State Sen. Ron Muzzall, R-Oak Harbor, voted in support of the 2025–27 transportation budget, citing long-overdue investments in public safety, including, for the first time ever, dedicated funding to begin addressing the growing number of suicides at Deception Pass Bridge.
The final transportation budget, Senate Bill 5161, was approved by strong bipartisan majorities in both chambers. Muzzall also supported Senate Bill 5801, an additive revenue package designed to stabilize long-term transportation funding. Together, the bills reflect a negotiated compromise that adjusts earlier proposals to be more responsive to concerns raised by rural lawmakers and working families.
“This was not a perfect budget,” Muzzall said. “I have serious concerns with several of the funding mechanisms, including increases in gas taxes, vehicle fees, and taxes on certain purchases. These hit rural communities like mine the hardest. But ultimately, I supported the budget because it delivers critical investments in infrastructure and public safety, including a long-overdue step to prevent further tragedies at Deception Pass.”
Deception Pass Bridge, an iconic and heavily traveled link to Whidbey Island, has in recent years become a site of frequent suicides. First responders in the region now report responding to a suicide attempt approximately every two weeks, a rate that has taken a growing toll on emergency personnel and grieving families alike.
“For years, our community has called for action to address the heartbreaking number of lives lost at Deception Pass,” said Muzzall. “This budget finally responds to that call with real funding, and I wasn’t about to let that progress get sidelined.”
The transportation revenue package in SB 5801 is expected to generate $3.2 billion over six years. Notably, the final version was scaled back from earlier proposals. Lawmakers reduced the proposed gas tax increase from 8 cents to 6 cents per gallon and removed a controversial new tax on recreational boats. Other key revenue sources include:
- A phased 6-cent gas tax increase, the first in nearly a decade;
- New diesel taxes;
- Higher weight-based vehicle fees beginning in 2026;
- An increase in the motor vehicle sales tax;
- A redirection of a portion of the existing state sales tax toward transportation projects;
- New luxury taxes on high-end vehicles and aircraft.
The final package reflects extensive bipartisan negotiations and was praised by leaders on both sides for its pragmatic approach to maintaining Washington’s transportation system while addressing revenue shortfalls caused by declining gas tax collections and rising construction costs.
Muzzall acknowledged the burden some elements of the plan may place on his constituents, but said the improvements made to the original proposal, combined with the life-saving potential of the suicide prevention measures, warranted support.
“This is what compromise looks like,” he said. “We must continue to hold ourselves accountable for funding infrastructure in a way that’s fair and equitable, not just shifting the cost onto those who can least afford it. But when lives are on the line, especially at Deception Pass, we cannot delay action any longer.”
