Lie exposed: State is rolling in money, tax hikes not needed

Jay Inslee really wants new taxes, including an energy tax. But yesterday’s state forecast shows tax revenues are exploding. Even some legislative Democrats are admitting tax increases aren’t needed – now will Jay Inslee admit it too?

Property tax relief may be on its way to our state now that “more resources” have become available for the budget. Sen. Joe Fain (R-Auburn) said “Things that we need to do like transportation and special education and property-tax relief” are at the top of the Republicans’ list of priorities. (The News Tribune)

Car owners within Sound Transit’s taxing reach are still waiting for lawmakers to lower car tab costs. One listener told Dori Monson on KIRO 97.3, “We got cheap cars to avoid paying these premium prices. My roommate got a lease to do the same. And now we are tapping into our rent…I feel like they don’t care. Especially our attorney general and our governor. I used to be a guy who was on the left. But because of them, I just keep getting pushed further and further away. I have zero trust in our state government here in Washington.” (MyNorthwest)

Seattle wants to implement a business “head tax” to fund growing homelessness programs. As it loves to do, the Seattle City Council is looking to businesses first for yet another tax increase. “The business community is the punching bag,” a chamber of commerce staffer said. There’s a lot of talk from the council about raising money for homelessness – where is the discussion about spending it ways that are actually effective? (The Seattle Times)

Watch out Sound Transit: You’re not the only ones with plans for massively expensive rail. Cascadia Rail wants to connect Vancouver BC, Seattle, Portland and Spokane using “ultra high-speed ground transportation.” If it’s anything like a lot of other high-speed rail proposals, it’ll result in a lot of talk that doesn’t actually go anywhere. (MyNorthwest)

Planned Parenthood filed a lawsuit in Spokane seeking to halt cuts to its funding. The suit is calling for a permanent injunction to stop the federal government from eliminating $100 million from its budget, which the group says goes to its Teen Pregnancy Prevention program. (The Spokesman-Review)

Preventing the Freedom Foundation from letting home care workers know they can leave SEIU | SB 6079 | passed Senate 25-22-0-2, in House committee | “Exempting birthdates from public record disclosures means any disciplinary measure against a public employee has a high probability of being buried indefinitely. What really needs to be buried is this proposal. We’re counting on the Washington House to send it the dead-letter file of bad bills, where it belongs.” | (The News Tribune)

Finance (House)

Assisting Washington families by improving the fairness of the state’s tax system by enacting a capital gains tax and providing property tax relief | HB 2967

Providing business and occupation tax relief to rural manufacturers | HB 2947

Creating tax incentives for mushroom farming | HB 2980

Allowing excess local infrastructure financing revenues to be carried forward | HB 2858

Concerning the exemption of property taxes for nonprofit homeownership development | ESSB 5143

State Government, Tribal Relations & Elections (Senate)

Collecting youth voter registration sign up information | 2SHB 1513

Addressing the definition of veteran | ESHB 2701

Concerning procedures in order to automatically register citizens to vote | 2SHB 2595

Revising statutory deadlines for redistricting plans | HB 2962

Ordering a study to determine how to increase reporting and investigation of missing Native American women | SHB 2951

Creating a community care and supportive services program for veterans | EHB 1571

Concerning the department of veterans affairs | HB 2582

Clarifying the calculation of military leave for officers and employees that work shifts spanning more than one calendar day | HB 2851

Concerning the retirement age for state guard members | 2SHB 2004

Increasing employment opportunities for spouses of military members | SHB 2456

Concerning access of broadcasters to a geographic area subject to the declaration of a national, state, or local emergency | SHB 2415

Concerning the state building code council | E2SHB 1622

Adding part-time employees to state civil service | HB 2669

Concerning public disclosure of certain information procured or obtained pursuant to a loan or grant application under the underground storage tank revolving loan and grant program | EHB 2735

Law & Justice (Senate)

Concerning donation of unclaimed property by law enforcement agencies | HB 2374

Modifying the offense of rape in the third degree | HB 2465

Authorizing law enforcement to arrest persons in violation of certain no-contact orders involving victims of trafficking and promoting prostitution offenses | SHB 2466

Concerning timelines in criminal cases involving domestic violence | HB 2457

Concerning sexual exploitation | SHB 2360

Increasing access to emergency assistance for victims by providing immunity from prosecution for prostitution offenses in some circumstances | SHB 2361

Modifying cybercrime provisions | SHB 2678

Health Care & Wellness (House)

Requiring coverage for hearing instruments under public employee and medicaid programs | E2SSB 5179

Concerning health care for Pacific Islanders residing in Washington under a compact of free association | SSB 5683

Enacting the uniform emergency volunteer health practitioners act | ESSB 5990

Concerning bone marrow donation information provided to driver’s license and identicard applicants | SSB 6155

Restricting the practice of conversion therapy | SB 5722

Concerning insurance coverage of tomosynthesis or three-dimensional mammography | SB 5912

Concerning health plan coverage of reproductive health care | SSB 6219

Concerning human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) testing | SB 6580

Early Learning & Human Services (House)

Phasing out use of the valid court order exception to place youth in detention for noncriminal behavior | SSB 5596

Concerning the Washington achieving a better life experience program account | SSB 6221

Concerning juvenile offenses | SSB 6566

Concerning private case management of child welfare services | SB 6407

Requiring the department of social and health services to collect and publicly report information on the safe surrender of newborn children | SSB 5522

Concerning access to the Washington early childhood education and assistance program | SSB 6419

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