November 3, 2021 Newsradio 560 KPQ by Jason Taylor
Washington voters are casting ballots to repeal new tax laws by wide margins for the second year in a row.
By law, the state is required to hold non-binding advisory votes on all tax increases not approved by voters.
Advisory votes made their way onto Washington ballots after voters approved a measure in 2007 that was supported by anti-tax activist Tim Eyman.
The measure was originally far reaching, with a requirement that any tax increase proposed in the state Legislature be passed with a two-thirds majority in both the House and Senate.
Its scope was reduced by the state Supreme Court to only include advisory votes and a requirement that every lawmaker’s vote on a bill that increases taxes or fees to be made public.
All the tax laws in this year’s advisory votes are being rejected by double-digit margins.
They include Advisory Vote 36 over a telephone tax to support a suicide prevention line (losing by 13 points) and Advisory Vote 38 to place a tax on premiums collected by certain insurance companies (losing by 19 points).
The most controversial Advisory Vote in this year’s election is over a new law to place a 7% tax on the capital gains that bring more than $250,000 in profits.
It’s known as Advisory Vote 37, which deals with sales of assets like bonds and stocks, and is losing by about 26 points.
The law is a long-standing priority of Democrats, and is fiercely opposed by Republicans.
It goes into effect in January and will impact tax returns for 2023.
The law is being legally challenged in Douglas County by a group of large business owners and the Washington Farm Bureau, who claim it unconstitutionally imposes an income tax.
Efforts by the state to get the lawsuit dismissed, or moved to a court in Olympia have failed, and to suit is now being litigated.
Official results of the Advisory Votes, like all the contests in this year’s election, will not be finalized for some time.
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