RADIO | Capitol Report with Rep. Peter Abbarno: Fighting taxes and demanding state agency accountability

January 23, 2026

In this week’s Capitol Report, House Republican Caucus Chair Peter Abbarno reviews the second week of the 2026 legislative session, highlighting a mix of concerning new tax proposals and his own legislation aimed at government accountability and victim support.

Stopping Bad Bills. Abbarno is opposing several new measures that could increase costs for Washington employers and families:

• The “payroll tax on family-wage jobs” (House Bill 2100): A proposed tax on employers for wages over $125,000, which discourages the hiring of skilled workers.
• Taxing drinks, one bottle at a time (House Bill 1607): A returning policy from 2025 that would add a 10-cent deposit to beverage containers, effectively acting as a grocery tax.
• State income tax: Potential legislation fast-tracking a 9.9% tax on income.

Advancing common-sense solutions. Abbarno is also fighting for two of his own bills to fix past policy failures:

• Agency accountability (House Bill 2343): Requires state agencies like the WDFW to meet the same water discharge standards they enforce on private businesses.
• Restoring crime victim services (House Bill 2430): Re-imposes legal financial obligations on criminals to ensure funding is available for crime victim services.