VIDEO: Stokesbary speaks against Democrats’ income tax bill during final passage
“We took over a hundred years to build what we have, but this bill is set to destroy it in one fell swoop.”
House Republican Leader Rep. Drew Stokesbary delivered that warning during his floor speech on final passage of Senate Bill 6346, legislation that would create a state income tax in Washington.
His remarks came at the end of a historic floor fight. House Republicans battled the bill for more than 24 consecutive hours, shattering modern records for legislative debate as they warned about the long-term consequences for Washington’s economy, businesses and taxpayers.
In his speech, Stokesbary, R- Auburn, argued the proposal threatens the economic foundation that helped make Washington one of the nation’s leading innovation hubs. He pointed to decades of growth that brought companies such as Boeing, Microsoft and Amazon to the state and warned the new tax could undermine that legacy. He also criticized the legislation for doing little to address the rising cost of living facing Washington families, including housing, child care, groceries and gas.
The bill ultimately passed 51-46.
Full remarks:
On opening day, I said that this session marked an inflection point in Washington state. When the next generation looks back at where things went wrong, I think this session, and today in particular, is where they will identify when things finally went wrong for us here in Washington state.
I have said before Washington is blessed beyond what we deserve. We took over a hundred years to build what we have, but this bill is set to destroy it in one fell swoop.
We have one of the most robust social safety nets in the country. We have the highest average teacher salary of any state in the country, the most generous college financial aid package of any state in the country, and one of the most generous Medicaid plans, both in terms of who we cover and what we cover, of any state in the country.
We can do that because this body has made correct decisions in the past. We can do that because those decisions have led companies like Boeing to call Seattle home a hundred years ago, companies like Microsoft to call Redmond home fifty years ago, and Amazon called Seattle home twenty-five years ago.
But this tax is liable to destroy all that, the things that we have spent generations building.
We are now rushing to pass something that has a catchy slogan, but we have not taken time to understand the effects, the second- and third-order effects.
This bill is a signal to companies that, if you are hiring, do not look to hire here in Washington. If you are an entrepreneur, do not look to build your idea here in Washington. If you want to build affordable housing or start a new company, do not do that here in Washington.
In our rush to pass this bill, we failed to help those who need it the most. This bill barely makes a dent in the lives of the folks who need our help the most.
Our constituents are facing among the highest prices in the country in terms of gas, groceries, childcare and housing. This bill gives them virtually nothing.
Instead, it provides a series of pie-crust promises. A promise that, trust us, we will fund school lunches in the budget, but not in this bill. Trust us, we will cut taxes for working families, maybe sometime next session. Trust us, we will never lower the exemption of one million dollars to apply to ordinary people.
I am sorry, Madam Speaker. I do not trust us.
We sat here on this floor two years ago, you and I. We both voted in favor of Initiative 2111 that would have banned income tax in Washington state.
So I do not blame my constituents when they do not trust us either.
Instead of following the clear instruction of the state Supreme Court, instead of listening to voters, instead of making life more affordable for those in need, we are going to make some rich guy in Bellevue write a bigger check.
We are going to send our economy into a spiral, and we are going to no longer be able to fund the things that make Washington great.
It is not too late to save us, Madam Speaker, but it is about to be.
Please vote no.
