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Dear Friends and Neighbors,
House Republicans are fighting hard this session to ensure our state is an affordable place to live, work and raise a family. One of our top priorities is stopping the majority from imposing an income tax, whether that be at the state or local level. To that end, I recently introduced legislation to reenact a decades-old ban on local income taxes.
The ban, approved 94-1 in the House and 43-5 in the Senate during the 1984 legislative session, was struck down last July by the Washington State Court of Appeals. The court ruled the law violated the single-subject rule found in Article II, Section 19 of the state Constitution, which prohibits bills from covering more than one subject.
My bill, House Bill 2479, checks in at just over one page and includes one subject: “Reaffirming the prohibition of the imposition of a local income tax.”
It's a carbon copy of the existing statute, but written in such a way as to avoid any constitutional concerns. I hope the Legislature will reaffirm to the courts and to all Washingtonians our continued belief in this policy. To date, however, the majority has yet to schedule a hearing on the bill.
I'll make sure to keep you updated as this year's 60-day session progresses. As always, please feel free to contact me with your comments, questions or concerns.
It's an honor to serve you.
Warmly,
Drew Stokesbary
