Issue Position: Controlling and Reducing Taxes in Washington

Issue Position

"Every tax increase takes money away from working families in Washington. We need tax relief, not tax increases." Sen. Doug Ericksen

BLOCKING JAY INSLEE'S ENERGY TAX
For the past 6 years, Governor Jay Inslee has proposed massive new job-killing energy taxes. Some people call it a carbon tax, some try to call it a fee on carbon pollution. It is really a huge new tax increase on the energy we use to create jobs, power our economy, drive our kids to school, and heat/cool our homes.

While they try to claim this tax increase only targets big corporations, it really hits middle class and low-income households the hardest by raising the cost gas 40 cents in just a few years and heating bills by up to 25%.

For the past 6 years, we have been able to defeat this tax increase. With your support and your votes, we will continue to defeat this massive tax increase.

PROPERTY TAXES
Sen. Ericksen introduced legislation to return $1 billion in property taxes back to the people in 2018 (SB 6439).

The legislature passed an education package that raises state property taxes and lowers local property taxes, resulting in lower property taxes for Whatcom County. The state increase went into place in 2018 and the reduction of local taxes goes into effect in 2019.

Sen. Ericksen's legislation would have reduced local taxes at the same time state taxes were increased, resulting in immediate property tax relief. But Democrats like Pinky Vargas blocked the measure and forced a delay of one year.

Some in Olympia are now working to stop the reduction of your local property taxes. Sen. Ericksen will make sure your property tax reduction in 2019 happens as promised.

REQUIRE 2/3's VOTE THE LEGISLATURE TO RAISE TAXES

Sen. Ericksen supports requiring a 2/3's vote of the legislature to raise taxes.

The people of Washington have voted several times by large majorities for the 2/3's rule only to have activists on the Supreme Court take this basic taxpayer protection away.

The 2/3's requirement forces legislators to work together and makes raising taxes a last resort and not the first option.

A FAIRER AND FLATTER TAX CODE

Sen. Ericksen supports reform to our tax code that will make the system fairer and flatter. Taxes should be low and spread evenly across the entire system. With the right make up of legislators in Olympia we can move to a fairer and flatter system--without having an income tax.

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