News from the Caucus

The proposed property tax increase hike from State Legislative Democrats is off the table, but concerns remain over a plan to raise the school levy cap. Tracy Ellis reports.

Sen. Matt Boehnke, R-Kennewick/Credit: Washington State Senate OLYMPIA… In a stark rebuke of the majority party’s latest tax agenda, Sen. Matt Boehnke today issued a statement following the Senate’s passage of three major tax bills—Senate Bill 5813, Senate Bill 5814, and Senate Bill 5794—all of which impose new or expanded tax burdens on Washington residents...

Areas outside Seattle will see an increase of nearly 20% next year and 55% over the next 6 years.   OLYMPIA…Contrary to news-media reports indicating the Legislature’s majority Democrats have abandoned their push for higher property taxes, House Bill 2049 would still allow significant property-tax increases by raising the cap on local school-district levies, which...

Senate Republican Leader John Braun, on “The Elephant in the Dome,” criticized Democrats’ $18 billion tax proposals, including property and sales tax hikes. He warned of economic risks, business exodus, and fiscal mismanagement. Braun also discussed rent control and transparency concerns in budgeting.

State Senate Democrats just approved a wave of Easter weekend tax hikes, including a sales-tax increase and new taxes on self-storage rentals. Tracy Ellis reports.

OLYMPIA… Today the Senate majority approved a sales-tax increase that will hit lower- and middle-income families harder, a tax increase that will drive capital out of Washington, and a collection of unrelated tax increases that includes a new tax on self-storage rentals. Sen. Chris Gildon of Puyallup, Senate Republican budget leader, offered this reaction to...

Senate Republicans spent today — Saturday of Easter weekend — fighting against billions of dollars in new and higher taxes proposed by Senate Democrats. Over four years, these tax bills cost taxpayers… SB 5813: $1 billion to $1.5 billion SB 5814: $4.6 billion in state taxes, $2.7 in local taxes SB 5794: $600 million SB...

Republicans provide a no-new-tax budget option Democrats ignore our fiscally sound approach   It’s official. The Senate Republican operating budget proposal known as $ave Washington is now an official bill and could easily be adopted by the Legislature. Senate Bill 5810 does not rely on ANY new or higher taxes. It also does not make...

Democrats missed a critical chance to address overcrowding in Washington’s juvenile-justice facilities, according to the state Senate Republican Leader. Tracy Ellis reports.

Sen. Keith Goehner/R-Dryden/Credit: Washington State Senate OLYMPIA… On Tax Day, as Washingtonians paid their federal income taxes, Senate Democrats introduced a set of sweeping tax proposals totaling more than $12 billion, despite Senate Republicans presenting a balanced budget with no tax increases (SB 5810). These proposed taxes continue to put us down the path of...

OLYMPIA… On the final day for Senate bills to be considered by the House of Representatives, the majority Democrats in the House — including the Speaker of the House — fumbled a critical opportunity to alleviate dangerous overcrowding in Washington’s juvenile-justice facilities, leaving both residents and staff members in crisis. Senate Republican Leader John Braun,...

On Tax Day (Tuesday), State Senate Democrats unveil a sweeping tax package that would likely cost you and everyone you know more to live in Washington. You can comment at a Senate Ways and Means Committee hearing scheduled for 5:30 tomorrow (Wednesday). Tracy Ellis has more.