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Electrolytic tax exemption
signed into law
13th District
lawmakers support measure that will keep jobs in Grant County
A temporary business and occupation tax exemption for a company in Moses
Lake is now extended through 2018 after the governor signed a bill into
law today.
House Bill 1062,
co-sponsored by
Rep. Judy Warnick,
will extend a temporary public utility tax exemption for electrolytic
processing businesses.
"It's important for our state to be constantly looking for ways to keep
and create good-paying jobs, and this bill could preserve more than 35
jobs in Grant County alone,"
Warnick said. "With 9.2 percent of our working-class citizens
currently without jobs, we have to do everything we can to prevent that
number from getting any higher."
Sen. Janéa Holmquist,
R-Moses Lake, sponsored a similar measure in the Senate to the one
signed today.
“This tax exemption will preserve approximately 100 family-wage jobs in
Washington,” Holmquist said. “Since Eka Chemicals’ competitors
throughout the world receive these types of exemptions, this bill is
about leveling the competitive playing field.”
The original tax exemption created in 2004 was sponsored by
Rep. Bill Hinkle,
R-Cle Elum and then-Rep. Holmquist.
“Increasing costs of power directly affects these businesses whose raw
material is electricity, which makes up 50 percent of manufacturing
costs," Hinkle said. "This
exemption is working - it helps keep these businesses in Washington,
providing good jobs. Extending the exemption is timely and appropriate."
The bill passed the House 91-4 after concurring with Senate amendments
and passed the Senate 46-2. The measure will take effect July 1, 2009.
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For more information, contact:
Sarah Lamb, Public Information
Officer - (360) 786-7720
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