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Senate Republican Budget Leader Chris Gildon says we DID NOT need to have a budget relying on the LARGEST TAX INCREASES IN STATE HISTORY from Legislative Democrats (SB 5167). We proved it was very possible to have a no new taxes, no tax increases, and a no cuts budget. Full Statement: ow.ly/PQw750VW58g #waleg ... See MoreSee Less

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Washington State Senate Republican Caucus

4 days ago

#tbt WA was in national news for directing $340 MILLION in COVID payments to non-citizens. It was authorized by Legislative Democrats, former Gov. Jay Inslee, and the Biden Administration. We have long advocated making sure your dollar goes where it's actually suppose to go, with increased transparency, in legislation.WA families and individuals could have used that rel#walegwalegow.ly/V0s050WjouH ... See MoreSee Less

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Washington State Senate Republican Caucus

5 days ago

THE BUDGET SHORTFALL WAS NEVER AS HIGH AS WA DEMOCRATS CLAIMED. BELIEVE NON-PARTISAN STAFF:No matter how many times Governor Bob Ferguson said it in his news conference and no matter how many times the press repeats Democrat talking points... The TRUE budget shortfall number was never higher than $7.5 billion. The nonpartisan legislative staff with Senate Committee Services (SCS) and the House Office of Program Research (OPR), in December, estimated the shortfall to be $6.7 billion. After the March revenue forecast, they adjusted the number to $7.5 billion. The shortfall never reached the levels used to justify the Democratic tax proposals. It was never as high as $16 billion. Those who calculated the shortfall are the experts - trusted by legislators on both sides of the aisle and in both chambers to help write the budgets. Why the disparity? Democrats treated the $7.5 billion calculation as a starting point, adding things that they wanted to spend money on, but were not legally required to for maintenance. Another $4 billion was added for the raises for state employees -- pay increases we couldn't afford without raising taxes on everyone. (Ironically, they wanted to take away those same raises through furloughs, despite the extra $4 billion in taxes to cover it.) Many of their big programs were wishes - not musts. The Democrat wish list inflated the shortfall to $16 billion. Yet, this false number gets repeated as if the Democrats provided an indisputable balance sheet.Senate Republicans ran a full operating budget – Senate Bill 5810 – with no new taxes (Sponsors: Gildon/Torres) and NO CUTS TO SERVICES.Democrats voted down this budget TWICE -- once as an amendment to their budget and a second time when it was brought to the floor via a procedural motion to go to the 9th order. That attempt was also voted down on a party line vote. Despite being provided reasonable, fiscally responsible and compassionate budget... The Democrat majority VOTED for the largest tax increase in state history AND to shortchange low-income families. The largest tax increase in state history was unnecessary ($12.5 billion in state and local taxes), as were the various ways their budget shortchanges the poor, including: • Cutting the length of time low-income new moms on Medicaid can receive postpartum health care in half, in direct contradiction to the evidence they provided two years earlier to justify expanding that care because it would save lives.• Doubling the childcare copays for low-income families whose children get state-subsidized childcare was unnecessary. Not only do they overregulate childcare, creating childcare deserts across the state, but the poor now have to pay even more for it.• Tripling the per-bed license fees at nursing homes despite Washington's shortage of long-term care facilities that will even accept Medicaid patients. This message is approved by Sen. John Braun and Sen. Chris#wadeservesbetterr#UnaffordableWAf#ReturnAffordabilityo#walegity #waleg ... See MoreSee Less

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