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Republicans welcome bipartisan tax-limit bill
Legislation identical to House GOP proposal, I-747
law
Rep. Ed Orcutt, R-Kalama,
says he will support a new copy of the legislation he introduced Jan. 11
to reinstate Washington’s voter-approved limit on property tax
increases.
Rep. Dan Roach, R-Bonney
Lake, will be lead Republican sponsor of the measure, which is expected
to be filed by his 31st Legislative District seatmate, Democrat Rep.
Chris Hurst. The bill would, like Orcutt's
House Bill 1170, create a law identical to the one enacted in 2001
by Initiative 747 and struck down by a Seattle judge on a technicality
in June 2006.
"Whether it's my bill or
an identical bill that becomes law isn't the point -- my constituents
know I and other Republicans have been out front about the need to
reinstate this important taxpayer protection. Our priority is making
sure, one way or another, the 1 percent limit is put back into place as
the voters intended when they passed I-747," said Orcutt, who is
Republican leader on the House Finance Committee, which considers
legislation related to tax policies and revenue.
"Last June the Republicans
in the House and Senate called for a one-day special legislative session
to restore the 1 percent limit, but the majority party wouldn't go along
with us," said Roach, who also serves on the finance committee. "For
months no one knew where the majority party stood. Would they stand up
in support of the voters and taxpayers or stay quiet and noncommittal
like the governor? It appears that question has been answered, but let's
wait and see if this bill reaches the governor's desk, and what she
does."
Property tax increases were limited to 6 percent annually without voter
approval until Initiative 747 passed in 2001, which lowered the limit to 1
percent without voter consent. The tax limit saved approximately $1
billion before the King County court ruling lifted the lid back to 6
percent.
Orcutt and Roach said they'll reject Democrat proposals that deviate
from the I-747 language by allowing property tax increases higher than 1
percent without voter approval or applying the 1 percent limit only to
the state portion of the property tax.
They pointed to the fact
that property tax is the only tax that can cause someone to lose his or her home,
and how the I-747 tax limit helped low-income and senior citizens afford
their property taxes and made housing more affordable.
Restoring the 1 percent limit also would offer certainty to local governments, who
depend on accurate revenue projections when developing their budgets.
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