
Insistence on higher taxes is cause of special session — Inslee’s tax-hiking obsession exposed
“Unfortunately, instead of reaching agreement on a responsible budget that lives within the state’s means, the Legislature will be entering a special session due to the insistence of the governor and the Democrats in the House of Representatives to raise taxes by around one billion dollars in the next two years.
“We know that the people of our state do not want new taxes. As proof, we need to look no further than the recent votes on the two-thirds threshold to raise taxes, the repeal of taxes on soda, candy and gum and the voting down of an income-tax initiative.
“What our citizens are looking for from the Legislature is a leaner, more efficient state government that provides services while living within our means. That’s what the Senate budget provides – without resorting to new taxes.
“In the recent weeks I’ve often been reminded of one of my favorite quotes: ‘confrontation is the lifeblood of politics; if that bothers you, maybe you should get into something more sheltered.’ Make no mistake – the budget confrontation that we find ourselves in is caused by the fact that the governor and Democrats in the House of Representatives are insisting on raising taxes.
“Those who are insisting on tax increases are not listening to a majority of the people. More than anything, what I want the public to know is that in the Senate, we are listening. We will continue to insist on a responsible, sustainable budget that does not raise taxes.”
Here’s what our new initiative does:
1) Requires yearly advisory votes every November: “Do you support or oppose having the legislature refer to a vote of the people a constitutional amendment requiring two-thirds legislative approval for raising taxes as defined by voter-approved Initiatives 960, 1053, and 1185?“ We call it the “ask the voters” clause.
2) Limits the duration of tax increases to one year. We call it the accountability clause.