The Washington Research Council released a policy brief yesterday highlighting Washington's tax burden ranking. According to the Research Council:

Washington’s $3,948 per capita in state and local taxes for FY 2005–06 ranked 18th highest among the 50 states. New York had the highest per capita tax burden, $6,413; Alabama had the lowest, $2,782. The nation-wide average was $4,001. Washington’s per capita ranking has not changed much over the last three years. For FY 2004–05 Washington ranked 21st; for FY 2003–04 it ranked 18th.

For FY 2005–06 Washington’s $111.99 in state and local taxes per $1,000 in personal income ranked 28th highest among the states. Wyoming collected the most state and local tax revenue per $1,000 of personal income; South Dakota collected the least, $91.03. T! he nation-wide average was $116.22.

With a self-inflicted $2.5 billion budget deficit and the Senate Majority Leader's lawsuit against taxpayers to throw out the 2/3 vote requirement for lawmakers to raise taxes, the state's tax burden is poised to worsen unless spending restraint returns to Olympia next year.