OLYMPIA…Seemingly oblivious to concerns about affordability, Democrats passed a multitude of bills out of the Senate Ways & Means Committee Monday that will increase the cost of living for Washingtonians.
Out of 69 bills on the meeting agenda, all but one of those that undermine affordability passed out of committee and await being brought to the Senate floor for a vote. The only one that didn’t pass would have banned single-use and reusable film plastic bags.
The bills that passed out of Ways & Means include policies that will:
- Pave the way for an income tax on everyone
- Increase the cost of food
- Burden Washington’s agricultural industry with extra costs, threatening the survival of farms statewide
- Raise the cost of health care premiums
- Increase the price of energy
- Further increase the workers’ compensation costs for businesses, which are already some of the highest in the country
“Watching Democrats pass one tax bill after another out of committee last night was surreal,” said Senate Republican Leader John Braun. “They just don’t seem to grasp that you can’t make Washington more affordable by making it more expensive. They wouldn’t even give families with infants a break, refusing to pass Senator Nikki Torres’ bill to exempt diapers from sales tax.”
Last year, Democrats passed the largest tax increase in state history and drastically increased spending, leaving the state in another multi-billion-dollar deficit. This year, instead of cutting spending to balance the budget, Democrats proposed 72 new and higher taxes, including an unconstitutional income tax (Senate Bill 6346).
“Democrats might see their tax bills as a dime here or a nickel there, but they all add up, creating a ripple effect across our economy. Add on costly regulations that threaten our supply of food and affordable housing, and you realize Democrats aren’t fighting for the most vulnerable people in Washington. They’re making things worse.”
The bills that pass a floor vote in the Senate will go to the House of Representatives for consideration, where the public will get another opportunity to oppose them if they receive a hearing.
Anti-affordability bills that passed out of the Senate Ways & Means Committee on Monday include: