5 things you should NOT know this week
Montana State Chamber of Commerce Acquires Bellevue Chamber in Landmark Deal
Helena, MT – In a largely unexpected move that is turning heads across the business community, the Montana State Chamber of Commerce today announced its acquisition of the Bellevue Chamber of Commerce, marking the first known cross-state chamber merger of its kind.
Montana Chamber CEO Todd O’Hair framed the acquisition as a strategic leap forward as the Washington legislature proposes sweeping new taxes that are all-but guaranteed to push in-state employers to more jobs-friendly jurisdictions.
“Recruiting new members is one of the hardest parts of running a Chamber,” said O’Hair. “By acquiring the Bellevue Chamber, we gain hundreds of soon-to-be Montana-area businesses without the costly sales and marketing expense.”
The acquisition comes on the heels of the Bellevue Chamber’s longshot effort to realign its jurisdiction.
“We explored every angle to remain viable as an independent organization,” said Bellevue Chamber CEO, Joe Fain. “But after Bellevue’s petition to be annexed to British Columbia was rejected by the Canadian Parliament, the sale to Montana was inevitable.”
Though the two regions are separated by over 500 miles and two wildly different interpretations of what qualifies as “rural,” both Chambers cited shared values around innovation, economic growth, and an appreciation for wide open spaces as foundational to the merger. Transition plans are already underway, with Montana’s economic development team expected to begin onboarding Bellevue’s membership into the Big Sky business ecosystem later this year.
As part of the merger, the Bellevue Chamber’s signature events — including the Eastside Leadership Conference and the Economic Forecast Summit — will be rebranded under Montana’s umbrella and relocated to warmer (and drier) venues such as Billings, Bozeman, or “whichever ski lodge has the best Wi-Fi.”
Chamber members can also expect some changes to the local flavor of events. The Economic Forecast Summit will now feature a live rodeo, while the Eastside Leadership Conference will kick off with a bison-jerky networking hour and conclude with a group cattle drive.
When asked about the cultural implications of a Pacific Northwest chamber joining forces with Montana’s business leadership, Fain replied, “We’re already swapping our Subarus for Suburbans and brushing up on our yeehaws. Honestly, the real adjustment will be realizing that ‘getting outdoorsy’ means more than walking to the farmers market in a Patagonia fleece.”
He added that early onboarding efforts have already included a seminar titled How to Speak Montanan: A Guide for People Who Complain When It’s Below 55°.
The reaction from residents was overwhelmingly enthusiastic.
“Being outside is really the worst,” said longtime Bellevue citizen Kevin Willis. “You don’t go to Bellevue to roll down a meandering bike lane. You come to Bellevue to get lost in a parking garage after gorging yourself at Din Tai Fung.”
The new standard allows developers to design block-spanning projects that prioritize valet drop-offs, escalators, and underground maze-like parking. Wayfinding signage will be optional.
A department spokesperson clarified that the "infinity" in infinity-block does not necessarily refer to size, but to the feeling one gets trying to exit a mixed-use tower through the wrong level of a five-story underground garage. City officials noted the updated manual aligns Bellevue with its aspirational peers: Dubai, The Pentagon, and every upscale mall built between 1985 and 2004.
Implementation begins immediately, with developers already eyeing the possibility of linking Lincoln Square to The Bravern via subterranean retail.
“It’s not about where you’re going,” said one urban designer. “It’s about how many escalators you ride before you realize you’ve made a wrong turn.”
Construction Resumes on I-5 in Tacoma - Because Honestly, It Just Feels Right
Tacoma, WA - After a brief and unsettling pause in orange cone activity, the Washington State Department of Transportation is proud(?) to announce the restart of construction on Interstate 5 through Tacoma.
"It’s not about improving traffic anymore," said WSDOT spokesperson Sandy Gravel. "It’s about honoring a proud Tacoma tradition of never knowing if you’ll make it to Fife in under an hour."
For years, residents have bravely navigated a constantly shifting obstacle course of detours, abrupt closures, and traffic delays long enough to learn conversational Norwegian. But when the last stretch of construction wrapped up in 2023, something unexpected happened: people missed it.
“I didn’t know how to drive through Tacoma without guessing,” said one longtime commuter. “I started getting places on time. It felt unnatural.”
The new construction plan — dubbed “I-5: The Reckoning” — promises a return to the classics: Mysterious lane reductions, signage that contradicts itself, and the sweet, soothing sound of backup beepers at 3 a.m.
Andrea Reay, President & CEO of the Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber, welcomed the news with a grin and a deep sense of civic déjà vu: “In Tacoma, we don’t measure time in years — we measure it in I-5 construction phases. Honestly, I wasn’t sure how to explain to new residents that it was supposed to take 40 minutes to go five miles.”
While there’s no clear timeline for completion — estimates range from “a few months” to “eventually, probably” — WSDOT encourages drivers to plan ahead, embrace the nostalgia, and maybe download a few extra podcasts.
Boise Metro Chamber Honors Washington House of Representatives with Idaho Jobs Award
Boise, ID – Idaho is moving forward with an unexpected but symbolic initiative highlighting regional economic collaboration, with the Boise Metro Chamber of Commerce naming Washington's House of Representatives as the 2025 Economic Development Official of the Year.
House lawmakers were recognized for their role as the architect of the Washington ambitious tax overhaul, which includes a new payroll tax and wealth tax framework.
The Chamber praised representatives for, “laying the groundwork for a mass exodus of family-wage jobs from Washington that will undoubtedly fuel Idaho’s economy for decades to come.”
“The House's commitment to Idaho’s business growth is unmatched,” said representatives from the Chamber. “Their work across state lines reminds us that companies have choices, and they should go where they are wanted most.”
The award, typically reserved for local or state officials within Idaho, reflects the Chamber’s increasingly regional approach to economic development — and a growing interest in how tax and fiscal policy outside the state’s borders can affect the business climate within it.
The Boise Metro Chamber plans to host a follow-up policy roundtable later this spring to explore the implications of cross-border tax strategies and what they mean for Idaho businesses navigating regional competition.
Washington's Wealthiest Pledge to Stay Put as State Implements Wealth Tax
"Like it or not, we're here to stay," say Washington's wealthiest residents.
Despite warnings from economists, tax attorneys, and literally every recent European experience, Washington’s wealthy have made it clear: They’re staying. The Legislature’s proposed wealth tax, targeting those with over $50 million in global assets, may have sparked fears of capital flight — but the state’s wealthiest residents have instead pledged unwavering loyalty to the Evergreen State.
“Sure, we could easily change our residency with a single text message,” said Max Cashwell, a tech entrepreneur and venture capitalist. “I have homes in Austin, Palm Beach, Jackson Hole, and two countries with no extradition treaties. But Washington has nice hiking trails.”
A State on the Rise
The wealthy’s decision comes as Washington achieves remarkable new milestones in the efficacy of government spending:
- Public Safety: Washington ranks #2 in the nation for property crime, and recently recorded its highest number of homicides per capita in nearly three decades. Motor vehicle thefts are 114% above the national average.
- Business Vitality: The state enjoys the highest first-year business failure rate in the country, with nearly 41% of new businesses closing within 12 months. This, alongside with being in the top 46th of states for business competitiveness by the Tax Foundation, shows Washington’s unrelenting drive to test entrepreneurs’ resilience.
- Education: Approximately 72% of eighth graders are not proficient in math, over 60% of Washington students do not meet grade-level standards in math, and about half do not meet grade-level standards in English language arts.
- Homelessness: Washington now has the third-highest homeless population in the U.S., with a 12.5% year-over-year increase in 2024, bringing the total to over 31,000 individuals.
Philanthropy Completely Safe
Beyond their tax payments, Washington’s wealthiest are also the backbone of the state’s nonprofit sector.
Foundations and donors linked to this group give hundreds of millions annually to causes across the region. The Seattle Foundation alone manages over $1 billion in assets, distributing tens of millions to local organizations each year.
Had these individuals chosen to relocate, the ripple effects would have been immediate and devastating — not just in tax receipts, but in charitable giving, community initiatives, and social safety net programs.
Similarly, the venture capital and start-up community are also safe from disruption. Even though the startup community in Sweden finally began to flourish after abolishing its wealth tax in 2007, lawmakers here aren’t worried. “Starting a business is a really high-class problem to have,” said one Olympia lawmaker. “Even though the state’s own analysis by nonpartisan staff shows that 90% of the top 1% will find a way to avoid the tax, and that the amount raised by the tax will decline over time as the wealthy leave the state, those are just numbers on a piece of paper — and I was told there would be no math.”
It Will Be Different Here
Other nations have tried similar policies — and watched their wealthy citizens depart in droves. In Norway, the government increased its wealth tax to 1.1% in 2022. Within a year, more than 100 of the country’s wealthiest individuals left, taking billions in taxable wealth with them. Government revenues fell, and so did philanthropic activity.
In Washington, the wealthy are choosing a different path.
“We’ve got a highly mobile lifestyle with lots of options,” said Chester Van Equity, a serial entrepreneur and amateur falconer. “Every day, someone from the government of Florida, Texas, or Wyoming emails us a welcome packet and a tax lawyer, but no, of course we’re not leaving.
Correction: An earlier version of this article stated Washington ranks second in property crime. However, violent crime in Washington has also risen by nearly 20% over the past five years, reaching record highs after 40 years of below-average crime rates. Additionally, Washington's murder rate has increased by 96% since 2019.