A contentious new sales tax on services that Democratic state lawmakers relied on to pay for Washington’s latest 2025-2027 biennium state budget—former Governor Jay Inslee (D) last proposed state budget before leaving office— is set to take effect Wednesday, October 1.
Senate Bill 5814 is one of the biggest moneymakers used to bring in an estimated $3.6 billion over the next two years to fill a shortfall in the operating budget. This law is expected to fuel $1.1 billion in the two-year budget that began July 1, and $2.6 billion over four years. Hundreds of millions of dollars will also flow to local governments, as they get a share of state sales tax proceeds.
But a key piece of the new tax law is in question.
Cable juggernaut Comcast believes the measure’s sales tax on advertising serv