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House Democrats side-step
I-601, clear the way for new taxes
House Democrats joined
their counterparts in the Senate in passing a bill that sets aside
Initiative 601 and strips away the two-thirds majority voting
requirement for the Legislature to raise taxes.
Democrats, who control
both chambers of the Legislature, have built new taxes into their
proposed state budgets and need the measure desperately because they
don’t have a two-thirds majority in either the House or Senate.
“Today we’ve done two
things: cleared the way for raising taxes and set the stage for a
double-digit increase in state spending,” said
Rep. Doug Ericksen,
R-Ferndale. “I can’t imagine the average taxpayer would be in favor of
either.”
Ericksen hoped the maneuver could be avoided and the state’s operating
budget could be balanced with the existing $1.7 billion in new revenue
and without raising any new taxes.
“We have an opportunity to
balance our state budget without raising taxes and without setting aside
I-601,” said Ericksen. “Families are on budgets and can’t overspend –
the same principles should apply to state government.”
Senate Bill 6078 would
suspend the two-thirds majority vote requirement for tax hikes for two
years. This is the second time in four years Democrats have voted to
temporarily suspend the requirement.
“Voters knew I-601 would force bipartisan collaboration in determining
the priorities of the state. Now we are going in the opposite
direction,” said Ericksen. “I-601 has saved taxpayers around $4 billion
to date. That means $4 billion more in our economy and not in government
accounts.”
After voter approval of
I-601, government only grew an average of 8.5 percent in the following
four biennial budgets.
House Republicans
introduced a few amendments, including one that would have put the
concept of repealing the two-thirds majority vote requirement before
voters this fall. The amendments were defeated.
Senate Bill 6078 now goes
to the governor where it is expected to be signed.
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For more information, contact:
John
Handy, Assistant Director: (360) 786-5758
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