Tag: tax increase

Washington Senate Panel Approves $30 Per Diem Increase

By Austin Jenkins

Nw news network March 25 2014

Washington state Senators are giving themselves a pay raise. They will get $120 a day in per diem when they are in session — up from the current $90 a day.

The Senate Facilities and Operations committee approved the increase Tuesday in a split vote.

Washington citizen legislators are paid an annual salary of $42,000. When the legislature is in session, lawmakers are eligible for a daily allowance to cover expenses. Since 2005, this per diem has been set at $90 a day in the Washington Senate.

Earlier this year the House approved a $30 increase. Now the Senate will follow. At a hastily called meeting in the Capitol, Democrat Karen Fraser made the case for the per diem hike.

“Some have serious financial problems being able to be here during the session, so therefore I think it’s reasonable that we equal the House.”

Senate Majority Leader Rodney Tom opposed the increase in part, he said, because teachers and state employees haven’t received a cost of living increase in several years.

This per diem raise is expected to cost Washington taxpayers an additional $155,000 next year.

Washington Initiative Promoter Files Measure To Resurrect Anti-Tax Rule

Washington initiative promoter Tim Eyman kicked off the New Year with a new ballot proposal.

Jan 6, 2014 NWNewsNetwork

By Austin Jenkins

Credit Austin Jenkins / Northwest News NetworkInitiative promoter Tim Eyman has a plan to resurrect the two-thirds vote requirement for tax increases in Washington
Credit Austin Jenkins / Northwest News Network
Initiative promoter Tim Eyman has a plan to resurrect the two-thirds vote requirement for tax increases in Washington

It’s designed to resurrect the requirement that tax hikes get a two-thirds majority in the legislature or be referred to the people. This time Eyman has designed a hammer to get the legislature to act.

Last year, the Washington Supreme Court tossed out Eyman’s two-thirds requirement for tax increases as unconstitutional – something Washington voters had repeatedly approved. Now Eyman’s back with a creative proposal: he would cut the state sales tax by one cent if the legislature doesn’t approve and send to voters a constitutional amendment to bring back the super majority rule.

“Either they let us vote, which costs them nothing, or we get the largest tax cut in Washington state history,” says Eyman.

A one penny cut in the sales tax would amount to about $1 billion a year in lost revenue to the state. Eyman would need to gather nearly 250,000 valid voter signatures to put his measure on this fall’s ballot.

The 2014 initiative season is also underway in Oregon. Measures on same-sex marriage, marijuana legalization and liquor privatization are all expected to qualify for the ballot.

In Idaho, there are proposed ballot initiatives to raise the minimum wage and allow medical marijuana.