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Dear Friends and Neighbors,
In my last email update I talked a little about HB 1296 which would gut Initiative 2081, better known as the Parents’ Bill of Rights.
We fought this bill on the House floor for over six hours and offered more than 50 amendments to try and make this horrible bill just a little bit better. The debate lasted until almost 3’oclock the next morning and then passed on a party-line vote with no Republican support.
As I said in my recent Op-ed on this issue:
“Initiative 2081 was a good-faith effort to balance transparency, parental authority, and education. HB 1296, on the other hand, sacrifices that balance for control, prioritizing institutional power over family trust. Washington deserves better. We should protect Initiative 2081 and reject HB 1296 – not because of politics, but because our kids and families are worth it.”
You can read the rest of my Op-ed and learn more about the initiative and HB 1296 here:
Rep. Joe Schmick | Parents’ Bill of Rights under attack
Budget and Taxes Update
Overspending during the past decade has resulted in a significant state budget hole:
Democrats in the House and Senate introduced their tax increase proposals this week and it doesn’t look good for hard-working taxpayers. Instead of prioritizing spending, redoing recent collective bargaining agreements (which they knew would make the budget hole worse when they were agreed upon), and introducing zero-based budgeting, they are once again going after your wallets.
Senate Democrats want $20 billion in taxes increases over the next four years. Along with a payroll tax and several other taxes, they include a wealth tax, which will not bring in near the amount they assume because the ultra-wealthy can – and will – move to a state with a more friendly tax environment. They also want a property tax increase which is larger than one introduced last year but was killed due to rabid public opposition. If both of these proposals bring in less than they assume in their budget, how will they backfill it? Budgeting on unstable revenue sources is unwise and unsustainable.
House Democrats also propose a property tax increase at a time when home values have increased which causes current property taxes to be exponentially – and artificially – exorbitant! They also want a B&O tax increase and a surcharge on what they say are “high grossing companies,” but many see them as “high employment companies.” Balancing a budget on the backs of homeowners and employers will hurt families, job producers, and our economy.
My fear is that House Democrats will want their taxes and budget, the Senate Democrats will want theirs, and Gov. Bob Ferguson will want his. The result could be a special session with Democrats trying to decide which taxes to raise as they negotiate with themselves and with little input from Republicans. It could be a long summer.
9th District Virtual Town Hall
I want to thank all that participated in our 9th Legislative District Virtual Town Hall. We had more than 160 participants asking questions and exchanging ideas. It was a great time with my seatmates as we work hard to represent you in Olympia.
As always, thank you for reading my email update. It is an honor to serve you.
Sincerely,
Joe Schmick
