Watch: Rep. Drew Stokesbary calls for tax relief during Republican media availability
During today’s legislative Republican media availability, Rep. Drew Stokesbary reiterated his call for the Legislature to use the state’s massive budget surplus to pass meaningful tax relief this session. “I still haven’t figured out why ongoing spending increases are perfectly acceptable, but ongoing tax reductions are hugely problematic and can’t even be put on the table,” he said. Stokesbary also highlighted the House Republican SAFE Washington budget framework.
The framework:
- Cuts the state sales tax by a full percentage point.
- Delivers billions of dollars in ongoing funding for transportation projects.
- Reduces B&O taxes on the sectors seeing the highest inflation, including manufacturing, timber, and food processors.
- Repeals the mandatory long-term care tax and replace it with an optional program.
- Rescues the beleaguered Paid Family & Medical Program to avoid another payroll tax increase on employees next year.
- Offers one-time grants to businesses hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent shutdowns, including hotels and restaurants.
- Approves state employee collective bargaining agreements.
- Provides police departments with funding for officer retention and recruitment bonuses.
- Transfers $1 billion to the state’s rainy-day fund.
- Leaves a four-year surplus of $2.1 billion for other supplemental-year government spending programs.
