Before heading to the Capitol Building yesterday afternoon for the swearing-in of legislators and the start of the 2023 legislative session in Olympia, I popped into a bakery just a few blocks down the street for a quick bite. The photo above depicts a message posted for patrons of the local establishment.

After multiple years battling the impacts of the pandemic, government-imposed mandates and forced closures of businesses, broken supply chains, and an ongoing workforce crisis, businesses across the state like this neighborhood bakery in Olympia continue to face the brunt of crushing inflation. Unfortunately, far too many of these challenges have arisen as a result of misguided state and federal government actions.

Amidst unsound policymaking, businesses do all they can to remain resilient. And, as you can see from this bakery’s note, they’ve taken it upon themselves to do everything possible to reduce the burden on the consumer— their friends and neighbors.

Washington’s small businesses deserve to have leaders in the state capital doing everything they can to lighten the burden placed upon their shoulders. They certainly deserve better than what they’ve faced in recent years.

It’s stories like this local bakery’s – one going on 85 years of business and now facing costs like they’ve “never seen” – that should provide motivation for legislators; it certainly does for me. The real-life impacts of policy and how it can help Washingtonians thrive or cause them to struggle is what drives Washington Policy Center’s steadfast commitment to our mission: advancing non-partisan, market-based policy solutions for a better Washington state.

As WPC’s Eastern Washington Director, my distinct focus is ensuring the communities and businesses east of the Cascades have a voice in our state government. But whether it’s Olympia or Okanogan, Everett, Ellensburg, or Eltopia, Puyallup or Prosser, the entirety of Washington Policy Center’s team is committed to being a voice for all of Washington state over the next 105 days of the legislative session, just as we strive to do year-round.

Over the next 15 weeks of session, we are sure to see policy proposals that will only worsen these crises. You can count on WPC to do everything we can to sound the alarm on ill-conceived ideas, and just as importantly, to offer sound solutions – on behalf of small businesses like your local bakery, its workers, and the community it serves.