On the inaugural launch of 26 state-specific quarterly surveys on small-business environments across the nation, Washington ranked dead last in a key component, even worse than notoriously high-tax and high-regulation New York, which came in second to last, according to the new reports from the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB).

In compiling its Washington Small-Business ConditionsSM report, one question NFIB asked small-business owners was to rank how supportive the state’s business environment – which included government, banks, the media, and community groups – was to them.

Washington racked up a negative nine percent in the net supportive tally, while New York eked out a plus three percent. In fact, Washington was the only one of the 26 states to have a negative rating in that category.

By comparison, Northern California had 17 percent support rate; Oregon, 29 percent; and Colorado, 35 percent. In all of the net categories, the report compared Washington’s numbers to Colorado’s, Oregon’s, and Northern California. California was divided into three regions.

“We now have quantifiable evidence to back up what many of us have known for a long time,” said Carolyn Logue, state director for the 15,000-member Washington chapter of NFIB, “And that is while our state has all the tools necessary to be a great state for small business, our regulations and policies are dragging us down. The results show that even though the economy is getting better, small businesses are afraid to take risks because of increasing payroll costs, increasing taxes, and burdensome regulations.”

A complete copy of the 22-question survey – which also includes information such as hiring and employment figures, capital outlays, and credit availability – can be found directly at www.NFIB.com/object/sbcwa0305.html. Future surveys will be released on June 1, Sept. 1, and Dec. 1. On those dates, the survey will be compared to the previous quarter, as well as to neighboring states.