Dent issues statement on House passage of income tax bill
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Dent issues statement on House passage of income tax bill
After 24 non-stop hours of debate, the longest debate in recent Washington State history, the state House of Representatives passed Senate Bill 6346, the so-called “millionaires tax” or income tax bill on Tuesday.
The bill would impose a 9.9% tax on household income above $1 million, leading to Washington state’s first income tax.
Rep. Tom Dent, R-Moses Lake, issued the following statement after the marathon debate:
“Please make no mistake about this, it is an income tax, in direct conflict with our state constitution language found in Article 7, section 1 of the Washington State Constitution. I took an oath of office to uphold the Constitution of the State of Washington and the Constitution of the United States. I take that very seriously!
“This bill is being sold as a tax on millionaires, but history shows that once government creates a new tax, it rarely stays limited to the original target. Nothing is stopping future legislatures from lowering the threshold and applying this tax to more Washingtonians.
“That is concerning, because in agriculture, many family farms are asset-rich but cash-poor. Land values may look high on paper, but that doesn’t mean farmers have money sitting in the bank. Policies like this open the door to taxes that could one day hit family farms and multi-generational agricultural operations already operating on tight margins.
“I will always stand up for the farmers, ranchers, and working families in my district and Washington state who simply want the opportunity to keep more of what they earn.
“Finally, I also voted no because Washington does not have a revenue problem—we have a spending problem. Families across our state are already struggling with the rising cost of living. Instead of focusing on making Washington more affordable, the majority party chose to create a brand-new income tax to raise more money instead of making the tough fiscally responsible decisions that need to be made.”
The bill passed by a vote of 51-46.
The bill now heads to the Senate for further consideration due to amendments made by the House.
The Legislature is scheduled to adjourn on March 12.
