Inslee proposes $78.8 billion budget

OLYMPIA – When Gov. Jay Inslee took office in 2013 after stating in the 2012 election race that new taxes weren’t “the right direction,” the state Legislature approved a $38.4 billion budget for the biennium.

With less than a month before stepping down from office, Inslee is proposing a $78.8 billion operating budget that comes with $4 billion in new taxes to fund it, including a wealth tax.

The approach is in contrast with how the Legislature responded to a massive budget deficit during the Great Recession, when lawmakers reduced spending by $11 billion in response to a significant loss of re...