratic-majority Senate at the expense of consistency and trust. In Southwest Washington politics, such reversals rarely go unnoticed — or unpunished at the ballot box.

Shauna Walters
Vancouver