Opinion: It’s tough to do business in Washington, unless you cover up the data

Mark Harmsworth highlights anti-business challenges impacting Washington’s small businesses.

Mark Harmsworth says Washington is a fantastic place to live. If the legislature and governor’s office would help small businesses succeed, it would also be a great place to do business

Mark Harmsworth
Washington Policy Center

We published several reports recently that show Washington is one of the worst states in the nation to do business. However, in one case the data the Washington Policy Center highlighted was so damning the publishing organization has decided to take down the data for Washington.

The left leaning Center for American Progress who normally champion progressive tax policy showed a very brown Washington on an interactive map, indicating how bad it was to do business in Washington, but now, according to their website ‘the state changed the way it reported the number of employers of state-funded home health aides’ and the data has been removed.

The new map, which you can see below, now excludes Washington.

*American Progress, accessed https://www.americanprogress.org on November 12, 2024.*

Mark Harmsworth, Washington Policy Center

Ironically, the very reason home health aids are no longer considered small business in Washington is because the state passed a controversial bill (Senate Bill 6199) that unionized home workers. SB 6199 required home workers, taking care of their own family members in their own homes, to join the Service Employees International Union (SEIU). The bill was forced through the legislature and in dramatic fashion, the entire minority party walked off the floor when the majority party would not let them speak on the bill. The vote was 50-0 with 48 representatives not voting.

The unionization requirement passed by the state legislature is another example of the state overreaching and destroying small businesses. Washington is clearly struggling compared to the rest of the county, including Idaho and Oregon.

It is clear from the map that Washington’s anti-business approach to taxation, regulation and instability in fiscal policy isn’t attracting businesses to put down roots in Washington. Washington’s largest counties, such as King, Pierce, Snohomish, Clark, and Spokane, all experienced negative private business growth rates over the four-year period of the study.

Removing entire business sectors through over regulation and trying to ignore the facts also isn’t helping attract new business to Washington.

Washington is a fantastic place to live. If the legislature and governor’s office would help small businesses succeed, it would also be a great place to do business.

For more Washington Policy Centers recommendations, read the whitepaper that describes the simple changes that would have an immediate impact on the business climate and job growth in Washington.

Mark Harmsworth is the director of the Small Business Center at the Washington Policy Center.