At least one state lawmaker agrees with the state Supreme Court’s McCleary decision-driven $100,000 per day fine on the state. Democrat state Rep. Jim Moeller admitted that, while the court’s fine—which adds up to $15 million by the time the next legislative session begins—“stings” and “means some significant cash,” he agrees with it.
Moeller stated, “I think it’s appropriate. The court order should not go ignored.”
Though, apparently, Moeller agrees with the court, he doesn’t believe Jay Inslee will call lawmakers back to Olympia for the special session the court wants to see. That scenario would mean legislators could not fundraise for their re-election campaigns—and a special session would especially harm Democrat State Representative Carol Gregory who has a special election in the 30th Legislative District this November. Via the Columbian,
“‘[Legislators are] all busy raising money, so I suspect that $15 million bucks will not register much to them, if it’s all going to education,’ Moeller said. ‘Besides that, we’ll have to come to some sort of agreement with the Republicans.’”
What kind of “agreement” does Moeller want/expect to come to? Well, he isn’t entirely sure. But, like most Democrats, even though he doesn’t quite understand all the problems—including addressing the reliance of school districts on local levies—he knows the solution is a state income tax.
Moeller’s eagerness to champion a state income tax as the solution to the court’s fine should come as no surprise—a similar situation in New Jersey prompted hasty action and led to the state’s adoption of an income tax in 1976. Moeller and his fellow Democrats have attempted to sneak in their party’s “guiding principle” for years, and the court’s most recent order affords them yet another opportunity to try again.
KIRO Radio’s Dori Monson recently said he believes the court’s order is “a ‘backdoor’ attempt to impose a state income tax,” something the court has “no right to do.”
If it’s the court’s “backdoor” attempt, then Democrats appear all too willing to kick that door open.
