Dear Friends and Neighbors,

Once in a while, a legislator will refer to a bill that everyone supports as a “good little bill.” Today, however, Senate Democrats passed a big, bad bill — an unconstitutional state income tax.

Misleadingly labeled a “millionaire’s tax,” Senate Bill 6346 levies a 9.9% tax on income. To start with, it targets individuals and couples who make $1 million per year, but Democrats voted “no” to an amendment that would limit the tax to millionaires.

They left the door open for the tax to expand to include all of us. Even worse, they included a clause in it that prevents you, the people, from overturning it through referendum.

Democrats like to claim we need this tax because our tax system is too regressive, but that rings hollow because they passed the largest tax increase in state history last year and are proposing 71 other taxes this year as well.

SB 6346 gives regular people a small sales tax break on things like mouthwash and shampoo, but Democrats voted down a sales tax exemption on diapers. The biggest tax break in the bill — $250 million — goes to large tech companies.

Some claim that voting against the income tax will jeopardize healthcare and education, but not one dime of the revenue in the income tax bill is earmarked for healthcare or education.

In fact, this bill will hurt small business, farmers, and charities and non-profits that depend on large gifts.

The bottom line, however, is that this income tax is violates the Washington State Constitution.

More than 60,000 people signed in against SB 6346 when it received a rushed hearing in the Senate. That is so impressive that Democrats have tried to say bots are responsible, even though the Legislature blocks bots. We know better.

YOU still have time to stop this bill.

You can contact Democrat members of the House of Representatives, including the speaker of the House, to demand that they kill this bill and never bring it to the House floor for a vote. You can contact the governor and demand that he veto it if it makes it to his desk.

The fact that they wouldn’t accept an amendment limiting their “millionaire’s tax” to millionaires should tell you what you need to know. It’s coming for us all. Do Democrats in Olympia think Washingtonians are fools?

STOP THE INCOME TAX

If you have questions or comments, please email me at john.braun@leg.wa.gov. 

Sincerely,

John Braun

 

 

 

Bills undermining will of the people moving ahead

Earlier this session, I told you about two Democrat-sponsored bills that undermine the will of the people. Unfortunately, both bills are moving forward. Democrats passed them out of the Senate last week. Republicans voted against both.

Senate Bill 5973: This bill is the latest effort by legislative Democrats to restrict the citizen-initiative process, prevent challenges to their agenda, and reduce the people’s influence over our political system. It would make initiatives so expensive and difficult that the people might never again be able to challenge unpopular decisions by the majority.

SB 5973 would:

• Prohibit organizers from paying signature gatherers “per signature”
• Require campaigns to turn in 1,000 signatures when an initiative is filed, before the full signature drive can begin
• Allow third parties to sue initiative campaigns, tying them up in court and reducing their chances of success

Senate Bill 5974: The sheriff elected by the people should answer to the people — not to a board of gubernatorial appointees. Yet that is exactly what would happen under SB 5974, which would give an unelected board the power to decertify a duly elected county sheriff.

Sheriffs swear an oath to uphold the United States Constitution, the Washington State Constitution, and the laws of this state. When a gubernatorial order or state law conflicts with the U.S. Constitution, it places law enforcement in an impossible position:

Do they follow state law and risk violating federal law and the Constitution? Or do they honor the Constitution and risk removal for defying state directives?

The Supremacy Clause makes clear that the U.S. Constitution and federal law prevail. A sheriff’s sworn duty is to uphold them — even when doing so is politically inconvenient. No appointed board should have the authority to override the will of voters for fulfilling that constitutional obligation.

WHAT NOW?

As the bills head to the House of Representatives for consideration, you have the opportunity to oppose them by contacting House Democrats on the State Government & Tribal Relations Committee and telling them to kill the bills.

 

 

 

Watch my latest video update from Olympia