How did Washington get so expensive?

How did Washington get so expensive?

From The Fix Washington Podcast by Washington House Republicans

January 3, 2026 · 13 min · Season 2 · Episode 21

About this episode

Rep. Dave Stuebe discusses the factors contributing to the rising cost of living in Washington state with host Rep. Peter Abbarno.

In this episode of The Fix Washington Podcast, Rep. Dave Stuebe joins host Rep. Peter Abbarno to discuss rising taxes, affordability, and the cost of living in Washington state. They break down how proposed income and payroll taxes, gas taxes, and state spending decisions in Olympia are impacting working families, seniors, small businesses, and rural communities. The conversation also covers transportation funding, energy policy, health care costs, and natural resource management. Rep. Stuebe highlights infrastructure needs in rural Washington, concerns about electricity shortages and economic development, Medicaid reimbursement rates, and the effect of wildfire policy and fish hatcheries on local economies.

People in this episode

Host: Rep. Peter Abbarno

Guest: Rep. Dave Stuebe

Topics covered

  • rising taxes
  • affordability
  • cost of living
  • transportation funding
  • energy policy
  • health care costs
  • natural resource management

Keywords

  • Washington state
  • income taxes
  • payroll taxes
  • gas taxes
  • state spending
  • working families
  • seniors
  • small businesses
  • rural communities
  • infrastructure needs

Mentioned in this episode

Places: Washington, Olympia, rural Washington

More episodes of The Fix Washington Podcast

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the The Fix Washington Podcast podcast page.