Bob Ferguson said businesses would pay less. Then he signed B&O tax increases.
- 18 SEP 2024SAID
- 20 MAY 2025≠ SIGNED
- 17 FEB 2026EXPLAINED
≠ What he said and what he signed don’t match
1 · SAID · 18 SEP 2024
“So that's my approach as governor. Making sure that businesses pay less, middle-class families pay less, and making sure we do a balanced budget that provides for all Washingtonians.”
As a candidate, at the second governor's debate in Spokane.
2 · ≠ SIGNED · 20 MAY 2025
| Bills | HB 2081 (B&O tax) and SB 5814 (sales tax on services) |
|---|---|
| What they do | Higher B&O rates; sales tax on IT services, temporary staffing, advertising, security and more |
| Size | About $5.6B + $2.7B over four years (Washington State Standard) |
| Ferguson | SIGNED |
At the signing he said: “House Bill 2081 imposes new business and occupation taxes and raises existing B&O tax rates in Washington State.” Shortfall estimates: $5–7B before the election (Oct 2024), $10–12B after (8 Nov 2024).
3 · EXPLAINED · 17 FEB 2026
“So look, do I think there's been a recognition that, hey, some of those went too far? Can you roll back? Absolutely.”
HOW WE CHECKED THIS
Quotes were transcribed from the original video and cut at sentence boundaries. The bills were read on the Washington Legislature's site on 21 Oct 2026; tax figures are from the Washington State Standard. Nothing here says why he signed them; the timeline shows what happened, in order. Spot an error? Tell us, and we’ll correct it in public.